How it began...

I stumbled into this career and so many things have happened, some good, some bad, some really really annoying and some that have made me run back into the back room- so overwhelmed with emotion I've burst into tears.

Am I saving lives? No.

Am I on the front line in a war? Erm no.

Am I doing something really exciting and scandalous like Belle Du Jour? Erm nope.

I'm that girl that you try to avoid in a high end department store, the one with over-styled hair and way too much make-up on.. Yep I'm a counter girl.

You wouldn't think my job was very interesting would you? Nah, no offence taken, I didn't think it would be either.

This wasn't meant to be my destiny, standing around in 3 inch heels all day and pushing what I used to regard as 'overpriced' creams (my opinion on that has now changed btw- more later).

You see I studied English and Fashion at uni, yep two courses. One of which I actually finished. I'll let you judge which one that was, due to the shocking amount of typos in this blog.

I spent most of my twenties drifting, from crappy retail job to crappy retail job, constantly applying for the unicorn of internships- the paid internship at a fashion magazine (it never happened).

So at 25 and with much and I mean MUCH nagging from my parents, it was time for me to join a company, a company in which I could "grow" and "develop my career".

I didn't take this very seriously, I mainly thought "f***k it, I'll get a job playing with make-up all day", although I made sure to sling about those key phrases in the interview... (Top tip there).

I never thought in a million years the huge company I work for would hire me, I have no experience with make-up, except for plastering on my own daily and watching countless youtube tutorials, which used to irritate me- because I never had a MAC 109,120,105,110,117,180 and 1123938 brush to hand.

I mean seriously.. Who can afford to spend that much on brushes?

Anyway.. I digress..

I landed the job, did 3 days training, 2 days later I was manning the counter on my own. Talk about deep end.

The first time I actually did someone's make-up my hands were shaking so much I swear she thought I was a recovering alcoholic.

But I got better and I'm still practising. It's strange, I'm only 4 weeks in and I feel like a pro, I won't let someone leave my counter unless they are 100% happy with the make-up job I have done, mainly because I have left so many make-up counters in my time feeling awful and clown-like.

So that's my number one rule.

My make-up still isn't perfect though, despite all the training, all the discounts (we'll go into that later ;) ) my skin betrays me, it refuses to have that perfect flawless china doll look I can give to others. Maybe it's my brushes? But seriously.. who can afford to buy all the brushes?

C.G

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