'Old Twins, more like,' says Lui, embarrassed but obviously basking in such comparisons.

'How nice our princesses look after they put on makeup,' says Cecilia Liu Wing-sze, corporate public relations manager for L'Oreal, which supplies the cosmetics. 'You know, Miriam Yeung Chin-wah is also like that when she's making all those TV commercials,' she continues, referring to the singer's adverts for one of L'Oreal's subsidiary brands.

Far from friendly pre-sale banter across the counter, Liu's patter is an essential part of a day-long workshop organised by her company and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS). Yu and Lui are among 20 socially disadvantaged women - unemployed, middle-aged or new arrivals from the mainland - learning skills deemed crucial in job-hunting. High on that list are the finer points of makeup art, hairstyling, as well as interview techniques. The company's stated objective is to 'share the expertise of our business - beauty' in order to benefit women.

While the participants are enthusiastic about all aspects of the training programme, most concede it's the skincare, makeup and hairstyling tips which prove the most alluring - especially when L'Oreal is providing an extensive array of products to sample, as well as assistance from two of the company's most experienced sales representatives.

'The main problem is they lack the self-confidence to use makeup. I want to convey the message that doing makeup could give them a lot of pleasure in life, a feeling that they are not 'out',' says makeup artist Cindy Lo Kam-foon after the workshop.

Her colleague Mandy Li Hei-lan, who specialises in skincare, agrees. 'Cosmetics are now seen as a social etiquette. When they come to the class they would say, 'I'm just a housewife, a hag', and they would say they are envious of the way I look. When they finished class they said to me, 'Now I know we can make ourselves as good looking as you are'.'

Cliff Choi Kim-wah is HKCSS' business director in agency development and partnership and convenor of the organisation's Caring Company campaign, which aims to involve commercial enterprises in socially conscious projects.

He says the project with L'Oreal aims to lift the positive self-image for disadvantaged women of lower socio-economic backgrounds: the 20 participants were chosen from a list recommended by more than 300 HKCSS member organisations throughout Hong Kong.

'We hope socially disadvantaged women could equip themselves with more self-confidence - something we think is holding them back in life,' he says. 'And we believe that their techniques in using makeup will improve their abilities in finding for a job.'

L'Oreal's mission statement also promises 'to show our respect and consideration for diverse populations'. And the concerns of He Lizhen, who arrived from the mainland two months ago, reveal how big a role makeup can play in image-conscious Hong Kong. 'Only after I arrived here did I find out how important it is to have proper makeup - since I feel that only when I do that the locals would treat me as one of them,' says the 36-year-old. She speaks only basic Cantonese, worked as a food and hygiene inspector in her home province of Liaoning, and is still on the lookout for a job. 'It's crucial, whether it's going to an interview or just meeting friends. People just see me differently.'

According to Stephen Mosely, president and managing director for the Hong Kong Taiwan arm of L'Oreal, makeup and hair styling is effective because 'a proper outlook makes a woman look more modern, tidy and clean'. 'Women will act and look more confident and approachable. And it lets potential employers know these women are able to take good care of themselves.'

However, L'Oreal and the HKCSS are not everyone's idea of progressive.

'Tidy appearances are of course necessary - but if the emphasis is placed on this, the central problems facing these disadvantaged women remain unaddressed,' says Tsang Gar-yan, resource development co-ordinator for the Hong Kong Association of the Advancement of Feminism. For middle-aged women from lower socio-economic backgrounds, Tsang says, unemployment and disillusionment stem from structural problems in the economy and in society as much as with whether they know how to present themselves.

'What we should be looking at as well is what retraining we should give women who've been out of the job market for so long. What skills can we give them?' she says. Tsang believes the emphasis on appearances could actually become an obstacle for job-seeking women. Some practices, such as demanding photographs from interviewees at the initial screening procedure, can cause enormous stress for the women.

While unionists praise the HKCSS for including interview skills in its programme, some express amusement about providing makeup tips. According to Lo Sui-yi, organisational officer for the Hong Kong Women Worker Association, more than 70 per cent of the job-hunting working class women she met were factory workers made redundant by businesses relocating to the mainland - hardly people in line to fill vacancies which require rouge and mascara on a daily basis.

'It's hard for them to get a job again - and usually when they do, it's work as janitors, cleaners or office assistants,' she says. 'If someone is recruiting for a cleaner and the candidate turns up with her fingernails painted bright red, what would the employer think?'

Not that these concerns trouble the participants in L'Oreal's offices after the workshop. 'I know so much more now about how I could make myself more elegant and poised with makeup,' says Lui. 'They've just told me my skin could be a bit too dark. With proper makeup my skin will look better and I'll be more confident if I get an interview.'

'There's a traditional Chinese saying about women making themselves look better for those who please them, and now I know how this could be done,' says Yu.

'It's not necessary just for seeking a job. It could be great just playing about with the makeup when I have time. And I know there's still a lot for me to learn,' she says, as she flicks through a catalogue of cosmetic goodies.

Whether these newly acquired skills give Yu more bargaining power remains unclear - but surely here's one more individual hooked on powder.