We did the rounds and discovered interesting perks many people don't know about when shopping for makeup, skin care, and hair products. Many brands offer free makeovers, mini-facials, and even massages to potential customers so they can experience the products and see how they work before deciding what to buy.
Estee Lauder
Rustan's Shangri-La; Rustan's Makati
You can ask for a free foundation matching service and a sample of your foundation shade to last you a few days. This way, you get to see how the foundation settles onto your skin for an entire day and check for color changes or test formulas before buying a full-size bottle. Estee Lauder also offers five-minute Glam It Up makeup services, short makeup tricks that instantly enhance, also for free.
Jo Malone London
Greenbelt 5, Power Plant Mall, SM Aura
As you try to figure out the perfect scent layering for you, have a free 15-minute hand and arm massage at any Jo Malone London store. No purchase necessary. The consultants will use your body cream and lotion picks to help you relax and decide on your layering mix.
La Mer
Rustan's Beauty Source
If you want to see how the magic of the La Mer miracle broth works on your skin, have a free express facial at the store. Choose from various Looks of La Mer: Revitalizing, Hydrated, Lifted, Soothing, Perfecting, and Total Transformation.
Laura Mercier, Deborah Lippmann, Algenist
Rustan's The Beauty Source
On your birthday month, you get the following discounts: 10% on Laura Mercier lip products, 20% on Algenist's Resurfacing range, and 10% on Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro nail lacquers.
Phyto
Rustan's The Beauty Source, Gateway Mall
Get a free sample of Phyto conditioner (works hard on damaged hair and coarse strands) after you sign up for a free hair analyzing procedure. Of course, the conditioner you get is matched to the needs of your hair.
L'Occitane
Rustan's The Beauty Source
Visit the store and ask for a facial and hand massage using L'Occitane products you'd like to explore. We suggest the Almond line for calming, slimming, and anti-aging.
La Prairie
Rustan's The Beauty Source
You get a free Art of Perfection facial with every purchase. After a skin care consultation, your face will be gently cleansed and a face mask will be applied followed by a facial lifting massage.
Sisley
Rustan's The Beauty Source
For every purchase at Sisley, you get a free flash makeover using your picks of Sisley makeup. We recommend you try (or buy) the lengthening mascara, which is really like no other; it adds fiber to the ends of your lashes to make them look naturally long, and it's very easy to apply and remove.
Nars
Rustan's The Beauty Source
Sign up to be included in the Nars database and have exclusive access to makeup workshops, makeup consultations with Nars makeup artists, and more, all for free. The good thing about consulting a Nars artist is that he or she can help you build your makeup wardrobe according to your skin type, skin tone, and current makeup products from where you build and add.
L'Oreal Professionnel
SM Beauty Store Makati
Did you know you can have an expert colorist apply the box of L'Oreal hair color you just bought in a secret beauty room inside the store for free?
SM Beauty Store Makati
Many, if not all, the makeup counters at SM Beauty offer free touchups and quick makeovers to let clients try out looks and formulas of various makeup brands. Just sit on a makeup chair and allow the makeup gurus to do their magic.
Origins
SM Beauty Store Makati
We've tried free facials at the store using the various popular face masks of the brand. A tip: You can apply different masks on different parts of your face for different needs or skin textures. For instance, we use the GinZing mask on oilier sections like the nose, the Matcha Madness mask on our flaky foreheads, and a moisturizing pick for our dry cheeks.
Elizabeth Arden
Shangri-La Plaza Mall
The newest stand-alone store of Elizabeth Arden keeps a facial cabin for clients who want to get their signature 15-minute facials. There are various choices—which are all free—such as the Pollution Solution (which uses a spa-inspired sheet mask packed with antioxidants and other star products), The Eyes Have It (an eye treatment for dark circles and fine lines, plus eye makeup application), and Lady Liperty (a lip treatment that uses facial techniques and products to make lips younger, plumper, and softer). Our favorite, however, is the Booster Bar Customized Oxygen Blast, where you choose from four formulas: lifting, brightening, hydrating, or detoxifying. These oxygen serums are blasted on the skin using an airbrush. 15-minute hand massages and other relaxing facial massages that use Elizabeth Arden products also come free.
M.A.C.
Rustan's The Beauty Source
Perhaps one of the best perks of buying M.A.C products is the chance to get free makeovers and full looks by professionally trained makeup artists who do runway shows, fashion editorials, and work for celebrities. Here is a list of services you may avail for the amount you spend on products: 30-minute express makeup application (P2,000); 60-minute full makeup look with lips and lashes (P3,000); 90-minute fantasy or transformational looks (P5,000); 30-minute one-on-one lessons for eyes, lips, or face makeup tricks (P2,000); 90-minute one-on-one with master artist tips and extended tutorial (P5,000); and a Holiday or Halloween look (P5,000). We once attended a wedding and, instead of paying P3,000 to get our makeup done at the village salon, we purchased P3,000 worth of M.A.C products and ended up getting a beautiful professional makeup job, with new makeup products to boot.
*This story originally appeared on Townandcountry.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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