Pros
Flexible schedule for FLEX, decent team, 30% discount on all brands and 40 off Sephora collection.
Cons
Where do we start??? *Credit card pushing- in these times you're lucky people are shopping. They don't want credit cards shoved down their throats and we shouldn't be penalized for not signing folks up. Once someone says NO that's the answer, they don't want 3 follow up questions to annoy them. The in ear, walkie-talkie system is annoying as hell, it's too many hands in one pot. Because Sephora houses so many brands'- there's no way they aren't making sales goal as a store but you'll be talked to about goals every day at Touch Base. *Allowing customers to book appointments online when you're not fully staffed is a recipe for disaster & you certainly shouldn't be taking makeup customers the moment you open your doors. LBAs scheduled for opening should have least 15 minutes to after opening to get them themselves and requires things like their barbicide, station setup together and be prepared FOR a makeup appointment. There's nothing more annoying than hearing "your appointments here..." and you literally just unlocked the front doors for an advisor even be able to walk in the door & start their shift. *The unrealistic expectation that you can simply take 45 minutes on a clients makeup when half the time clients are still looking for a level of precision; we - the licensed ones- are faced with the conundrum of trying to please them. Most are simply being cheap and that's why they booked an appointment at Sephora in the first place versus hiring an outside makeup artist and paying the cost for their time and the precision they're looking for. Anyone booking with Sephora can't care about what their makeup looks like too much- because there's no way I'm going to a makeup counter and having someone who's work I've never seen, do my makeup on my special/wedding day. THEN be difficult with them when it isn't how I expected it. The risk is too high... and often- these will be the most problematic clients as well. I can't tell you how many times I've had to calm someone down in the chair by informing them that I was a former MAC artist and all of a sudden they trust me to do their makeup & not try to direct me on HOW to, as if they know how. They don't trust your artistry reputation Sephora! I can tell you firsthand many times girls had to walk around the corner to MAC and get their makeup FIXED after leaving that store get it done & they always made it a point to state that they only went there because they couldn't get a make up at appointment at MAC. I know it's not a lie because I was there and fixed MANY applications coming out of Sephora. *There are no longer passionate makeup artists working at a lot of these counters, hence their need for licensed people ATP; they've ruined the average customer experience when they began hiring people who just want to play IN makeup & get a discount. They could care less if you left with the right products seeing that they're always pushing the "latest" thing in which outside of the prestige brands they've always carried- more of the new stuff they carry is CRAP. I'd NEVER recommend ILAS, NUDE STIX or any of that hippie mess to anyone looking for their makeup to last. Anytime clients asked for recommendations I stuck to pro brands that have been around for decades because they WORK. NARS, Armani, Pat McGrath, Natasha Denona, Dior... etc. That's why they're still there & not being swapped out with the latest of the season. *As far as makeup applications go, you have to pick a battle. Do you want fast make up applications or satisfied clients??? You can't have it both ways... Having someone in my ear over an earpiece about running 5 minutes over a makeup appointment is annoying because 9 times out of 10, we will have to spend the extra 5-10 minutes with a customer on a very general level because most of them will have unrealistic expectations about what makeup can & cannot do; while supervisors are also are VERY unrealistic in how long it actually takes to do a face. All customers aren't just happy. They want to add or change something and it's easier to take the 5 minute and just do it versus then be upset. Now- We can't tell customers that because they're too cheap to actually book the 90-minute service because it costs more... yet they'll throw a hissy fit if their makeup isn't how they think it's supposed to be in 45 minutes. Please. I just realized that retail makeup artistry at Sephora, ain't it. At the end of the day, if I want to get worked like that, I'd rather go to MAC Cosmetics because at least there, my expertise won't be questioned by customers who don't know know ANYTHING about makeup & managers aren't tripping about running behind 5 minutes because guess what? THEY have brush belts & DO THE MAKEUP TOO! They're actual artists not just managers...They know how these customers can be! We aren't being rushed and customers know that there's an actual professional behind the brush. Win/Win. Sephora used to hire people who cared about it enough to get knowledgeable in it. Now, it's nothing more than a turn & burn job that will have you burnt out because they stack the expectations of the regular beauty advisors on top of your duties of having to ALSO having to perform services on their ungrateful customers & at $17 an hour- no thank you, I can actually just take one content on the outside. Spend may be a total of three hours with them and take home $250+ vs. having to work 3 shifts there just to get that... That's why I left. I was making more than that at MAC in 2017! It wasn't worth my time, energy, gas, money, stress nor the irritation that comes with working there.