The Perks of Being a Beauty Consultant:

Being a beauty consultant at a department store definitely has it's good and bad. I get asked questions about my job all the time! So here I'm going to take a little time to answer some of these questions.

I work as a beauty consultant for Clinique at a department store (Herberger's).

While many people sit in an office at their day job, I get to be out communicating with people all day long. If you aren't a people person, this job is definitely not for you!

What does a regular work day look like?

I'm mostly busy consulting with clients. I answer their questions about makeup and skincare, help them find what products are best for them, and teach them how to use and apply products.

But beyond that, I also have daily goals and expectations to meet. Each day we calculate our daily goals based on how much we sold the year before (our coordinator sends us the numbers for the counter). We're always expected to sell a certain percentage more than the previous year. On a busy day I might need to sell $2,000. On a slower day it might be more like $400. That's just my sales goal. I also am expected to sell an average of at least two products per customer and $40 per transaction. I also need to book at least 2 appointments per day.

Aside from Clinique's expectations, I am also employed by Herberger's and need to meet their goals also. Their goals are to open up 2 new Herberger's Credit accounts a week and collect 5 email addresses per shift.

During down time at the job, we need to call clients (thank them for coming in, ask how they like their products, invite them to come back). If you aren't comfortable on the phone, this is also not a good job for you. We also recruit around the store when it's slow at the counter. Recruiting involves handing out flyers and offering product samples and services to Herberger's customers who might not be familiar with Clinique. It's a lot of communicating!

If I'm not at the counter it's likely that I'm at class! Clinique sends us to training a few times a year. It's usually in Minneapolis for us consultants in Minnesota. We get paid for our time (including driving). We also get reimbursed for mileage and hotel fees, and we get free meals! It's awesome. 

How are you paid?

I get paid base+commission. Not all companies are the same however. Right now I'm making $8.50/ hour (Starting wage for the position) and I make 3% commission. If I sell $1000 in a day, that's $30 in my pocket! Because most consultants get paid by commission, it's rude to ask us to do your makeup and then not purchase anything. We could have been spending that time with a client who was planning on purchasing. It's against Clinique's policy to accept tips for our services. We get pay adjustments a couple times a year based on how good you are at your job.

An advantage of working for a beauty company is FREE PRODUCT. A few times a year full time consultants get to order gratis ($300 worth of product for free). Clinique also sends consultants new products in the mail so we can actually try them out! Some counters also have contests where you can win prizes.

Have any other questions about working as a beauty consultant? Leave them in a comment below!

-Erin