So there I was, restocking the shelves when out of the corner of my eye, I saw her. Standing in front of the 8 x 10 sign which read “please do not try on the polishes – we have color swatches to show their true color” she was opening up the bottle of China Glaze Kiwi-Colada and just before the brush hit her nail I stopped her. “Please do not try on the polish unless you are planning on buying it” (service with a smile as usual). Then another favorite of mine “Well….how am I gonna know what the color’s gonna look like?”. (Did I mention said customer is in her 40’s?). So, I showed the sign, and the array of color swatches in front of the China Glaze collection and assured her that is the color after two coats had been applied which she responded “How do you know?”. Really? Do people hear themselves? So I let her know that I was the one who had made the swatches, had applied the colors, and labeled them to make her choice that much easier. (What I really wanted to say was “you aren’t Cinderella and this isn’t a fairytale”, alas….I kept my decorum. ).

Ladies and gents, I know you all like the newest things, the shiny packages, the pretty little bottles. I know you are itching to try that new cream or try on the new scent. If the package is labeled “tester” – go ahead, test it out….proceed with caution, but go ahead. I say proceed with caution because you don’t know who just tested the tester. At my shop we clean the lids and bottles of the testers we use. Most of the hair products our stylists use in our Salon, so our customers are invited back to the Salon to try the hair products. In the store, it’s mostly just the hand creams. Why you ask? As I just stated – you never know who just tested the tester. That being said – if there is not a “Tester” label – do not try it. Seriously, would you want to buy a used product? Didn’t think so. I may be turning 40 but I can still hear the crack of a lid opening 500 feet away. (and by the way…at my shop…you open it and try it…..you buy it sweetheart).

Back to the tale of the misguided polish painter. After she realized that I was telling her the truth, she told me she always tries on polish…everywhere she goes, that she had just tested colors at WalMart. I told her that I didn’t think that was a good idea, since she didn’t know if the woman she just saw do the same thing had a fungal infection on her nail. I swear I saw her shoulders roll forward as she looked down at her multi-colored nails. To top off the conversation and to make my day I got to hear the best question of the day… “Does this mean that I shouldn’t try the lipstick testers on my lips?”.

Common sense isn’t that common.