My not-so-great demo experience (long post!)

MACtastic

Well-known member
Oh man, it will be a miracle if I'm hired!

I arrived at Macy's 15 minutes early to meet my model. She showed up about 5 minutes before the demo was supposed to start. The manager gave us our scenario: your customer has never really used makeup before, but she's getting married soon and has a photo shoot for an announcement in the paper. She wants to look polished, but like herself.
The manager then explained that we have 40 minutes to do everything, including getting our supplies and setting up our station...plenty of time in my opinion. We would also get 5 minutes afterwards to apply 3 new products that would take her look into night time. She went over good counter practices and gave each one of us a petri dish. Then, we all went to work.
The 'station' I was given to work with was basically the edge of a counter. I didn't have a lot of room to put anything, but I had to make due. I put down some Kleenex and set my products on top of that. As the manager was observing us, she stopped to mention that my mascara had dropped, and handed it over to me. First big 'oops'.
I started with her eyes. I asked my model what kind of eye makeup she admired, and what she imagined herself looking like for the photo shoot. My model did a fabulous job acting out the 'I've never used makeup' character, and said that she wanted to look soft and natural. I used the Shimmersand shadestick all over the lid, then I added By Jupiter into the crease. I smudged Brun into her lash line, explaining that it would give her the look of a full lash line. As I was doing her eyes, I made sure to tell her what products I was using and with what brush. I also explained that the brown/champagne color palette would make her gorgeous blue eyes pop, but still look really soft and natural.
I then moved onto the face. I asked my model how she felt about foundation. Again, she played the customer character well, saying that she didn't like the cakey look. I prepped her skin with Prep+Prime Face, explaining that this would help her foundation stay on all day, as well as make the foundation go on smoother. I also noted that I was using the 190 brush, which I would also be using for the foundation. Then, I applied Select Tint in NW35. I told her that the Select Tint was really light and sheer, so it would give her coverage without being cakey. I also mentioned the moisturizing properties and the SPF. Since my model has oily skin (which she had mentioned earlier in the demo), I used Blot Powder over the Select Tint, explaining that it would help with the oilies. I moved on to blush, and I told her that blush is one of my favorite products because it gives you a fresh glow even when you're super tired. (I can't remember which blush I used though).
I finished her look with Pro Longlash Mascara in Black, and the new Perfectly Pink Lipglass. (Yes, I was so nervous that I forgot about the 3 lip products rule! Oops #2!) Then, the manager told everyone to stop and put down their brushes.
When the manager got to me, I had to explain what I did and why. She then gave me some suggestions. I had forgotten the eyebrows (oops #3!), and she said that the eyebrows were important for photos because they frame the face. (Of course I knew this, but stupid me, I was too nervous!) She also noted that I didn't use 3 lip products. She did say that she liked the makeup overall, and that the brown/champagne tones really did make the blue in her eyes pop.
When she was finished going around to each candidate and her model, she gave us the 5 minutes to apply 3 products to take the look from day to night. I filled the brows with Fling brow pencil, and used a dark brown liner on her lower lashline. I started lining her lips, but then time was called. I guess I spent too much time on the brows. (Oops #4!)
When the manager got to me, my model was like 'I really need to leave, I have another appointment.' Oh man, I was so embarrassed! (Oops #5!) The manager quickly told me that she liked what I did with the eyes and brows, but did note that I didn't have time to finish the lip liner. Then, she gave my model permission to leave. I cleaned up my area, making sure to re-sanitize the shadestick and pencils. I cleaned the petri dish with alcohol, put everything away, and threw away the tissues I had used to cover my 'station'. (I had been throwing the tissues I was using throughout the demo as I was finished with them, so I'm hoping they saw that I kept my workstation clean.)
Overall, I'm really disappointed in myself. I was jumbling my words as I explained what I did to the manager (odd for me since I was an award winning debater in high school), and I really should have remembered the brows and lip liner and such. I would love to get a call saying I'm hired, but that's not gonna happen.
ssad.gif

Hopefully, you ladies that are going on demos will read this and learn what NOT to do!
 

d_flawless

Well-known member
aw, you were just nervous, don't be so hard on yourself
smiles.gif


at least you paid attention to what she said about the brows and filled them in for the model in the 5 mins for the "night" look...they like to see that you're listening and can take/apply criticism. and u did use three new products, u just didn't have enough time to "perfect" them.

let us know the outcome, it sounds like u did okay though!
 

greentwig

Well-known member
I'm sorry it didnt go well
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I hope that you get it anyways >.>
I always forget stuff when im nervous too.
 

s_prev

Active member
awww im sorry you dont think it went well..although i know from experience that when you torture yourself with negative feedback on interviews that it isnt always true, so im sure you didnt do as bad as you think, im sure if shes a good boss she will understand that nerves were involved, and if she doesnt maybe you dont want her as a boss after all..
smiles.gif
 

Chrystia

Well-known member
It doesn't sound like you did bad, mistakes are going to happen in these situations. But thanks for posting because I have a freelance demo in a week and I'm nervous. I don't think I'll get it my first time, but I figure there's nothing to lose by trying.
 

MACtastic

Well-known member
Thanks for the support guys
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They said they'd call early in the week...everyone gets a call whether they made it or not.
Gosh, that will be fun attempting to take a rejection call graciously. LOL
 

te.amo.mac

Active member
i'm sure it was not that terrible, it just seems like that because it was you. Im sure the other girls had some OOPSes (sp?). and it is great that you were listening to her critic and tried to apply some of the advice.
Please let us know what happens in the end. Good Luck!
 

amoona

Well-known member
You got 40 minutes?! Damn I'm jealous they gave me 20 when I did my demo there haha. Don't worry, I was super nervous too and didn't think I was gonna get it. I had no liner on her lower lashlind and lips were SUPER light. You doing her brows after they told you it was important is good, it shows that you take criticizim well.

Let me know how it goes! If all is well then maybe you'll be freelancing for us soon, we need good reliable freelancers at our counter.
 
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