Lights, please!

Henna over at Canadian Beauty mentioned this problem and I posted a short rant about it within another post in the context of prom preparations: bad lighting at cosmetics counters.

Now I understand that, to a great extent, the counters do not have a great deal of control over where they are placed within department stores. Some luck out and receive a post near a window, ideal as daylight is the most desired light for makeup application. It is the most natural light. However, they can add lights as needed to create that same effect but sometimes the light used is all wrong.

I have yet to get a makeover done at a MAC counter, walking by them on the way to Lancome, I am appreciative of the fact that they have plenty of great lighting. After all, this affects their business. If a lot of women experience subpar makeovers they won't spend money at that counter. It is frustrating because, as a customer it puts us in the awkward position of having to question someone who should know more than we do about makeovers. As certain types of bulbs can lend the skin a reddish color, it is extremely important that the correct bulb is used.

On another note, is there any way the huge cosmetics houses/companies/brands (ie. Estee Lauder, L'Oreal, MAC, Lancome, etc.) get together and complete one of two projects: a) a cross-brand color chart. So if you use, for example, NW45 in MAC that can correspond to X-color in L'Oreal, Clinique, etc.; or b) a unified color chart based on official definitions of the color. I have seen shades described as 'warm beige' apply to anyone from Heather Locklear to Halle Berry depending on the brand. Beauties both but they are nowhere near each other in skin color.

Yes I understand colors can vary but honestly, we can do better than this. If you are, say, almond beige, like I am, with this reform one should be able to go to any counter and get almond beige and have it be the same anywhere. The notable exception being MAC due to its number system but they can still have it correspond.