Buying make-up from men is embarrassing, women say

Sharjah: Cosmetics shops across the country are hiring men to sell women's beauty products, a number of women have complained.

Many women customers said it was uncomfortable and embarrassing for them to purchase beauty products from men.

A number of women said that in Sharjah — where the public decency law issued in 2001 by police is strictly implemented, and it is prohibited for unrelated men and women to mingle, one can see men selling beauty products such as make-up, foundation, perfumes, lipsticks and skin creams to women.

Amerah, 37, a government employee from Jordan said she went looking for skin cream at a big store at a mall in Sharjah.

"A salesman asked what he could do for me. I tried to control myself and said I needed face cream," she said.

"The salesman asked about my age, skin type, preferred kind of scent and other similar questions and was gazing at my face closely to find out what kind of skin I had," she said.

The woman said that despite the fact she does not wear the hijab (head cover) and the man was polite, she nevertheless felt embarrassed.

Shy

"I was shy while my elder son and my husband were looking at me waiting for my reply to the salesman," she said. She said her answer to him was "Do you have a saleswoman here?"

"The salesman was not happy at all as I saw his face went red. When he went to call the saleswoman I left the store," Ameera said.

"One day I visited a cosmetic shop in Sharjah to buy make-up foundation for my face..a salesman came to help me," said Fatima Tam, a 22-year-old British university student.

"The man wanted to try the foundation on my hand to show me the result before I purchased the product despite the fact that I was covered from top to toe," Fatima said.

Maitha, an Emirati, said she had a similar experience with a beauty product shop in Dubai. Maitha said like any Emirati woman she wears national dress and the hijab but that did not prevent the salesman at the beauty shop from approaching her offering help.

"I felt shy talking to him, I told him I was waiting for the saleswoman," she said.

Nadia, a Palestinian, said the salesman at the beauty products shop offered her special cream for freckles that appear on the back due to sun exposure.

"My back was covered and I did not ask him for such products," she said.

Many women said it was the same in Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi and other emirates.

"In the UAE there are many nationalities with different backgrounds, some feel comfortable with salesmen but others do not," said Nadia.

"But no woman will feel embarrassed with a saleswoman," she added.

Layan, 35, from Lebanon said salesmen are now everywhere to help women choose their beauty products and cosmetics.

"One day a salesman told me that my skin was so soft and fresh…he was only helping me to buy my perfume," she said.

"When he said this I asked him to step away and to call a saleswoman immediately," she said.

"How can they ban men here from opening beauty salons for women, except in hotels, and then they allow men to sell beauty products for women everywhere….municipalities should make up their minds," she said.

A manager at a branded beauty products store told Gulf News a survey was conducted by his company which found that a woman may trust a man more when it comes to beauty issues. "Women could feel jealous of each other and because of that we are hiring more salesmen," he said.

Would you be more comfortable with a female selling you beauty products? Does it matter if a sales person is male or female in general? Or is knowledge of a product more important than gender?