The Face to Face Interview Nail It Guide

The biggie!

Ok, I'm not going to lie here, you need to nail this. You will be meeting with most likely your new area manager.

You know the lady/guy who's job you said you wanted in five years time.

It will be at head office most likely or maybe in a coffee shop in your area or at the counter.

Here are some top tips guaranteed to help you, I know some of it sounds obvious, but bear with me I promise there are some gems in there too.

What not to wear and what to rock..

Firstly, you're going to be selling an image, so if you can, go and have a look at how your future colleagues are dressed and how their make-up and hair is styled. Lurk around your future counter and look at their styling and their shoes.

They might think you're a bit weird, but so what.

If you look like you could start work on the counter that day and look like one of the team your manager will see this as huge huge plus.

Don't wear anything stupid. Two girls that were interviewed before me had on some pretty stupid attire.

 One had on sky high patent court shoes and as beautiful as they were, 6 inch heels just look kinda flashy for an interview- plus she couldn't walk right in them. Not good.

The other had on a very very short black jersey skater dress, now I love these little dresses, but as she walked up the stairs to the interview we caught a flash of her Britney.

Flashing your nuni= not profesh. (top tip)

Top tips for interview grooming:

*Keep your shoes flat or low heeled, wear the shoes you'd envision you'd wear to work all day when you get the job.

*Don't wear anything too short, too tight or too clingy/sexy (you want a job not her husband)

*Keep hemlines knee length or just above the knee (around 34")

*Wear tights! Now this one is very important, most brands that expect you to wear skirts or dresses want you to wear black or skin coloured tights.

Bare legs, no matter how great your legs are, will NOT go down well with most of the cosmetic houses.

(On a side note Boots do a lovely shade called sunkissed, it's hard to find nice skin coloured tights, but these are natural and not granny looking)

* If all else fails a black fitted trouser suit is always classy and timeless

*My interview was during a heat-wave! I noticed my company wanted all black and tights, from stalking other trainee counter girls at work, so I wore this to the interview and had a change of clothes in a bag with me.

*M&S, Next, Forever 21 and Primark all have some great classic workwear dresses.

Bear in mind you probably won't have a uniform till you pass official training and I still haven't taken mine (it takes agesss), so stock up on some work dresses, trousers and black pencil skirts and blazers. 

Most cosmetic houses will NOT give you a uniform till you pass official training and if you turn up for work without the 'correct' clothing you will be sent home or asked to buy something.

This happened to me during said heatwave when I shock-horror wore a little sleeveless shirt. I was immeaditly sent to buy a blazer. Reader take note. They are hot on this kind of thing. No exceptions.
Thank you Primarni! Blazer= £10  Shame= Priceless.

*Obvious one but make sure your make up is immaculate, well blended, the right colour for your skin and not over-done. Check your jaw-line!!

*Make sure your hair is well styled, I would suggest for most brands "hair-up" at interview. This is how they will expect you to wear it on counter.

Most opt for a ballerina bun.
 I don't, but I have super long hair so I wear a well styled ponytail.
 Find an up-do style that works for you and that you can do easily and quickly each morning.

*Make sure your nails are neat, short and in a classic colour- reds, pinks, browns.

You can experiment when your working with their shades but for the interview keep it classy (doesn't apply for MAC and benefit- they like you to show personality through colour at interview).

*Make sure your breath smells nice and you smell nice and there's nothing stuck on your teeth and no lipstick on them either! If you are a smoker this is V V important.

*Remember you will be selling to women of all ages and cultures, you need to look approachable and nice! You don't want to look like the kinda girl she wouldn't leave alone with her husband.

*A quick note on tattoos and piercings- most cosmetic houses like these to be covered. I think MAC is an exception, but leave them out / cover them at the interview just incase.


If in doubt about your outfit use the funeral rule. What would look ok at funeral. Fail safe.

Here we go.. Interview time!

My top tip is be early, 20 minutes if you can, it gives you time to "centre" (awful word sorry) yourself and get in the "zone" (yikes) and also gives you time to look over your research notes (remember from your phone interview, all that cramming will come in handy here).

Also being early makes you look very very keen, managers love keen. It gives the impression you have your s**t together so much, you got there with time to spare.

Another plus to setting off early is that if any disasters happen en route, your tights ladder, you get lost, mother nature calls.. Whatever.. You have that extra time to sort yourself out.

Plus the best bit, you often get to sneak a look at your competition ; ) Always fun.

Never be intimidated by the competition! Focus on you and your notes. You will nail this!

Make sure when you meet your new manager for the first time, you do with a huge smile and firm handshake.

Most people's opinions are formed in the first few seconds of meeting you, so say something instantly positive like "Hi Alice, so nice to meet you, I'm so excited to be here", as cheesy as it may sound this can start the interview off on a great note.

During the interview, smile, nod and make eye contact!

Now it's time to answer his/her questions. Make sure you really listen to what they ask.

Some tricky questions from my interview...

I had left a very well known and well respected boutique. She wanted to know why I left.

Real answer: "It was horrible working there, I was treated badly and with no respect and my manager was a bitch"

Interview answer: "I felt there was no opportunity to grow my career with that brand, there weren't that many opportunities for training or promotion and to be honest I felt my sales and hard work were a little undervalued."

Interviewer: "I see you have a degree in fashion and training in English, how comes you want to switch to this industry?"

Real answer: "I thought my life would turn out like the film the Devil Wears Prada and it didn't"

Interview answer: "Through my retail experience, I have realised I do love to interact with people and give them a great experience, as cheesy as this sounds I am a people person.

