Jenners department store holds a special place in my heart – Hayley Matthews

My mum was friendly with Angela, the manager on the Helena Rubinstein counter, so took me in one day to see about a Saturday job with Lorna and Angela.

Angela looked like Goldie Hawn (still does as I see her heading into town sometimes). Her golden bouncy tousled hair and big beautiful smile (always painted red) was a comfort to her customers who I'm sure gravitated to her not just for her knowledge of lipstick. She was a Jenners stalwart and a familiar face.

She was very understanding when I first started. The bright lights of the Jenners beauty department became too much for me and I fainted over the glass counter an hour into my shift.

Luckily there was a mezzanine with a balcony behind the counter so I had a little lie down. That balcony became my hidey-hole from situations like the time my skirt was still in my knickers and so I quickly reversed up to sort myself out!

I'm ashamed to admit it but I hid once from an old friend’s mum, Susan Dick, who had come in a few times to say I should maybe ring her daughter (we'd fallen out) and I realise now her mum was just bridge-building so we could reconcile.

I don't know why I hid and it bugs me to this day. Susan, you were was always lovely to me and I'm very sorry. I loved your Saturday visits.

Jenners has a very special place in my heart that sparkles like glitter and smells of Samsara, the perfume that always makes me think of the woman who was on the Guerlain counter. She was like a French Marilyn Monroe and spoke about France often, although I'm not so sure she really was French.

One day a man with a thick Edinburgh accent called asking to speak to her. I asked who he was as she was busy, he replied: “It's her Da, does she want mince for her tea or a Scotch pie!" It left us all questioning if she was really from France or “Côtes de Craigmillar!" Regardless, she was faultless!

There was also the time I'd been tasked to stop women offering a makeover. I stopped a very grumpy, shabby looking woman offering her a try of the latest lipstick only to be screamed at. "Don't you know who I am?" she screeched at me as I stood dumbfounded. "I'm a very well known make-up artist and don't need you to show me make-up!"

The women behind the counters were always smiling regardless and looked immaculate.

Even Tommy on Nina Ricci had eyelashes that went on for dayzzz. He introduced me to plumping lip gloss but said I had big enough lips that would be... actually best I don't repeat what Tommy said.

At the end of our shifts, we'd swap free samples with other counters in the hope that we wouldn't get stopped and checked in between the yellow lines when the alarm sounded at the back doors. If you know, then you know! We never pinched anything big, only the odd sachet sample (just don't tell Ms Anderson).

Thank you Jenners for opening my eyes to the world of make-up, snooty customers and questionable French accents, you'll forever hold a very special place in my heart and my make-up bag.

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