MAs - pressure to look good always?

[DirtyPlum]

I was just reading this thread http://specktra.net/f179/week-withou...27/index2.html and it got me thinking about the pressure for a MA to look good all the time as we are advertising our MA skills and brands MU...

Dont know how other MAC MAs/ MAs feel but when ppl know youre a MUA (esp one of a brand such as mac) there is pressure to look immaculate - ALWAYS. even on ur days off.
If you dont, youre prone to double-looks at your face and long stares as soon as u say ''I work for MAC''. I feel I am advertising my skills and mac MU the whole time I'm awake. but its cool, i guess.

How do u all feel? any stories to share of reactions youve had when youve told someone your profession?

 

[shorty]

Hiya babe, I totally agree with you theres no down time really, unless Im at the gym

...Whenever I say I work for MAC and Im not at work I ALWAYS get the reaction 'oh I can tell by your make up' and Im so proud of that!!

 

[DirtyPlum]

Thanks hun, oooh thats always good to hear - the "no wonder! ur makeup always looks great" but then you sometimes feel that u have to live up to that expectation no MATTER what..!

 

[lmc11]

I totally agree! Iam a MAC MUA and its hard on those days when i wear absolutely no makeup to look at someone, if asked, and say "i work for MAC" i always feel like they will think "oh honey not with that bare face!!" lol.
But part of me doesn't care...i always have to wear so much makeup to work that it is nice to let my face breath on my days off!!

 

[shorty]

i still feel like i have to wear quite a bit because im so used to wearing it!! i just tone it down ALOT. swap fix fluid or tech for mineralise satinfinish, swap studio finish for moisturcover, swap zoom for plush etc!! on days off im very much a little bit of mascara and a statement lipstick but always make sure my skin is up to scratch.

 

[Ruby_Woo]

Tell me about it. Just because we work for this awesome line, doesn't mean we shouldn't get our days off! lol. Seriously, when I say I work for MAC and I have ZERO makeup on, I get the weird looks. Also I noticed that when other MA's come shopping w/ zero makeup on they apologize a lot, I dunno why. LIke I'll be helping someone and she'll say "Yeah I work for mac, i know you cant tell because I look ugly right now"

I just tell them.. girl on my day off I want to know NOTHING of makeup! haha

On my days off all I wear is Moisturizer w/ Spf and lip conditioner, nothing else.

I've learned to pick out the MAC MA's from the bunch too! heheh I can tell who works for us most the time

 

[lara]

If it's my day off I'm not going to wear make-up no matter what, and I really don't care what people think if I tell them that I work for a cosmetics retailer.

I only get two days a week sans make-up, damnit! I'm not sacrificing two days of skin-rest just so some jackass can go, 'oh, I can tell by your eyeliner!'.

 

[xStarryEyedX]

I only skip makeup once every 2 weeks usually, if even that.. I feel like every time I do I get at least one person saying "oh you look so different without your awesome eyeshadow" etc. So I'm not sure how that's intended to sound, but usually I just throw on foundation mascara liner lipgloss and bronzer... ha even my no makeup look is 5 products.. I feel like at work I always have to look a certain way not because I'm required to wear a certain amount of makeup (my company's more lenient than MAC), but because I feel more confident so I sell better.

 

[ms.marymac]

I think sometimes there is a pressure to look put together at all times, if anything from habit. On my days off, I use way less but I still try to put a little on, because I feel nekkid if I don't...lol. I have received "the look" if I am caught without my MAC face, but if you think about it, most pro/celeb MUAs don't wear that much, even to work. I don't think you have to beat your face everyday to prove your skills.

 

[darkbeauty27]

Since I work for MAC almost everyday, my makeup is pretty full-on most of the time if I am out. Even on days that I don't work I try to make it look really nice, but I just don't wear quite as much as I do to work. I don't really feel any pressure to do any of this because I've been into makeup for years and have almost always worn more than the next girl.

 

[baybehbekah]

i dont wear a stitch of makeup on my days off because my skin needs a break. unless i am going to something important i try to keep my face clean and moisturized, let it breathe

 

[sfmakeupjunkie]

I completely understand this. I don't work for MAC but I do work in the industry and when people ask me they ALWAYS look at my face. When I drop my child off at school at 8am on a day off I am not wearing a thing on my face other than sunscreen and I always get the looks.

I have become immune and don't pay attention. I figure if they saw me at work most of the other moms would think I am wearing too much anyway so f*ck em! I mean that nicely of course.

 

[Celly]

I am the same way. I can give a flying F*@&! what someone thinks about me with out makeup. I work for MAC as well and on my off days I dont have on any makeup. I am comfortable enough with myself to be able to do that. I am so glad to see there are alot of us who go with out makeup.

