Asking for beauty tips is like asking for directions - there are just some things men do not do.

Aside from the fear of being laughed at, the idea of receiving help from counter staff sporting several shades of colours on their faces is also disturbing.

I did wonder: 'Do I really want tips from someone whose daily routine produces that?'

However, when you have a complexion that secretes oil that could fry an egg, getting professional help is a good idea.

With a list of 12 beauty counters in hand, my task was to find out if men can get good service at beauty counters.

Most important, will staff know what men really want?

Feigning ignorance on skincare regimens, my visit indicated that while staff knew their products, none was able to convince me that his potions trumped the competition or why they were good for my skin.

Whereas my colleague Karen Tee received some royal treatment, from hands-on demonstrations to samples galore, I found myself at the receiving end of a few blank stares and, in some cases, robotic parroting of stock descriptions.

Of the 12, only three stood out.

MOST HELPFUL

Kiehl's, B1-33 Takashimaya Shopping Centre

Instead of regurgitating a list of ingredients, customer representative Sarah Yam carefully explained the benefits of each item she recommended, be it the oil control cream, cleanser, toner or moisturiser.

Thumbs up: When I asked for a sample of the Acne Blemish Control, she apologised for not having any but volunteered samples for everything else I needed - from the cleanser, toner, scrub to moisturiser.

When I asked if other outlets had the missing sample, she directed me to the Heeren outlet and called ahead to make sure they had it in stock.

Thumbs down: I had to ask about the skincare regimen before she talked me through it. Otherwise, she was perfectly fine with sending me off with the Acne Blemish Control product for my oily skin.

MOST ATTENTIVE

Lab Series, Robinsons Raffles City

One of the few guys who served me, associate consultant Chad Conrad Tan listened carefully to my concerns and made several recommendations. He also gave me tips on choosing the right facial wash for my skin.

Thumbs up: He offered to let me sample two of the products - Oil Control Solution and Oil Control Daily Hydrator - on the spot and explained what each was for as I applied them on my face. He even recommended a product from another brand when I asked if there were any facial cleansers that gave value for money.

Thumbs down: Despite his knowledge, I did not think the Lab Series range was that special as I got the impression that as long as I was using a cleanser, toner and moisturiser, any brand would do.

GOOD INITIATIVE

Sephora, B1-05 Takashimaya Shopping Centre

Multi-brand Sephora is a one-stop beauty shop that encourages shoppers to test the products without being hassled by sales promoters.

Alas, the staff seemed to take the browse-on-your-own edict too far, roaming the aisles aimlessly. After 10 minutes, I had to approach one of them for help.

Thumbs up: When I asked about regular brands such as Clarins, Biotherm and Clinique, senior beauty adviser April Ong's knowledge of these products was comparable to what I had gathered from the brands' counter staff in department stores.

When she could not find a sample of the lotion I wanted, she offered to squeeze some from the tester bottle into a small container for me to take home.

Thumbs down: Ong conceded that she was not very familiar with the two new men's ranges - Sephora Men and Jack Black.

However, she took the initiative to read the product descriptions and found one item that suited me - Jack Black's All-Day Oil Control Lotion. But she could not offer more information than what was on the bottle.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times on Jan 30, 2009.