I love beauty samples, who doesn't right? I love the idea of trying new products. Unlike in the USA where trial size products are more widely available, In the UK there seems to be some hidden rule when it comes to samples. I keep all my samples in an old glossy box and once a week I take a dip into the box of treasures to see what products I can try that week. Along with my Glossy Box sub and a mountain of freebies with magazines I have accumulated rather a hefty amount and it is therefore my mission lately to try and get through these. Call it 'shopping my sample stash' if you will? Plus a little inspiration from the lovely Leanne Marie's blog.So I have put together a few of my own tips on getting samples and making the most from them.
- Sign up to a beauty box. OK they aren't 'free' samples however they do give you the chance to try out products you wouldn't of tried before for approximately £10 a month. Generally these are deluxe samples and sometimes full sized. I personally love the element of surprise each month but of course it's not for everyone.
- Sometimes from time to time you will receive products in beauty boxes that you don't want, or can't use. I tend to either pass these onto family members or keep them in a seperate box to make up stocking fillers and birthday gifts as little treats on the side which is always appreciated. Just because you don't like the Collection teal eyeliner doesn't mean that someone else won't...
- Scour your local newsagents for magazine samples. Current magazines on offer are Glamour which is offering 1 of 4 Balance Me products, Cosmo have a Misguided nail polish on offer, Elle are offering a free trial of the St Tropez gradual tan, and theres a free Avon mascara with Marie Claire to name a few. They might not be your usual magazine but its sometimes worth buying for the products alone and you never know you might actually enjoy the mag.
- When buying higher end products, don't be afraid to ask the assistant at the till if there are any samples available. Space NK generally does this without me having to ask but I have found that both House and Fraser and John Lewis are happy to oblige if asked.
- Following on from above, even if you are not buying a product don't be afraid to ask if they have a sample of a product. Make sure that you show a genuine interest in the product/brand and the sales assistants are usually more than happy to assist. Plus whats the worst they can say, no?
- Sign up for Whats in My Handbag. I recently was sent a REN mask to try. You just sign up for the site and they will email you weekly with the latest trials. There are only a limited amount of products and if you are lucky to be selected then you will be sent the product.
- Use a site such as http://www.magicfreebiesuk.co.uk/free-stuff to keep up to date with the latest offers available. I recently received a 7 day trial of the Garnier intensive body moisturiser as a result.
- Lastly, I keep all of the small bottles that some samples come with. You know the shower gels, body lotions etc and once I have finished I wash them out and re-use them for traveling. This also echoes my thoughts on the samples of shampoos and conditioners you get inside mags. I tend to keep these and use them for overnight stays. Definitely a lot more convenient than lugging around huge bottles of shampoo.
Personally I think samples are a must when it comes to higher end products. Not many people have squillions to splurge on products before trying them first and a majority of the products which I have sampled have led me to purchase the full size which I may not have done had I not tried it first.
What are your thoughts on samples? Do you keep a little box of treasures?
