A few fun interactions at Ulta
I went to Ulta today for my usual bi-weekly gabfest and makeup playdate. My favorite person there is about to deliver, and she was training a new girl. She gave her the usual, "See him? This is our favorite customer. Be very nice to him when he comes in!" talk. I of course, rolled my eyes and said "whatever." She said, "You say 'whatever' but you know it's true. We all love you here." :)
A lady came in while we were chatting, saying that she was ready for a change. She was about to be a grandmother, and wanted to fight that perception tooth and nail. I told her that she didn't need to worry, and that she was gorgeous, but agreed that we could get very stuck in our makeup routine. I showed her an eyeshadow palette in browns and said, "Let me guess, these are your usual colors." She agreed, and I said I was the same way until the ladies here helped me break out of those "safe" colors. Before I knew it, I was asking her what she wanted to change, and cautioning her about going overboard - maybe making small changes that really added up. Midway through, I see the manager smirking at me and glancing at the new girl. I apologized, saying that I should probably let the pros take over, and not a mere customer. She laughed and said I was doing great and that she thought that I worked there. The manager chimed in, "Oh, we've tried to hire him - he's awesome - but he claims that being a geek is even more fun than makeup." I told them that I was going to look around and let the pros do their magic.
I was browsing around the Laura Gellar and trying a foundation on my hand when I saw a gorgeous blond reach for something. I moved out of her way and excused myself. She said it was no problem, and didn't want to get in my way, because it looked like I was having so much fun. I agreed that makeup was pretty darn fun, but said that it was too bad that I didn't get to wear it more. She looked a bit closer and said "well, you're wearing mascara and lipstick now (wow, she noticed that?! I thought I was under the radar), and it looks pretty hot on you. Are you saying that you want more?" I told her that sometimes, yes, I did. She said, "That's totally up to you. You can do whatever you want. That's a lesson that took me awhile to learn, but I'm a big believer in it." I agreed and said she was a smart woman.
We both were then looking at eyeshadows. She said that she was looking for a fun palette. I took her over to Tarte's area and showed her a few of the newer ones. We both gushed over some of the colors, and I showed her how buildable they were. She had a three-pack of Lorac shadows in her basket. I said they were cute, and she said that she really liked them for the shimmer, but were pretty expensive. I told her about an Urban Decay shadow (the Starshine line) that I used as a "sparkle overlay." She said I had to show it to her. I took her over and swept it onto my hand where we had tried another shadow, and she loved the sparkle. She said, "Like, is this your day off or something? Do you work here?" I told her that I got that question a lot. I just said that I loved makeup, and that this place was like a candy store and playground all in one. She said, "You got that right, girl!" That was odd. I'm dressed as a guy, and she calls me girl as naturally as you please. Did she think I was transitioning or something? Gay? A very ugly girl? It was both odd, and oddly pleasing. :)
She bought the Urban Decay eyeshadow (thanking me for saving her money) and said goodbye, and that she hoped to see me again. I went back to the front where the makeover was still in progress. I immediately complimented the woman on how flawless her skin looked. She was used to a mineral makeup, but wanted something more. I told her that this foundation will probably feel much heavier than she was used to, but it was worth it for the glow it brought to her skin. We all chatted more about favorite mascaras, the 'right' color of eyeliner and mascara, and more. Eventually, she left with a new primer, foundation, shadow primer, and pressed powder - and she left happy. The manager turned to the new girl and said about me, "Did you hear how he did that? He asked questions, made them feel at ease and beautiful, and gave little hints about things they could do to experiment in the future." I said, "Gee, I hope I didn't overstep my bounds! I never want to make your customers feel that 'there's this weird guy in the store' or anything." She said not at all, and that was why they loved me - because I was so nice, because it was obvious how much I loved makeup, and that every customer they had talked with had nothing but nice things to say about me. "Besides" she added, "we all know that you're not a 'weird guy.' You're all girl - or at least 70% or so." :)
So, all in all it was a very nice lunch hour (or so). I got to not only play with makeup, but I also got to interact with people where my passion allowed me to be included, and not shunned. Not a bad day, if I do say so myself.
:)
Kathi
