If you are a beauty novice walking through a departmental beauty hall looking for the right skincare routine for you, you may have encountered pushy promoters or even been left to figure out those complicated beauty products for yourself.
Then, after you make your purchase, you may find that your skin does not really benefit from them, because you bought something that was not suitable.
So, here's the question: How much do you really know about your skin? Is it dry, or oil? How does your skin react to the sun or air-conditioning? Are creams or gels better to answer your skin's needs?
This is what Clinique wants to help people understand by introducing its Diagnostic Mirror at its Robinsons counter at Raffles City recently.
Diva went to find out more about Clinique's Diagnostic Mirror.
Mirror of truth
The Diagnostic Mirrors are not new in Asia, as they are already popular in other countries such as Hong Kong and Korea. With big magnifying lenses on one side and a one-way mirror on the other, Clinique consultants, who have gone through a year's accreditation course, will help you to diagnose your skin's condition.
The lens enlarges your skin's surface and lets the consultant examine your skin. In turn, she can address your key concerns, while you also look at your skin in the one way mirror on the reflective side as she goes through her diagnosis with you.
It can be a little embarassing to have a stranger zoom in on your skin and study all its minute imperfections out in the open space of a beauty counter. But since every mirror is well-spaced out in the clean and white interiors, your privacy is pretty well-protected from passers-by or others who may be having a consultation at the same time.
The consultant was professional in her handling of the consultation too, as they will disinfect their hands before asking to touch your face, and ask questions about your daily skincare routine and query your concerns to determine what skin type you have.
The process of close examination is not to nit-pick at visible blemishes, but for consultants to verify your skin concerns and make recommendations. Consumers can also use this to their advantage to understand exactly how and why products are chosen or to probe further when in doubt.
3-step consultation
The consultation takes places in 3 easy steps and will not take more than 15 minutes of your time.
1 It starts with a survey , a series of six questions from how easily your skin tans, the size of your pores, to how regularly you get breakouts. The consultant will then move some notches on a mini score board to determine your skin strength. If you roast easily without sunblock, your skin strength is low - that is, the your skin requires gentler facial products.
2 You will be asked to share the key concerns of your skin with the consultant. With the help of the Diagnostic Mirror, the consultant will analyse your face for oiliness, enlarged pores, lines, discolouration and breakouts to determine your skin type. The two extremes, category one and four are very dry and very oily skin types respectively.
At this point, if the verdict is passed and you are said to have "oily" skin (category 3), don't dismay. Diva learnt that oily skin had been often misrepresented; it is the most desirable skin range to fall within as one's skin is often balanced, with glands producing just enough oil to keep retain balanced moisture levels in skin.
3 After ascertaining skin strength and type, the consultant then customises a skin care regime according to your skin's needs.
By now, you will realise that the Diagnostic Mirror does not tell you who is the fairest of them all. Instead, you may find yourself having to address your individual skin care worries.
But don't expect this innovation to fix all your dermatological woes. It is at best a consultative aid to enhance your cosmetic retail experience. That said, it is still a great starter for both men and women to get more acquainted with the wellness of their skin.
You can visit Clinique at Robinsons Raffles City to experience the Diagnostic Mirror for a free consultation.
