The department-store cosmetics floor can be an overwhelming place, with its countless potions and products, and sometimes-pushy salespeople. To help make your makeup shopping experience a good one, try these 10 ideas for navigating the counters:

1. Know what you're shopping for. Just looking? Need to replace your favorite lipstick? Craving an entire new skincare routine? Knowing what you're there for helps you communicate to sales associates (and avoid being coerced into buying or trying something you don't want or need).

2. Take the pressure off. The pressure to buy, that is. It's perfectly fine to look but not buy...you won't ruin the sales associate's day by saying you're just looking!

3. Watch the calendar. Weekends are the busiest days for cosmetics counters. If you have a lot of questions for the sales associate or know you'll need a lot of help in choosing products, visit the counter on a weeknight, well before the store closes.

4. Ask for samples. Most cosmetics lines will give you a sample of a product you'd like to test before you buy (many have tiny vials and jars behind the counter specifically for sampling). Just don't go overboard; for example, asking for a sample of every product in their line would be too much.

5. Sign up for mailing or phone lists. Ask the associate at your favorite counter to add your name to their mailing or phone lists. You'll often get advance notice about in-store events, new products, and sales.