Beauty Counter Anxiety and Insecurity

January 17, 2009

We've been talking about beauty and skin care products a lot recently, so I have to ask a question that's been on my mind. I want to be transparent, so I'm not going to hide this vulnerability. Tell me I'm not the only one who suffers from this anxiety and insecurity. Please tell me. Here's how it goes. I have to go into a department store to pick up one of my can't-live-without-products, like the foundation I finally found that covers just the right amount AND doesn't cause any breakouts AND matches my skintone AND isn't too dewy or too matte.

Prescriptives Flawless

Prescriptives Flawless

This should be a quick little errand, right? Bing bang boom. Wrong.

For me, it causes dread and a serious amount of anxiety that sees me looking on the Area 52 website to find something that can help me relax. Because I know that when I – a normal, confident, professional woman – march up to the counter with my request, I'm going to feel like the Hunchback of Notre Dame with a bad case of leprosy within minutes. I can't just pay for my purchase and leave. No, no, no, that would be too easy. The salesperson has to try to up-sell me or cross-sell me, or whatever the heck they call it. I'm bombarded by:

“Have you tried our new eye cream? It really works on those wrinkles and puffiness and crow's feet”.

“Would you like to make an appointment for me to give you a makeover, dear?”

“Do you use our new wrinkle-erasing-lifting-super-duper-youth-restoring-magical-miracle-night-cream? I think it would really help you. Let me give you a sample!”

“Would you like for me to recommend a product to help with that redness/those wrinkles/that dryness/your oiliness?”

By the time I slink away to my car, I feel like the most flawed woman ever to approach the counter. Now, in my mind, I'm droopy, dehydrated, shiny, dry, red, pale, wrinkly, baggy, saggy, and puffy. All at once! In reality, I do have my own little challenges like every woman does, but usually I'm content with what I have to work with. Not overjoyed, (I AM forty-something, for cryin' out loud) but content.

So I'm wondering. Is it just me who feels like a frappin' troll after they've just handed over their hard-earned money for a product? Should we pay for someone to insult us? Maybe it's worse for me since I had skin problems as a teenager, and so I'm over-sensitive to salespersons' “suggestions”? Maybe the dermatological afflictions scarred my self-esteem more than my skin, and I'm still reeling from it years (and years) later, even though I spent a bajillion dollars last year for six Fraxel laser treatments, and my skin is in better shape than it has been since I was 12 years old? I have the feeling that my anxiety, insecurity and paranoia in this area are more common than I know. Does anyone share this with me, or do I need to get in touch with someone like www.PsychCompany.com and arrange some psychotherapy? Give me some support, sisters, before I bow to the pressure to make all my purchases online!

~BigSis

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4 Comments so far

  1. Posted by SisMama

    January 18, 20095:17 pm

    LOL…well, since I’m your mom and way older than you…my only solution is to stay away from those make up counters…they are way too smelly anyway, with all the fragrance close by..Luv your blog, girls !!

  2. Posted by BigSis

    January 18, 20095:49 pm

    Hey, thanks, SisMama! We love doing the blogging thing!

  3. Posted by Anna

    February 15, 20092:37 pm

    I am sitting here feeling some buyer’s remorse for the $80 eye cream I bought at the Estee Lauder counter today. It better work. I am so mad at myself for not wearing sunscreen in my twenties.

  4. Posted by BigSis

    February 15, 20092:58 pm

    Hi Anna,

    I know! Just because we didn’t see any wrinkles or sun damage back then, we didn’t even think about sunscreen or eye cream. I hope you’ll like the Estee cream. I haven’t used any of their eye products. Have you tried the Relastin Eye Silk we’ve talked about a couple of times? The normal price for it is $69, but it’s on special from time to time, and it’s my favorite eye cream so far.

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