Lancome (cosmetics) is having their Quatorze Juillet promotion. “While supplies last”, the gift-with-purchase is a tote bag and a fresh baguette, along with some trinkets (two lipsticks, a tiny nail polish, a hair clip, a sample of concealer, and, I think, a bag for the small items). I use Lancome, and my lipstick is down to the rim, so I went in to see if the promotion was still on. It was, but the purchase has to be $25 or more to get the GWP.
“How much are the lipsticks?”
“$19.”
“Are there any items, like brushes, that are around $10?”
“No, all our items are either less or more than $25.”
Funny, that wasn’t my question. I’m on to your scam, dear; I’m just trying to figure a way around it. I asked about an eyeshadow wand, like the one I own, and was told it’s no longer manufactured. In fact, all my questions were fielded in a very patronizing tone.
I’m just going to have to steel myself. Like anyone, I like the idea of getting a bonus and of getting little trinkets. (That may be more of a chick thing; I dunno.) But I’m not going to be suckered into buying something I don’t need and spending more than if I’d just bought a tote bag, a baguette and a hair clip. I will get the lipstick because I need it, but that’s it. Or maybe, the salesclerk at the other Macy’s at which I will make my purchase, can steer me towards some (relatively) low-priced item. The bottom line is, this woman was so sweetly unhelpful, her attempt to inflate her commission resulted in no sale at all. Or maybe she just didn’t smell money on me.
Lancome is one of the biggest rip offs in cosmetics history. Not only are they over priced to start with they also continue to practice animal testing even though there are other, very acceptable laboratory standards, around it.
I wouldn’t buy Lancome with a gun to my head. No matter WHAT they were offering. Frankly, the bulk of the products they offer are matched or beaten by cheaper alternates. Often, at better quality without the animal testing.
Look at Almay, Avon, The Body Shop, Clinique, Halson, Max Factor, Revlon, or St. Ives. None of these companies practice animal testing anymore and they do have products that meet or exceed anything you’d find at Lancome. At half or less the price.
No. You didn’t post anything of value. Sorry, but we do have rules.
BTW can you pound a six inch nail into a board with your penis? No? Okay, so you’re fucked on that score too. But thanks for posting! Your consolation prize is a date with Sangria… poor YOU!
Ya know, Freak baby, I’m liking you more and more… sure, it’s because we agree on so many topics but you really are a smart ass and you can take a joke for what’s it worth. In my book, that’s work a fuck of a lot.
However, having ME as a friend is like having herpes. I might be there, I might not; and you never know exactly when I’ll show up!
You know, I almost hate to tell you this, but Krispy said almost the exact same thing to me. We have argued, fought and gotten down right nasty with each other… but in the end there is this measure of respect.
I guess, that’s all I ask, really. You may not agree with me, or I you, but there is always that level of respect.
NO ONE, but no one can piss me off more than someone I like. But I will ALWAYS respect them for standing up for their beliefs… even if I think they are the biggest shit head in the world!
After all my time here, I’ve found that other poster’s respect me (I think) for the same reason. I’ve always been me and if someone calls me on the carpet I take my punches and make my points, even IF I happen to go against the “popular” wind. If I’m wrong, I’ll promptly admit it.
It may not make you a lot of friends but the friends you do make will always be honest with you about where you stand with them. They don’t coddle or kowtow… they will tell you when they don’t agree. But in the end, they will still like you. They will be able to say that they agree to disagree. And that’s a true friend.
What about Estee Lauder? Are they as bad as Lancome? Actually, I’ve found the salespeople (at Robinson’s May) to be extremely friendly and when I just want to make a purchase just large enough to get the gift with purchase, they are really cool about recommending something inexpensive along with whatever I’m buying. Hmmm… Where are you? I’m in California.
I’m in California too, Heloise. And that’s unfortunate news, Byz. But I’ve got a lot invested in Lancome, and I can’t afford to get a whole new line from some other company. I’d like to be principled, but if one was going to maintain perfect integrity, one wouldn’t buy anything from any manufacturer ever.
My friend was a salesperson at an Estee Lauder counter and then moved over to be counter manager at Prescriptives (both owned by the same company). I visited her at work dozens of times and got to know several of the other salespeople. It’s just like anyplace else. Some of them were exceptionally friendly and knew a lot about their products. They wanted the customers to leave feeling good about themselves (they did a lot of makeovers). Others of them were complete bitches who didn’t give a crap about the customer – I mean, treated them like they were beneath contempt-- and only worried about making their sales goals.
To be fair, though, some of those goals are pretty steep. During big events, like the one described in the OP, the senior sales people are expected to sell upwards of $150 in cosmetics per hour, and the competition between the employees can get really heated. If you don’t make your sales goals for the quarter, you can almost guarantee a pay cut. I heard about an awful lot of ruffled feathers when it came to people knocking each other out of the way to make sales. During the holidays, it is positively cut-throat!
None of that excuses rude service, I suppose, even if it explains it.
Lancome and L’Oreal are owned by the same company. Many L’Oreal products are in fact identical ingredient-wise to Lancome products at a third (or so) of the cost.
What do you mean “get a whole new line?” Is there some rule that you have to buy all your cosmetics from the same company? If so, the makeup police should be dragging me off in chains any minute now.
While we’re sort of on the subject, though, does anyone know of a good thing to reduce redness? I may have to get a passport photo taken soon, and I don’t want to look like the Queen of the Pink People like I usually do in snapshots.
But at the Lancome counter there’s a person wearing a lab coat, so the makeup must be more scientifically formulated, and I’ll have an expert to advise me on the possible chemical interactions and benefits of various formulae - well worth paying three times as much!
Usually the only difference in the cosmetic lines are perfumes and fillers. If you think that Lancome is expensive, have you checked out Chanel? I’ll stick to my Maybelline, Cover Girl and when I’m feeling rich, my Clinique.
cher3, Cover Girl has a line of concealers that does a good job of concealing redness. You might want to try them, or if you can find a green correction stick, that may also help.
Since this thread has piqued my curiosity, I’m going to ask a question here, even though it’s not very pit-like.
I’m going to a wedding in August, and I was thinking maybe I would wear makeup, to look as nice as possible. Now, I don’t own ANY makeup, so obviously, I don’t wear any. And I never have. A good friend of mine is a makeup snob, and I have gone shopping with her for the stuff at Macy’s and have been appalled by the prices she pays. If I want to get some makeup to wear to this wedding, and maybe a few other special occasions, is it worth it to pay that much, or should I just go down to the drug store? The thing that appeals to me about going to Macy’s or whatever is that they could show me how to use it properly and help me get the right colors and stuff - but they would also probably try to trick me into buying a lot of stuff I don’t need.
Kyla, go to the fancy department store. Get a makeover and make sure that they show you how to use the items. Then go buy the cheap stuff and experiment until you’ve got it right. Or if the wedding is in your town and you have the time, you can schedule a makeover right before the wedding. Lots of women that I know do this before special occasions and most teens going to proms do this as well. If they act snooty about you not buying anything, tell them that you want to see how your skin reacts to the cosmetics. Because even if it’s hypo-allergenic, some people’s skin react to cosmetics badly. Hope this helps.
:comment to myself - I spend way to much time on this damn stuff: