The Shampoo That Helped Me Fall In Love

(This is a sample sponsored post for a fictional company as a part of a producer/creator application)

I know, I didn’t really believe the title myself when I typed it out, and yet, here we are. As your average twenty-something New York transplant, I spend more time complaining about dating in my city than I do actually dating. The cliché here is that the most populated city in America can also seem like the loneliest. Surprised? I was too. Until I realized that “most populated” means overcrowded, sweaty subways, longer café lines, impossible dinner reservations and pedestrian traffic so fast-paced it’s dangerous. Not exactly a great set-up for meeting your happily-ever-after. But I did. And before you roll your eyes and move your cursor to the little red “X” at the top of your page (like I most certainly would have done years ago), allow me to explain how a 40 oz. bottle of liquid magic changed my life. I first heard of A Shampoo Company® from a friend. She writes reviews almost religiously (something about her “civic duty to her fellow millennial consumers,”) so I tend to take her recommendations seriously. Well, I’ve never heard her talk about a product the way she did with this shampoo. So naturally, I asked to try some of her “REVITALIZE” or argan oil-honey-vanilla-scented product. The first thing that I noticed was its seemingly unassuming bottle and label. “48-hour lasting fragrance”? Fat chance, I thought to myself, an active dry-shampoo user. I decided to try it on a Sunday morning, figuring if it went poorly, I’d have time to course-correct that evening before work the next day. When I opened the bottle, I was overcome with a scent so pure, so delightful, I nearly dropped it. It smelled like a warm, summer day with citrus notes known only to fairies in children’s books. Like the inside of a soothing spa where they run essential oils through your hair to relax you, only this time it was to clean.

I washed my hair three times. Now, I normally dry my hair when I get out of the shower, but not wanting to compromise my heaven-scent shampoo (pun very much intended,) I decided to let it air dry. It’s a Sunday, my errands-day, who am I worried about running into? Not the love of my life, apparently. Stepping onto the subway, still overcrowded, still sweaty, I took my normal post by the door leading to the next train car. I tried to ignore a few glances my way; this city can be full of creeps. About 10 minutes into my commute, I heard a knock behind me and I stepped aside to let the passenger through. After taking a few steps, the man bun-sporting, Brad Pitt-wannabe did a sharp-180 and walked back in my direction. Before I could even start rehearsing my “I don’t have any cash” speech, he interrupted. “I don’t normally say things like this but I have to tell you, you smell absolutely incredible.” I was stunned. Of all my years wearing what I would consider great perfumes and body mists, I had never stopped someone in their tracks. He apologized for how creepy he may have sounded, introduced himself as Dave, and proceeded to ask me to coffee at the next stop. Normally I would have resisted. I didn’t even know the guy, I had plenty to do, and my ensemble wasn’t exactly date-ready. But I figured if he could take the risk of complimenting the scent of a complete stranger, then I could accept a cup of coffee. After several months of more coffee dates, which led to other dates, which then led to moving in together, we got engaged. As someone known more as a lover, than a girlfriend, it still takes me a while to wrap my mind around all of this. But it’s true! And while I’m not planning on becoming one of those writers that tells you to always believe in love!, I will say that A Shampoo Company® isn’t lying when it promotes it’s long-lasting, show-stopping, nearly intoxicating fresh scents; enough to convince a very skeptical New Yorker that things like fairies and love do actually exist.