Wal-Mart

Possibly the worst experience I've had shopping.

I go over to the Color Sensational lipsticks, since I've seen them before, and 8 bucks is the cheapest I've seen them go for. The problem, first of all, is that there are no mirrors anywhere near the cosmetics. In order to find a mirror, you have to walk over to the other side of the beauty area where they sell the beauty brushes. Why you need a mirror for the brushes and not the make-up, I have no idea. So I'm forced to take each individual tester over to the mirror, cleanly apply it (finding an unused part of the tester and applying it with a Q-tip or my pinkie finger. Then take the tester back, and try another. This is irritating and time-consuming all by itself, and honestly if there is one time to be assisted by a beauty worker who you know has a mirror behind the counter, this would be it.

Nope, not only does this woman not once ask if I want assistance, I notice that she has begun to stare at me. Not subtly -- she walks around, following me and stares at me with her arms folded as though she's never seen anyone try on make-up before.

Let me assert, once more, that she does not so much as attempt to speak to me.

I'm getting pretty irritated by this, since no one likes to be treated like a thief while they're shopping and because this crazy woman has to know that you can't just pick up a lipstick and guess the shade. I want to buy a lipstick, so I try to ignore her, but she gets more obvious. Now she will walk right up next to me and pretend to adjust shelves while I'm shopping while shooting glares at me.

Does she ask if I need help? Nope. She does scream at the girl she's working with in a foreign language, and I can tell she's now telling this girl to watch me. The poor salesgirl, who must be around 16, looks extremely embarrased that she's doing this, and tries not to look at me.

Also, to make it clear, I spent no more than about 10 minutes in this area. It's not like I was spitefully sticking around for half-an-hour. I just wanted to find a lipstick. Which is kind of this woman's job to, you know, help me do.

Finally, I pick out the lipstick I know I've tried and liked before (Blushing Brunette), since at this point this woman's strange behavior is really making me uncomfortable. I go up to pay, place my purchase on the counter, and the woman stares at me. I raise my eyebrows, she screams at the assistant girl who comes over to punch it through, and the sales lady goes, "Where did you put those other lipsticks?!"

Yes, I'm paying for my purchase and being accused of shoplifting.

I responded that they were all testers (I tried, um, maybe 5?) and that I had put each one back. And no, she hadn't checked. Nor did she now. She gave me a very suspicious look, and then when the girl goes to swipe my credit card, this incredibly nasty woman yells at the girl in a foreign language again (I'm going to guess Phillippino?) and the girl nervously asks to see my ID. I give it, pay for my item and leave.

Yeah, I complained to the Manager. And I felt crappy doing it, but what the hell was that?!

Ugh, that put me in a terrible mood for the rest of the day. How can you do that? I have always been given strict instructions in retail that you may never, EVER accuse the customer of shoplifting unless you have some kind of proof or the alarm goes off. This woman watched as I went from the tester stand to the mirror five times, never offered me help and SAW me put each one back. I get that shoplifting is a big problem, but I'm 21 years old and I'm not exactly dressed in rags.

I lost my wallet here in the Shoe Section on Sunday night, and my boyfriend told the cashier about it, and she got about 5 other ladies on the Hunt- rushing around asking other departments and customers and cashiers. I felt soo happy that I got this taken care of at WAL-MART ... and lucky me, it was found. I was so convinced I would never see it again. The only one turned in out of 4 gone missing this year. I couldn't believe the help I received... There are some good souls out there!
**peace and love
-r.l.