Kids At The Makeup Counter

Counter confidential

"Kids At The Makeup Counter" by Undercover Beauty Agent

I usually love when little kids visit my counter. Both boys and girls stare in awe as their mom transforms before their eyes. Usually the girls will want a makeup application too. Little girls are my favorite clients because they never complain and are always excited to see the result. I always offer to put a bit of something on for them (after asking their parents first, of course). As soon as I get permission, these little girls light up and run to a chair.

Applying makeup to a tween or someone younger is actually pretty easy. They already have a flawless complexion and bright eyes so I don’t need much makeup. I usually swipe a bit of nude glittery eye shadow, mascara, and add a touch of lip gloss. Sometimes if my tiny client is feeling adventurous, I'll also use some glitter liner.

However, there are times when children should not be at the makeup counter. Scary things have happened to me on the job. After what seemed like an entirely too long day, a mother approached our counter with her two boys in tow. The boys looked around three and five years old and were clearly exhausted and tired. Their mother had been planning a huge party and needed her makeup done.

While one of our artists applied the mom’s makeup, the younger one fell asleep. But as more time passed, the older boy became more and more restless. We were all hoping he’d settle down, but we weren’t expecting him to physically beat up another makeup artist. All of a sudden, the older boy threw himself at my friend and started violently punching at her legs. He screamed, shouted, and scared all our customers away. His mother grabbed him and sat him in her lap as he continued to throw a tantrum. He twisted and kicked his legs at anyone who got too close. The woman refused to leave until she got her makeup done, but I think we were all too traumatized to get near her. No one wanted to get too close because we were all terrified of the five year old.

In an attempt to placate the kid, someone ran out to get lollipops for him, but the candy came right back to our heads. He literally threw it back at us. He got more upset by the minute, until his yelling and crying became banshee shrieks. None of us knew what to do. We worked in shifts trying to calm the boy down while his frustrated mother tried to get a makeup application done. We were all grateful when she finally left.

I typically like when kids come visit, but parents always use your discretion before bringing them into a store. Kids are kids, and not all of them enjoy waiting. Let them bring a game when they go out, and try to make sure they don’t abuse your makeup artist. 

Image courtesy of Picasa

Undercover Beauty Agent is just an average makeup artist at your local beauty counter who's reporting true stories exclusively for Beautylish: "I love what I do because I get to make people feel beautiful on a daily basis. Working with so many different people in New York City has definitely been interesting. I've learned a lot and not all of it is very pretty. I'm a beauty advisor by day and a secret beauty agent by night, totally ready to share all my insider secrets and gossip."