Kimberly Hill, 22 is a Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisor and No. 7 Consultant from Stratford-Upon-Avon.
I started off as a customer assistant and saw a vacancy to step up and be a No. 7 consultant on a larger counter. I then found out about the Macmillan Cancer Support training to help provide beauty tips for people living with cancer and wanted to get involved. I did my training around a year ago now; we learnt about the different types of cancer and the various treatments that can be used. We watched videos about how Macmillan had supported people through their diagnosis and treatment.
Photo: Author's Own
Lots of hints and tips were shared such as using powder for brows instead of pencil, because it gives a more natural finish and using eye liner on the outer corners of the eye to open the eye and help define when there are no lashes to apply mascara to. During the training course we discussed personal stories about how we had been affected by cancer personally, so we were more able to empathise with our customers. It's been fantastic over the last twelve months to help so many people.
As well as providing support to customers in store, we also go to a local hospice regularly to provide makeovers for people living with cancer, for some who aren't feeling very well, we might do hand massages or paint their nails. We try and make it so that everyone can get a bit of a boost on the day, however small.
We have quite a few customers coming into store, who at first might seem nervous but once you speak to them and find out what they are looking for, it's amazing how much of a difference it makes. Supporting people with how to do their make-up really boosts their confidence. I try and build their skills by perhaps doing one eyebrow and then letting them do the other.
Photo: Liam Bailey
I advise customers on their skin care as well as their makeup. Most people we see affected by cancer are looking for help with things such as they eyebrows and hair loss, or help in perking up the skin, which can be dry during treatment. Many customers talk about how dry their skin has become due to the harsh treatment so it's important to help them understand why those changes have come about and how they can improve their skin just by using a few products, e.g. a moisturiser formulated for a very dry skin, an exfoliator to remove dead skin cells and a serum to help with anti-ageing (if that's what the customer is asking for). Hair can be a tricky one to advise on however we give them the details of local hairdresser's who will support cancer patients.
Recently, a lady came in who had been diagnosed with cancer and wanted to pick up products she had been recommended to use during her treatment - she started telling me how anxious and scared she was feeling and was very worried about her skin and losing her hair. I talked to her about the products we had to offer and helped her choose ones that contained specific ingredients or those that didn't contain the ingredients she'd been told she couldn't have. I gave her my contact details and said to ring and book in with me once she knew a day that would suit her and we could go through make up application to help her keep her confidence throughout treatment. She has been in a couple of times since and although she has lost hair and her skin has been drier, she is still confident and happy. It makes me so pleased and proud to have been able to support someone at a time they feel most vulnerable.
Photo: Liam Bailey
We also had a lady with mouth cancer who came in a few years ago and was very low - she had recently split with her partner and was going on a school reunion but didn't feel good. We did a full face of makeup and helped her pick products and when she came back a few weeks later she explained that it had turned everything around for her. She and her partner were back together and she even said it had 'changed her life'.
One of the reasons I wanted to get involved in the service was because my former colleague was diagnosed with breast cancer and a family friend was also diagnosed, so it's a cause close to my heart. Being able to see people walking out the door feeling that little bit better despite everything they are going through is a really fantastic part of my role.'
Boots UK and Macmillan Cancer Support are dedicated to making people living with cancer feel as good as possible. Our expert team of Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisors are on-hand in various Boots stores around the UK to give face-to-face advice on some of the visible side effects of cancer treatment. To find out more visit macmillan.org.uk/boots