It Is Up To Us To Reclaim Beauty

Commenter Jennifer K. writes regarding my post Fighting For My Coffee in Multi-Culti Canada:

I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is in the Midwestern region of the United States. Starbucks is the closest coffee place to me, but I always bypass it for our local, independent coffee shops. Not only do they offer a great cup of various types of coffees, they also offer a great selection of teas, fine pastries and delicious sandwiches, soups and salads.

As for the perfume, well, Kidist, if you want to know the notes of a perfume GOOGLE IT!!!! It's not that hard. Sure, I'd expect someone at a high end parfumerie to know about various notes, but at a standard mall shop? Well, no. Just like I don't expect a cashier at my grocery store to know everything about a bottle of wine I purchase. Sure, if I go to a high-end wine shop, I expect some knowledge. But my local Pick n' Save? Nope.

Here is my reply.

1. Re: Coffee shops

- I agree that there are many nice, cosy independent coffee shops. But, I think that Starbucks coffee is as good as (some, a few) and superior to many. Many of these coffee shops also have their "cultural" elements to wade through, e.g.: oddly dressed owners/receptionists/customers; music which is often not my taste; strange decorations, or "artwork" by patrons for sale or on some rotating exhibition; food and drinks that I'm not familiar with (e.g. funny flavored muffins); items that are too expensive; etc.

- These "cosy" coffee shops are often too cosy, with crammed seating too close to the patrons (and their conversations) around me.

- The spaces are also old, or not as modernized as Starbucks, and I often wonder about their hygiene.

- I don't usually drink tea. And when I do, I prefer to make my own, strong, brew at home.

- At Starbucks, I can buy my freshly ground coffee to take home and drink at my leisure. I doubt that many coffee shops can provide ground coffee for their customers.

2. Re: Perfume knowledge

- There is no excuse for "perfume" girls not to know the perfumes they're surrounded with all day. How many do they sell per day, let alone discuss with a customer?

- I'm not talking about Jennifer Lopez's latest, or the Body Shop's bubble bath. I'm talking about Chanel, Christian Dior, Nina Ricci, Armani (you get the drift?). A few perfume girls (I should call them women) at Sephora's are very good, and will tell me what the dry down is (what scent is left on your sweater or scarf at the end of the day). But, I usually have to deduce this from the perfume guide they have put up conveniently. And I always ask for a sample for that very reason: to see how the perfume interacts over the course of the day. How difficult is that for a shop girl to do? In fact, what fun! She can start the month at the beginning of the store, and work her way around.

3. Re: Wine and supermarkets

In Canada, we cannot buy wine in supermarkets (which is probably a good thing). At liquor stores, I can always find someone who tells me exactly what I need to know. I don't bother with those who are shelving, and I bother the least with the cashiers. I don't expect them to know much about wine, just as I don't expect help on wine selection from the cashier in the grocery store.

Conclusion

What is going on, as I keep writing at Reclaiming Beauty, is a gradual deterioration of our culture. I don't mean this in an elitist way at all. The shop girl's "nose" will be more refined the more she is expected to elevate her standards. And all this terrible stuff coming at us from alcohol drenched factories wouldn't exist because no-one would buy them. Then, those less expensive scents which have disappeared, can make a comeback (like Coty, Yardley, Max Factor and Revlon). Or women can buy one perfume a year, if only to replenish an existing bottle - how difficult is it to save $70? Or women can start making their own scents at home - what a concept!

Wines from California (and some regional Canadian wines) are great, and really inexpensive (you can always get the expensive ones if your wallet leans that way). The French have wine at dinner (I don't think it is, or has become, a myth), and their wineries produce wine for a pleasant home consumption. Like perfume, the more people demand, the more manufactures will deliver.

So, my final point is: it is up to us to elevate our standards; it is up to us to reclaim beauty.
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Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat
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