Zena Davies and Jo McFetridge, who work on the No7 makeup counter at Boots, on Foregate Street, Chester, are used to helping women feel special about their looks.

But now they’ve taken it to the next level after undergoing special training in make-up application to people dealing with cancer.

Jo and Zena were among the first few members of staff in their entire company to take part in the training course that was organised by No7 and Macmillan.

The first step was taking an e-learning module which gave them an insight into what patients undergoing chemotherapy experience during their treatment.

A further face-to-face training session offered guidance on how to have the right kind of conversations with customers dealing with it.

They then got to take part in roleplays to enable them to see things from the patient’s point of view, and were given tips on how to disguise the visible effects of cancer treatment, including how to draw on eyebrows and cover up dark under eye circles.

Jo explained: “I think its really important that any customer who comes into the store leaves feeling great, so when I heard about the Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisor training, I really wanted to get involved to ensure I was giving my customers the best information and support.

“I was a bit nervous at first that I wouldn’t understand the module, but as I started working my way through I realised I knew a lot more than I thought I did and I was amazed at what I had learnt.

“More than half of cancer patients find it difficult to cope with the visible effects of their treatment and both No7 and Macmillan have done lots of training around make-up application, especially in helping cancer patients.

“I really want to spread the word that we have this support for our cancer patients in the local community, in their local Boots.”

Jo adds: “I’m really pleased I have completed the training and I feel a lot more confident knowing that I can offer customers the right advice and it will allow me to better support patients in my community.

“I’ve shared my knowledge with other colleagues in store, and it feels really rewarding to know that I can give something back.”