I ran out of eye cream recently and so I visited a skincare shop with the very simple intent to replenish a sample I tried before and liked.

The customer service lady, who greeted me very professionally, shared with me all the great qualities of this eye cream, especially emphasising what this product could correct, such as smoothing fine lines and reducing dark circles around the eye area.

As there was more than one eye cream there, she also introduced to me several different products, as well as supplementing products to go with the eye cream, such as an eye serum.

The more she spoke, the more uncomfortable my body felt: the simplicity that I stepped into the shop with felt clouded with a lot of information, and I was about to walk out.

And yet, instead of doing so, I expressed to her very honestly what I felt. Very simply I said, “I always feel confused when many products are being introduced to me at the same time.” She asked, “So what is it that you are looking to correct? I can then introduce a product that fits your needs.”

I replied, “To be honest, I am not looking to correct anything. I actually quite like myself (with a smile) but I have run out of eye cream, so I wanted to buy another tube. I fully understand this is the way the beauty industry expresses, but when you tell me a product can correct something about me, it feels like there is something wrong with me to begin with, but that is not true. I know it is not your fault, but that is how I feel with the way you have professionally shared the product information with me.”

The customer service lady seemed to be taken by surprise as this came out from my mouth, and to my surprise also, what was being said in honesty did not offend her, as from then on our conversation went much deeper than just the products she was selling!

She started conversing with me about my lipstick colour (which I named Violet Flame), said she really liked it and asked me where I got it and if I could recommend it.

She shared how some of the lipsticks she has used before can feel very dry on the lips, and we further chatted about how supporting ourselves in our day by drinking sufficient water, could also hydrate lips and skin. She replied in realness that this proves to be impossible presently, as in her busy job, she simply forgets to!

By this time I had come back to clarity as to what product I would purchase from this shop and no pressure from the saleslady was felt.

We were already communicating like long time friends, and she was demonstrating to me how to apply the product gently on my skin and with what quantity of product to use. She suggested using an upward movement, as the product has a firming effect, to which she added, “Not that you need it!”

I smiled, and not just from my lips, my eyes and my face, but from my heart and my whole body because there was a resounding simplicity and harmony felt within.

Connection is actually very simple. It can happen every moment in our every day, in our commitment to living what we know is true in our body and not hold back in expressing.

There is a deep joy felt when this commitment is reflected back in simple daily encounters, with the confirmation that truth is universal.

By Adele Leung, Creative director/fashion stylist, Hong Kong

Further Reading:
Magic of Knowing… We Are All One and The Same On The Inside
How We Start relationships
Communicating with, and Talking to People – No longer Calibrating my Expression