Women love makeup – but a single cosmetic product can cost over $50. If you’re on a budget, you don’t have to sacrifice your favorite products. Here’s how to avoid steep makeup prices.
Facebook Promotions
One of the best ways to get free makeup samples is to follow your favorite brands on Facebook. Many retailers and promoters regularly have deals that are available exclusively to their Facebook followers. You can get free makeup from places such as Sephora, Revlon, and Freebie Mom, for example. In some instances, a brand may have a certain amount of a specific product that they’d like their clients to try, and getting in on the deal is as simple as submitting your shipping information. For pages like Freebie Mom, expect to participate in a sweepstake for the chance to get free product.
Most Facebook free makeup deals are time-sensitive, with a specific promotion running for a short period, and you must be on top of the current deals. Also, the details will vary between each promotion. In some instances, your makeup samples will be delivered right to your mailbox, while others may provide a coupon or info on how to get a particular product instore. Read the fine print carefully before jumping on the bandwagon.
Website Orders and Purchases
If you have ever ordered makeup online, you know that gifts with purchase are some of the best ways to get cosmetic samples for free. To receive this free makeup, you must first make a purchase with a specific retailer such as Sephora, Ulta, or Smashbox. If you’re ordering from a specific brand, they may have certain samples that they automatically send with orders. However, these products change regularly, so if you make subsequent orders, the odds are that you will get different samples to try.
For high-end retailers like Ulta and Sephora, you can choose specific samples with each order. Again, read the fine print for each store where you shop. In some cases, you must add your sample items to the cart while other shops send a random assortment of samples even if you forget to make a selection. Most high-end retailers also have regular promotions where you can get an assortment of samples with a certain purchase amount in addition to the regular free-with-purchase makeup samples. Look for these deals around high-volume sales days like Black Friday and Valentine’s Day.
Makeup Test Groups
One of the lesser known ways to receive free makeup by mail is to participate in product testing groups. In most cases, it’s straightforward to join a consumer testing panel and there are a variety of programs to choose from including Allure Beauty Enthusiasts, The Pink Panel, and Influenster. Each program has its own guidelines. In most cases, however, you create a profile listing your preferences and are then matched with product tests that are a good fit for you.
When working with a makeup test group, understand that you will not be selecting specific products. Members of Influenster with a profile that lists a strong preference for makeup and beauty products, for example, might receive offers that vary from a full-size YSL product, a deluxe sample of a high-end perfume, or an assorted box that contains a variety of items including a drugstore brand lipstick. Casual users with a full profile can expect to get regular offers, but you are required to fill out a survey after the test is complete and are also encouraged to leave reviews and do promotional tasks, though these activities aren’t essential to keep receiving free makeup.
In-Store Promotions
One of the most open-ended ways to get free makeup samples is to keep an eye on the in-store promotions offered by your favorite brands. While many of these deals get to you via email or snail mail, you may have to visit your favorite shop to pick up the products. Both Ulta and Sephora, for example, have a special birthday gift that you can request with an online purchase any time during your birthday month. However, if you go into your local store, you can pick up the gift without having to buy any other products.
Sephora, in particular, has a wide variety of in-store promotions. Savvy shoppers can receive up to three samples of any product in the shop whenever they visit in person. You can also sign up for the VIB program that regularly gives you special coupon codes to receive additional free samples with an online purchase. In addition, every order you make earns you reward points that you can then redeem for deluxe makeup samples mailed with any order. These can all be combined, so with any given order, you could receive your regular three samples, plus items added with a VIB coupon code and deluxe samples purchased with reward points. Other brands and stores have similar programs, so check out your favorite shops to see what their current in-store promotions are.
Makeup is a girl’s best friend, but feeling beautiful doesn’t have to break the bank! In fact, it’s entirely feasible to try a wide variety of products at no cost by using these tips to get free makeup samples in the mail.
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