New to make-up, any help or tips?

Did you know that at the mall any of the big department stores that have make-up counters will do your make up for free? Say if you want to try the brand MAC, you just call them up and make an appointment. They will help you with everything and you don't have to buy a thing, unless you want to. They'll even write down the products they used, etc so you can buy one or two at a time, or do what I do--if you really like something they've used but don't want to spend the $$, just find a comparable item at Target, or another discount store. The mall makeup artists I've tried have always been very helpful and nice--just go for it!