Once upon a time myself and de fella got to go and stay in the Ritz Carlton for a night and as part of that we had dinner in the Gordon Ramsay restaurant. We met someone shortly afterwards who'd also been and she grumbled her disappointment that the craggy, cranky one himself wasn't there to personally shake the hands (or tell them to f**k off?) of each and every diner that darkened the dining room's doors.
I thought this train of thought was akin to expecting Ronald McDonald and Hamburgler to be present at any McDonalds you might ever pop into. I mean, they'd be shagged tired for one thing, and for another, I don't think Ron 'n Ham have managed Santa-style omniscience just yet. Also, I really don't feel they're letting the side down by not personally welcoming me to McD's on the Navan Road every time I have a hangover that needs feeding.
Anyway, long rambling tale aside, this story has a point: the woman felt her experience lacked a certain something because Gordon didn't come out, verbally abuse her and then say "DONE" when he'd finished. In beauty terms, this is a bit like expecting Elizabeth Arden to materialise from beyond the grave each morning at all of her Red Door salons, or anticipating that when you go to a Liz Earle location, the good lady herself will wrap up your purchase and swipe your card. Similarly, we surely can't expect Shavata to be present at her many lash and brow bars at the exact same moment in time.
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Yes, you could use that slicey razor thing that's in the first Resident Evil film (oh how I love that film), but cutting a superstar beauty expert into precise pieces would impact on their abilities somewhat, I feel.
So here's the thing. Do you feel disappointed when you visit a chain of stores or salons that the person whose name is above the door isn't there to personally greet you? Sure, it'd be nice to meet the illusive Peter Mark or Toni and his pal Guy, not to mention exceptionally interesting to finally put a face to Universal Contour Wrap, but to me, it's not an essential part of a beauty treatment at a named location.
That's just my take: what about you? Do you feel it's a bit of a con to shell out for a brand name (or a person who's arguably a brand name in their own right), yet get the ministrations of a minion for an inflated cost? Dish all in the comments!
