There’s no question that too much of a good thing leads to — well — an episode of Hoarders. In my case, I am running out of major real estate for my beloved beauty products that even Montana turned me down for a “Manhattan Mini Storage” account application.

But the average gal needs a universe of beauty products to make her cocktail party ready: from her toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, cleanser, moisturizer, primer, makeup etc. etc. The list is so long that the Healthcare Bill seems short in comparison.

But (as in my case), what if you’re living in the apartment with a signicant other who does not really share your obsession for beauty products, but just grabs any old thing without properly reading the label? In my case, my husband suffered a tragic case of mistaken identity between two look alikes with entirely different purposes:

My tube of Dr. Sharp fluoride-free toothpaste in GREEN TEA WHITENING and my GOClear Acne Wash were both sitting prettily on the side of my white porcelain tub. I love both products and use them quite often; but of course, I didn’t realize until yesterday how similar their tubes and packaging looked.

Fine, upon introspection, you’ll immediately see that they are completely different (one has darker green type and an entirely different font) but think about early morning grogginess etc. etc.

Well, you can pretty much guess what happened next. “Honey, this toothpaste tastes WEIRD.”Yup, he had used the GoClear Acne wash as a toothpaste and was about to use the Dr. Sharp to wash his face…

I’ve suffered this indignation before, when I almost used a hair mask in lieu of a shampoo and wondered if it was sulfate-free because it just wasn’t lathering. But the whole incident prompted me to think of a side of beauty I don’t typically spend too much intellectual energy on: that of packaging.

Yes, the packaging aspect is really important because it makes your brand stand out (you’re going to buy that cupcake first and foremost because of that frosting….and you’ll be a repeat customer if the frosting lives up to its taste). But given this era of information overload, it’s very easy to remember a product that’s completely different from the product you WANT to remember (or are referring to).

But chances are…you’ll remember the packaging. I know for a fact that I will never forget how similar GOClear is to Dr. Sharp, and the case of the morning mistaken identity.

On the bright side, the fluoride-free toothpaste didn’t end up on a cracker with a spot of afternoon tea….

- Charu Suri

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