 I can't think of anything better than to actually have a job that I look forward to going  to every day and I would love to help women feel better about themselves and give them a boost of self-condience and I believe -brand name- really does do that.

I am passionate about selling, especially when I believe in what I am selling and I know that with -brand name- I will, as many of your products have made me feel great about myself."

And that's the truth!

Ok you will have to spin things, especially if like many people out there at the moment you studied for a degree in a specific field and guess what... There's no jobs in it. Or you have a huge gap in C.V.- Thanks recession!

 Whatever the question yes spin it a little, don't moan and insult previous jobs/managers, but DO speak from the heart.

If you're considering this job you obviously love make-up/skincare/beauty, so make sure to share your love of that. Tell your interviewer about the youtube gurus you watch religiously or the beauty bloggers you follow daily. Chances are she/he does too!

Make sure to state your ambitions within the company, all of these brands are great for promoting and the best way is to start from the shop-floor! Don't be shy to share your ambitions, she will respect you for it. They most likely started on the shop-floor too!

Remember the company mission statement and history, make sure to mention it in one of your answers.

Describe your experience at their counter and the products of theirs you like to use.

They may ask you to sell the features and benefits of one or two of your favourite products- make sure you've researched and practised this.

DON'T slag off other companies- they do not like this. Even when you're working!

Learn about selling techniques- 

*Audience selling- selling to a group of customers at once

*Demonstrating on customers

*Link selling- selling say a lipstick and then suggesting the lipliner or selling a moisturiser and suggesting an eye cream to go with it.

*GWP- Gift with purchases, those little gifts customers get when they buy 2 items etc, so if a customer only buys one item, you show her the GWP and it may 'inspire her to buy' more.

*Personal testimonies- THE BIGGY! You have to be well informed to work on a counter, but wouldn't you rather buy something from someone who has tried it.

When you start working, you will hear customers ask you "have you tried it", that's why you get a hugge discount, to try the stuff you sell.

No amount of demonstrations or GWP will sell a product like a personal testimony, even better if you are actually wearing the stuff! "Why yes Madam, I have it on now!"

Try to drop these key phrases in, I have worked in retail a long long time and interviewers loooove these selling techniques.

Customer Relationships: 

To do this job you do have to be passionate about sales, your wages will most likely be boosted by commission, so having a good sales technique is great, but most counters nowadays do not want their counter girls to be too pushy, so if it is mentioned in your interview about "pushing" for sales, I would strongly suggest that you veer away from the pushy approach and tell your interviewer you would use some sales techniques and a demonstration to inspire your customer to buy and if she was still unsure, that you would inform her of the features and benefits of the products and leave it down to her to make the ultimate decision.

A huge part of this job is creating a rapport with long-term customers and creating your own base of customers who come to the counter to specifically see you, you will most likely have a question in your interview about this.. I did.

Due to the huge rise of online shopping make-up counter girls worldwide are suffering!

You are joining a dying breed! So to counter-act this (see what I did there ;) ) you will need to create a relationship between your loyal customer, you will find a lot of your quiet time is spent pestering people on the phone to come to events that they don't really want to come to or asking them how that foundation they bought three weeks ago is working out for them. I guess the internet can't do that, right!

You will also be expected to "capture" new customers, not literally don't worry, just their details... This means if someone comes into to buy a refill of her favourite eyeliner or you sell her some fab skin-cream, you will be expected to get her details, so the company can send her news when their is a GWP on or when there is a new product launch you can pester.. I mean inform her of the great new event.

As a counter girl in the 21st century when most ladies shop online to let's face it...Mainly avoid us. You need to make the experience every woman has at your counter amazing, so good that she goes and tells her friends about the wonderful Amy at Debenhams or whoever the hell you are.

So tell your interviewer you understand the challenges due to online shopping, but you plan to deliver a truly personalised service to your customer that will keep her coming back again and again.

Trust me not every customer you meet is nice, but some are lovely and you will make friends with some of them too! Before to long you will have created your own customer base.


Some other things that may be brought up in your face to face interview:

*Make-up trends, what do you like now and why?

Pretty self explanatory, you obviously want this job because you love make-up/beauty etc, a quick rifle through a magazine or online blog every week will keep you up to date with the latest trends in beauty. Extra points if you mention one of their hot new trends/products.

*Your weakness

Mine was I am competitive and a bit OCD. Obviously these are pluses to the company, but can be annoying for me. Think about your weaknesses and which ones would benefit the company the most.

*What you can bring to -name of brand-?

Think about this one and answer from the heart, remember why you chose to apply to this company over the others and why you believe you could sell their product and progress within their company.

*How do you keep up to date with the latest trends in beauty?

This is obvious but make sure to name-check a few big names in blogging and make-up= Samantha Chapman- Pixiwoo, Wayne Goss- Goss make-up artist, daily mix, famous make-up artists, do your research.

You will no doubt be name checking a huge list of people their PR department regularly sends products out to.

Ask questions!! 

Ask your interviewer how they got to where they are today- it not only flatters them but also will give you some great insight in how to work your way up. Well they obviously did something right!

Ask about your training, uniform, hours and anything that you want to know about the role. This shows eagerness and that you are taking the role seriously.

The next step is store approval (in some cases) and wage negotiation, which I will talk about in my next post, then you're off to work shadowing for a few days or training- depending on your company.

And for heaven's sake make sure to subscribe to the company's facebook,twitter, instagram etc before your interview!!

Good luck

C.G
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