 

[VioletB]

LOL on my days off I totally need a break! Also I love it when customers compliment our makeup and ask about our days off.. It helps to get that connection when we laugh together and I say "You should see me on my days off!" I think it helps our relationship, and keeps us on the same level.

I think working for mac has helped me to realize that there is so much natural beauty in this world as well as a gorgeous face full of makeup.

 

[DirtyPlum]

Great responses, nice that we dont let the 'looks' bother us. I personally prefer to wear MU on my only day off (Sunday) and thats usually cos I get bored and wanna try looks out. But I do use mineralize or F&B for my more natural days.

But how do u all feel when youre applying your MU for your 'on' days - do u now think more carefully about how many e/s you use or how well you coordinate ur eyes/cheeks/lips etc?

Will a wash of one colour across the eyes not show ur skills enough? or do u just not give a s*it and go with ur own style?!!

 

[Esme]

Well, I am only an aspiring makeup artist. I work 5 days a week and am in class on Sat so I wear some sort of makeup 6 days a week. I do go to work with little to no eye makeup if I am not well or having allergy attacks, but still do tinted moisturizer or foundation, blush and lippie. I go completely without makeup if I have an extra day off and on Sundays. I go shopping without it and all. I have my eyebrows and eyelashes dyed so sometimes my husband thinks I have mu on even when I don't, lol!

 

[User49]

I have to agree with this thread. I work for mac too and there is this sense that if you let your make up guard down and someone you know, or people who know you work for mac see you it's like "really? You work for mac? Aren't you supposed to look a little more perfect than that ...always". I usually love wearing make up on my days of anyway, but I agree there is this pressure to look i'maculate (geddit). I think if anything I'd feel a little embarrassed if I wasn't wearing make up and someone asked me where I worked. But at the same time the other ma's I work with are quite happy to not wear make up on there days off! I remember when I was just starting and we were going ice skating. I wanted to make a good impression and I totally glamed out my make up, and when I turned up ALL of them were either wearing NO make up or wearing a VERY natural look and I remember thinking..."come on girls, you work for mac!" Funny that.

 

[User49]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyPlum Great responses, nice that we dont let the 'looks' bother us. I personally prefer to wear MU on my only day off (Sunday) and thats usually cos I get bored and wanna try looks out. But I do use mineralize or F&B for my more natural days. But how do u all feel when youre applying your MU for your 'on' days - do u now think more carefully about how many e/s you use or how well you coordinate ur eyes/cheeks/lips etc? Will a wash of one colour across the eyes not show ur skills enough? or do u just not give a s*it and go with ur own style?!!

I also love to 'experiment' with make up on my days off. At work I like to show off my make up so I tend to stick to my own style, which is mostly flamboyant eyes and neautral lips. I realize if a customer asks how to recreate the looks I wear, they probably don't want to hear that it took my 45 mintues and I used a million products to create it! But you don't have to go into that much detail!! Whearas I enjoy that 45 mintues and really feel that that is me time and a great way of being creative, some customers are single mother who have like 10 min if that to do there make up. In this case I ask them how long they tend to spend on their make up and try to explain how to do the look using less products. For example my smokey eye consists of glitter, base, three shadows, a few pigments lots of lashes and probably a few studs ect ect... but you could just tell them to use smolder, and a brown eyeshadow and one pigment. You know? I don't think there is a need to tone down your style. Just find ways to communicate effectively to customers

 

[User67]

Even on my days off, I still try to do my make-up if I am going to be out in public. I mean, if I am just running to the store real quick I won't bother. But, if I am going to be out for the day running errands, I will definitely take my time to do my make-up. I feel much more confident with it on & I think people also take me more seriously when I look "put together". I look like a kid without make-up.

 

[ms.marymac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by glitternmyveins I have to agree with this thread. I work for mac too and there is this sense that if you let your make up guard down and someone you know, or people who know you work for mac see you it's like "really? You work for mac? Aren't you supposed to look a little more perfect than that ...always". I usually love wearing make up on my days of anyway, but I agree there is this pressure to look i'maculate (geddit). I think if anything I'd feel a little embarrassed if I wasn't wearing make up and someone asked me where I worked. But at the same time the other ma's I work with are quite happy to not wear make up on there days off! I remember when I was just starting and we were going ice skating. I wanted to make a good impression and I totally glamed out my make up, and when I turned up ALL of them were either wearing NO make up or wearing a VERY natural look and I remember thinking..."come on girls, you work for mac!" Funny that.

Ha ha! My first meeting was similar. I went to a counter meeting before I actually was on the floor. It was on a Sunday morning and almost everybody had zero makeup on, caps on their head, etc. A couple of people that worked in the store walked by our group and did a triple take. "Are THOSE girls the MAC girls?" I am in a different region now and we are required to at least wear a prime look to meetings.