Mall Make-up Counter Sales

I had a long list of errands to run the other day. I wished that everything I needed would be conveniently located in Target for my shopping ease. Yet I found myself having to travel to the mall...

There used to be a time in my life when I would have jumped at the opportunity to spend hours aimlessly wandering the stores and kiosks with my friends, blowing my entire paycheck on the latest outfits and cd's. Yet even the thought of walking into the mall makes me feel hot and bothered. I have this weird self diagnosed claustrophobia that only comes around when I am in such shopping situations or if I have fake nails on (I had them done once for prom in high school and ripped them all off in the limo ride home).

After being jammed in the JC Penny dressing room for over an hour debating over a new bra I realized that I had forgotten the one item I left the house for in the first place. Mascara! I could have picked it up at target, how did I miss it written in ALL CAPS at the top of my post-it list.

I took a deep breath as I crossed the threshold of JC Penny into the Mall. I could smell cologne and hear base filled beats pouring out of the stores. I waddled my pregnant self as fast as I could to the complete other end to Herbergers to get a tube of mascara. After being starred at by about 150 people, fighting the urge to stand on a bench and yell... "YES I am PREGNANT!" and taking an emergency bathroom break, I arrived at my destination. I knew full well that a tube of mascara here was going to be ridiculously over priced (Yet someone gave me a sample tube of Lancome Definicils for my bridal shower and I loved it).

I approached the Lancome counter and a heavily make-uped young lady came to my assistance.

"How much does a tube of Definicils mascara cost?" I inquired.

"About $26.00 after tax."

(I hid my GASP and tried to act like that wasn't highway robbery, but inside I thought, Tacy YOU do not belong here... you should run away, go back to Target where you belong. Where the tubes of mascara are under $10.00 and sometimes come with a free sample of eye liner!!! But I started justifying myself... I mean I did just have an awful bra shopping experience, I am pregnant... and walked all this way... if I just get this tube I don't have to go to Target I can just be done and go home. Perhaps if I just make it last a really long time it would be ok.)

"And how long does a tube of mascara last?" I asked as a follow up question.

"You need to change mascara AT LEAST every two months." She replied

(Give me a break, I used that sample tube for almost a year before it was dried up and clumpy)

"Are there any other types of mascara you recommend?" (Meaning is there anything cheaper than that)

"Yes I use this one (as she handed me another tube). I like it because you can put on six layers without it clumping."

(How is that even a selling point? Who has time to put on six layers of mascara? And why would you want your lashes loaded at maximum capacity all day? Looking into this young girls eyes I could see why this feature was important to her, it was apparent that she lived dangerously on the edge of six layers. I wondered how she was even keeping her eyes open.)

"I'll just take the Definicils."

"That will be $26.25."

(I cringed as I handed her my credit card... I knew that I was going to be embarrassed to tell my husband about my completely irresponsible and lazy purchase.)

I do so love my new mascara though... yet buying something I couldn't really afford makes me feel bad every time I put it on.

Lesson Learned. Thanks for understanding Chuck.