TikTok user @sortaspookymom shared a video about an experience she had while working as the manager of a makeup store. Like many retail experiences, it was a memorable, if not frustrating, one. At the time of publication, the video had 4.1 million views and 1,668 comments.
@sortaspookymom, whose name is Britney, as she says in the video, opens by setting the scene. She explains that a customer came in to return seven makeup items, all of which were the same product. According to Britney, the customer was furious.
When one of her employees called her to the front, Britney encountered the woman, whom she calls Gertrude in the video. The sales associate explained that Gertrude wanted to return seven black eyeliners from the same brand. The problem was that all seven eyeliners were outside the return window.
"Gertrude immediately start going off how this is so ridiculous. She bought all these eyeliners, and there's so little product in them, and it's so expensive, and she just wants a full refund, and she's been saving all of these eyeliners to show us proof," Britney recalls Gertrude saying.
Gertrude continued to complain that the store was ripping customers off with the amount of product they got in each package. However, Britney could see right away what the issue was, and it wasn't the amount of product.
"I already knew what the problem was. There were seven gel eyeliners on the counter. Seven gel pencil eyeliners, and they look like they had been used and never sharpened. I could already feel it. I could already feel what was about to happen," she says.
According to Gertrude, it was ridiculous that the eyeliners cost $20 but lasted for only one or two uses. Meanwhile, Britney listened and wondered why people thought gel pencil eyeliners were retractable.
Instead of arguing with Gertrude, Britney pulled out a pencil sharpener and sharpened the eyeliner. Without a word, she handed the pencil back. Gertrude immediately picked up all seven pencils and stormed out of the store.
Viewers share their own experiences with sharpenable gel eyeliner pencils
As is often the case in comment sections, users were quick to speculate about the exact brand of makeup Britney was talking about in the video.
"It had to be urban decay pencil Imao that's what we got it for regularly," one commenter wrote.
"Was it urban decay? the amount of returns l've saved by just sharpening those pencils is crazy," another commenter asked.
Others learned from the video that pencil eyeliners can be sharpened. One viewer wrote, "This is how I learn you can sharpen gel eyeliners. I bought 2 and they only lasted a few uses and I said I'm never buying gel again. lol."
Videos like the ones @sortaspookymom makes can be both educational and humorous. After watching this one, viewers may have learned a thing or two about how to use gel eyeliner pencils properly.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims made by @sortaspookymom, which are based solely on her account of the customer interaction shared on TikTok.
