Throwback Thursday: The Momentous Summer I Worked at Bath & Body Works (And Met a Lifelong Friend!)

The summer after my freshman year of college, I worked at the Bath & Body Works in Cleveland's Golden Gate shopping plaza. I had long been a fan of the shower gels and lotions from this self-perceived beauty mecca — I was that mallrat girl who went in every Saturday during junior high and high school and just HAD to buy something — so it was a dream come true to actually be able to WORK there.

This was the era of Sun-Ripened Raspberry and Sweet Pea. When shower gel was just becoming a THING and bar soap was falling by the wayside. And this was a momentous summer job for many reasons, actually...

I stocked a lot of these hand sanitizers on the shelves. A LOT.

1) That summer (1999) was when Bath & Body Works first launched their line of Hand Sanitizers. While the line of hand soap is now quite extensive, at the time it really was just the hand sanitizers — either with or without beads — and no soaps at all. I remember stocking the shelves with it and thinking it was just THE COOLEST MOVE Bath & Body Works could make. (And now? Bath & Body Works soap is at the top of my list!)

Ohhhh, Moonlight Path. How I love you.

2) This was also the summer that Bath & Body Works launched their Moonlight Path line, which to this day is one of my favorite scents. I loved the sultriness of the scent, from the sheer lavender and white jasmine notes to the violet, vanilla and amber. I pretty much stocked my dorm room for sophomore year with this one (and my long-time favorite, Warm Vanilla Sugar).

The famed purple lipstick summer.

3) Remember my Throwback Thursday from just last week, when I talked about how much I used to love dark purple lipstick? I bought my absolute favorite shade in bulk from Bath & Body Works that summer. (Thank goodness for that 30 percent discount.)

But here's the BEST reason for my summer job at Bath & Body Works being one of my best ever. I met a lifelong friend! My manager was a girl named Steph, who had graduated recently from Bowling Green State University with a degree in journalism. I thought Steph was THE COOLEST PERSON EVER. Not only did she have a degree in the same field as me, but she was super pretty, really fun and was also into theater. Basically, she was my spirit animal.

Steph and me! This was during a trip she took to NYC in 2012, when we enjoyed cupcake and wine pairings at one of my favorite dessert spots, Sweet Revenge.

Now, here's the thing. I always liked my coworkers at my summer jobs, but we rarely stayed in touch. To be honest, I don't even remember the names of my managers from my subsequent jobs at Victoria's Secret or Afterthoughts (that was the summer I pierced ears, which was the most terrifying and worst job I've ever had). But Steph and I just struck up a friendship immediately — and we're actually still friends today! She even stayed with me in New York a couple times. I'm extremely grateful for our lasting friendship, which would never have happened if I hadn't worked at Bath & Body Works that fateful summer!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and stock up on Warm Vanilla Sugar Foaming Hand Soap.