Face Value

Anyone who's been reading this blog for awhile knows how much I love a good bargain. I'm only exaggerating slightly when I say that buying retail is against my religion. I'm crazy about nice clothes but I buy them only when Talbots or Ann Taylor has an end-of-season clearance sale. I scour the Sunday flyers for deals too good to pass up and most of our household items started out on the shelves of TJ Maxx or Homegoods. So how, I ask you, does an inveterate bargain hunter like myself plop down $39 for foundation? I'm about to tell you.

I can't even say I was coerced. No over-the-top cosmetic consultant pressured me into this insanity. No, this time I was completely on my own. I had already bought a high-end concealer a couple of weeks back (when it was buy one, get one free - I keep these moments of lunacy to a bare minimum) and had returned to the store to exchange it for a different shade. That's when the helpful salesgirl got me. "Are you set on using this one?" she said. "If not, I think I can get you something that you'll like a lot better". Having a little time to kill I thought what the hell, let's see what she's got.

She took me to a line of cosmetics that I had never heard of called Napoleon and introduced me to a stick foundation that could double as a concealer. It didn't hurt that the consultant had flawless skin and swore it was all thanks to the product that she was now brushing all over my face. When I finally got a look at what she had done, I had to admit I looked better - not OMG I look forty again better - but the lines looked finer and the pores looked smaller. As she told me the price I remember thinking that I could have four bottles of my previous foundation for the same money but found myself telling her I would take it.

As I got closer to the door, my guilt got the better of me and I turned around and handed it back to her saying, "You know what, I think I'm going to think about it". Walking out with nothing except the product I had brought to return, I settled into the driver's seat and took a look in my rearview mirror. There was no denying that the make-up looked great, even in the harsh afternoon light. My skin looked smoother and had a nice glow. Hell, even the bags under my eyes looked better. That's when it happened. I got out of the car, marched back into the store and informed the stunned salesgirl that I would take that nicely packaged miracle stick after all.

And at that moment, forty bucks felt like a bargain.