Trial Size

I turned thirty this month and recently marked the occasion with a visit to the Target Beauty section, which is a surprisingly elegant and well-lit imitation of a collection of actual cosmetics counters. I settled on a display that offered trial sizes of various venerable drug store brands – Neutrogena, L'Oréal, Olay – and perused the options as if I were a woman about to embark on a journey involving air travel who Just Can’t Stand the Hotel Shampoo. I began to fill my loose hands with a few products sure to transform my skin (and my life): 6 Bioré Deep Cleansing Charcoal Nose Strips for Men, to extract toxins from my very masculine pores; a miniature bottle of Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Facial Toner, to add a requisite dose of femininity to them; and just 0.5 fl oz of Revitalift 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum, to visibly plump my skin and reduce wrinkles. Because I’m not actually getting older, I’m just trying it out.