Wild Things

We wore headsets in our ears so our managers could make announcements, make stock calls, and for Loss Prevention — otherwise known as stealing.

One day, I was standing in the front of the store when I heard an announcement from Loss Prevention that a client who had stolen something was about to walk out. They described her to me, so I watched her wait at the revolving door for people in front of her to exit. She proceeded to WHACK her entire face on the side of the revolving door. She left an entire imprint of her face — from the grease on her forehead to the lipstick she was wearing. There are some crazy things I saw while working in Times Square, but that might be the funniest.

Retail Awakening

The worst part of the job — as with many retail jobs — was dealing with terrifyingly rude clients. There are people that expect everything from you and don't show a lick of appreciation. A client once threatened to "kick my ass" because I couldn't find the exact shade of bronzer she wanted and wouldn't accept my recommendation to use a foundation powder, instead. She was so furious with me that she threatened to hurt me and I had to get security to escort her out of the store.

Money Talk

Something that surprises many people is that we don't get commission and we can't accept tips after a makeover. Since we're not working for extra bucks, I do believe the recommendations we make are more honest.

The Takeaway

I do think working at Sephora has helped me get to where I am today as a freelance makeup artist. As I said earlier, working on so many different faces really taught me how to enhance individual features.

Working there also taught me patience. I am so careful now to respect every single person working in a store or restaurant. I've learned that "kill ‘em with kindness" is the best way to approach any sort of situation. It has completely changed the way I shop, dine, and — of course — do makeup.