Sparkle and Shine: Beauty Sample Etiquette

Filed under: Cambio News

A really common question that I get is what's appropriate and what's not appropriate when it comes to asking for beauty samples if they haven't been offered to you yet. So I thought I'd do a little "beauty sample etiquette" today and explain my point of view on the matter!

There are certain stores that will shove samples in your bag whether you've asked for them or not and then there are other stores that you have to specifically request them first. In a lot of cases, even the stores where you wouldn't expect to receive any samples-like MAC-will give them out if you ask [politely].

Needless to say, there are definitely certain rules to keep in mind when asking for beauty samples and ultimately it depends on the amount of stuff that you are purchasing at the time. Obviously it would be excessive to ask for three lipstick samples when you're only buying one lipstick. But if you're buying two lipsticks, two eye shadows, a liner and a mascara and you just want to try a couple different things, then I think it's completely fine to ask. In this case they know that you're not just going in there to load up on freebies, and also that you will probably return to buy more products if you happen to like the samples they give you.

If you're not buying anything, I probably wouldn't ask for any at all. If it's necessary, 1 max. And then try it out and return within a timely matter to purchase the product (assuming you liked it) so that they will feel comfortable giving you samples in the future.

In any of these situations, if you are given a sample and you DO end up liking it, I definitely recommend going back and buying it to build a good relationship with the store and the salespeople. This is really important because if you're like me, you are going to many of the same makeup counters all the time, and they eventually get to know you, and you don't want to become that girl that walks in, gets a bunch of samples, and then never actually buys the products.

Overall, I think you just need to be mindful that you don't overwhelm the salespeople with your requests, and also that you limit them to an amount that's reasonable given how much you are buying at the time. :)

I hope this is helpful! What are your thoughts on beauty sample etiquette?

 

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