As a beauty addict, I love keeping up with the latest product releases, but sometimes it’s just impossible to keep up financially. There are also products that have been on the market for years, that I’m interested in trying, but I struggle to part with my hard earned money for. It can often be a bit of a leap of faith to shell out upwards of £30 for a foundation I’ve only tried once.So that, for me, is where beauty samples come in. A great chance to try out (often expensive) products and see if they work for my skin and needs. The thing with samples, they can be a little elusive…with so many of us dying to get our hands on the new skincare hero or that perfect foundation, it can seem like there’s a bit of ‘product grabbing’ going on.
So here’s what you need to know about asking, buying and being given beauty samples from all corners of the industry:
With Online Purchase
This is one of my preferred ways of gaining beauty samples. If I’m spending money on a brands website or retail giant, I don’t feel guilty about adding samples to my basket.
And one of the best things for us, as consumers, is that this is becoming a growing trend! From a brand perspective, if you already seek out one of their products, this is their chance to get you hooked on another one.
Here are a few of my favourite online destinations for product samples:
feelunique.com – When you spend £30 online at FeelUnique you can choose 2 samples froma wide range of brands. With my recent order I picked two Balance Me samples and got good sizes of their Radiance Face Mask and Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm.
cultbeauty.com – Spend over £50 (easily done on Cult Beauty) and you’re able to select two samples from a huge range of luxury brands.
sephora.com – With any order, you can pick out three beauty samples if you order through Sephora. Now that Sephora ships to the UK this is definitely a bonus, just remember you cannot pick a perfume sample due to Customs checks in the UK, but there are still some awesome product samples on offer.
With In Store Purchase
A lot like online purchases, many shops and brands will throw in some samples if you make a purchase in store. I have found Space NK and Debenhams to be great places for this. A lovely, extra treat with your purchase!
At Counter
This is probably the one most of us get caught up on, asking for samples at the counter. It can be a bit of a mine field, I’ve found that some brands point blank refuse to offer samples, whilst others are more than willing. So it’s all about how you approach a counter. Here are my tips:
Manners – this one should go without saying, but be nice to the staff at the counter, be courteous and happy to wait until they are free to help you.
Talk to the staff – Let them know what product you are most interested in trying out. If they offer to apply it for you, gladly accept, but if you would like to try it at home too do not be afraid to say so.
Take your own pot – sounds crazy, but I often have a little pot swimming around in the bottom of my bag, just in case I come across a product I would like to try at home. Ask nicely, whip out your pot, and get sampling!
Be realistic – Do not, I repeat, do not go out with the intention of bagging lots and lots of samples, this is just rude. Only enquire about products you are genuinely interested in.
Go back – That’s right ladies and gentlemen, you shouldn’t take a sample and disappear off into the night. If you have the intention of buying the product at a later date, ask for the assistants name, so when you revisit the counter you can purchase the product through them or let them know how you got on and of course, thank them for their help.
Buying Them
You heard me right, I did just say ‘buying’. There’s no harm in paying a small amount of money to try out a product you have wanted to try for a while.
Latest in Beauty – This online store allows you to buy pre-made boxes or create your own, full of an eclectic mix of samples and full size beauty products. I recently brought a few samples of my favourite perfume, Mary Greenwell’s Plum, from Latest in Beauty. The perfume, at its cheapest, is £95, but these little samples only set me back around £2.50, that way I get to wear the fragrance without the massive upfront cost.
Online Sample Offers
Companies often run, for a limited time, offers that allow you to sign up for a sample. My favourite way to do this is by following brands on Twitter and Facebook and keeping an eye out around new product release dates. I recently filled out an online form for these La Roche-Posay products and they arrived on my doorstep about a week later.
With Magazines
If you saw my June/July Magazine Freebies post, you’ll know I love a good magazine offer! Keep your eyes peeled for brands and products you’ve been wanting to try offered with fashion and beauty magazines.
So there’s my round up of where and when to get those beauty samples! I am well aware that my collection of samples is a little ridiculous, but it has been worked up over a fair few months, and I promise to start using them soon!
Have you got any more tips about where and how you get beauty samples to try out new products? Let me know in the comments below, it would be great to share!
Sam
Reblogged this on Sharon's Blog.
Great tips!
Sophie x