If you love it when a salesperson compliments you now “how pretty” you are or “how amazing” your skin is, you can stop feeling so special. They recite these lines to everyone, because it draws them to their counter.

“Usually if I compliment them, they open up about what they are looking for,” says one former makeup artist. With this little “boost” from a “beauty expert,” even self-conscious women are more likely to talk to her about their skin or makeup concerns and buy products.