counter intelligence.

Counter Intelligence

BEFORE after

The good: "The makeup artist asked me about my skin-care regimen, what I normally wear for evening, what colors I prefer on my eyes, and whether I wear lipstick and liner. He decided on soft purple lids lined with black -- it sounds like a black eye, but it was really nice." The bad: "He would not reveal what colors he used on me because he said I'd be able to buy the products at another store. He said he'd keep my colors on file, so that I'd have to come back to purchase them." (Dior policy is, in fact, to give customers a chart.) The verdict: "These colors make her look washed out and older," Giordano says. "There's an absence of blush, and the lip liner is too strong. There's a lack of blending and precision as well."

Face charts from the Nars and Estee Lauder counters (above). Five of the products layered onto Allure associate ...