Confessions of a cosmetic counter chick

She pulls open the glass counter door and carefully picks out an eyeshadow palette for the waiting hands of a nearby customer.

“It comes in this cute jeweled case too,” Brittney Drummond, sophomore Spanish major and beauty advisor at Belk’s Lancome cosmetics counter said.

Drummond has been working at Belk since June when she decided it was necessary to have a job while in college. She is one of two beauty advisors who work at the counter. On any given day, Drummond offers makeovers, touch-ups or beauty tips to a variety of customers.

“My favorite part of the job is making women feel better about themselves,” Drummond said.

Drummond attends classes in order to learn about the latest products, different skin types, evolving technology in the cosmetics world and how to sell Lancome products more efficiently. She has become knowledgeable about the products she sells. This translates into confidence when working with customers.

“We research our products and read up on them so we know the technology and the different skin types,” Drummond said “I took a class just for skin–the different types and how it reacts.”

However, Drummond was not always this confident when selling cosmetics. She particularly remembers one customer who was not satisfied with the makeover she received.

I spent 45 minutes to an hour, probably an hour and a half all together, getting this lady’s face done,” Drummond said of the client.

The customer had never worn makeup before—so Drummond saw it as a challenge. She remembers passersby stopping and commenting on how beautiful the makeover was coming along. However, when Drummond handed the mirror over to reveal the look—the customer thought otherwise.

“She looks in the mirror and is like ‘Ew, I look like a clown!’ “ Drummond said.

The customer then proceeded to wipe her face with makeup cleanser in front of Drummond and refused to buy any products.

Drummond has gained more confidence since the disastrous makeover fiasco–partly because of Belk’s mandatory sales quotas.

“The hardest part is the sales goals,” Drummond said of the $20,000 goal for the Lancome counter. The goal is to be divided between two beauty advisors. Drummond, always up to date with the latest makeup trends, says the trend now is a bold eye. Purple, green, and coral are what Lancome has in store for this spring.

Customer service is also an important aspect of Drummond’s job at the Lancome counter. Drummond counts on offering a great first-time experience in hopes that customers will become repeat clients.

“We have a client form and no matter what they buy, whether it be lipstick, skin care, or they are sampling something—I put their name onto my client form,” Drummond said “Eventually, they become a client of mine.”

Drummond doesn’t consider herself a saleswoman, saying she takes careful consideration when consulting customers about beauty tips. Gaining customers trust is the largest concern of Drummond when it comes to helping women with their beauty.

“(I try to) develop a relationship with our customers. If they sense you’re trying to sell them something—they won’t buy it,” Drummond said. “They have to trust you.”