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Sophomore Misses Midterm to Wait in Line for 1.5 Oz of Glossier You Eau de Parfum

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Photo by: Liza Summer/Pexels Carey Salvin

After waiting two hours for an eyedropper-sized bottle of perfume and the Glossier "experience," college sophomore Elaine Miller was devastated Tuesday afternoon. She missed her STAT-1010 midterm.

Miller and her friend Ally Thomas (W '25) had been in line at the newly opened Rittenhouse Glossier location for an hour when Miller began to panic. Suddenly, it had occurred to Miller: if she stayed in line and browsed the store, she would definitely miss her STAT-1010 Intro to Business Statistics midterm.

"I was sure that I had enough time when I left the door. Every bone in my body ached for the calm, beige and mauve interior of the new Glossier. Sure the midterm was 30% of my grade, but I thought getting my hands on some Glossier You eau de parfum and cloud paint would get me in the right mindset for the test," Miller told Under the Button.

Thomas was equally excited for the store. "Elaine and I are Glossier superfans. We've been to every other location, from London to Los Angeles. Ever heard of boy brow? Elaine came up with that," she said. "Did I mention the location is not a pilot?"

Right before the doors opened to Miller and Thomas, Miller looked down at her phone. She had fifteen minutes before the test, just enough to jump on the trolley and be on campus in time for the exam. But she decided to stick it out. 

"I wanted that perfume," Miller whispered.

Miller explained that the trip was worth it. She loved the "ambiance" of the store and felt like she was able to take her time. "I even got one of those little embossed bags! You know I had to," she said. Miller emailed her professor explaining the circumstances for missing the test and asking for a retake.

Under the Button reached out to Miller's professor, Dr. Jim Thompson, for comment. "Yeah I actually got a long email from the student. It seemed pretty unreasonable when she asked for a make-up date for the test. Then she came to my office hours with the loveliest scented candle for me. Pink pepper, fresh iris, and woody ambrette, it changed my life... and my mind."

When asked about her overall thoughts on her purchase of the Glossier You perfume, Miller exclaimed, "It's so worth it! It really does smell a little different on everyone."

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