There are few things people enjoy more than free samples. It could be free samples of food at the grocery store, a free preview of an upcoming movie, or anything in between. If you ask someone if they want a free sample of anything that may be the least bit useful to them, and they’ll say yes without hesitation.

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One area in which receiving and collecting free samples is practically a science is with free makeup samples. Most people who care about their appearance like to keep plenty of makeup on hand. However, keeping a large stockpile of makeup to fit any occasion can be difficult, not to mention expensive.

One solution to this problem is to collect free makeup samples. Collecting free makeup is a great way to keep your supplies high without breaking the bank. Makeup samples are also a great way to test out new products before deciding that you like something enough to buy it. Free makeup samples may also be your ticket to some high-end beauty products that you can’t otherwise afford.

The key is knowing how to get free makeup. Once you’ve mastered where to go and what to do to get free beauty samples, you’ll have opened a Pandora’s Box of possibilities for yourself when it comes to looking your best and saving money at the same time.

What Are Free Makeup Samples?

There’s almost no limit as to what you might find and what might be available to you in free makeup samples. You may be able to find anything from everyday cosmetics like exfoliators and facial creams to blush and mascara. You should also have no trouble finding lipstick or skin care products. Even shampoo, lotion, and perfume may be given out as part of beauty samples.

Of course, exactly what you’ll receive as part of free samples can vary. Often times, you will receive travel-size bottles of various products, giving you a rather small amount of a product. Receiving full-sized bottles of certain products is not unheard of, particularly when it comes to haircare and skincare products.

Beyond that, it’s up to each particular company to decide what to include in a package of samples. They may include new products that aren’t yet available to the general public. They may also choose to include existing products that are already well known and popular. Of course, they may also include samples of excess products that are just laying around.

Why Companies Give Away Makeup for Free

The reasons why you’re able to get free samples of makeup may seem meaningless, but it’s important not to look a gift horse in the mouth. After all, there’s a method to the madness whenever a company decides to give away free stuff, regardless of what the product may be.

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For makeup and cosmetics, in particular, samples can be produced to cheaply that it’s not a strain on the company to give away samples for free. They also know that many consumers of makeup prefer to try products before they buy them.

Thus, there is a belief that giving away free samples will ultimately lead to sales, which can be seen in many of the methods in which consumers can receive free makeup samples.

Makeup and cosmetics companies are also cognizant of public relations. Allowing consumers to receive free samples can benefit the image of a company. Most companies also believe that customers who are given free samples will help creative positive buzz about both specific products, including new products, as well as the company in general.

Giving out samples is also a way for companies to receive feedback about their products. With new products, in particular, customer feedback can prove invaluable for companies. Thus, several of the ways that consumers receive free samples come with the stipulation that they provide feedback and opinions on the product.

Finally, giving away free samples is a way to create brand loyalty. If a particular store or company gives you free samples, you are more likely to have a positive view of that brand. You may also be more likely to become a customer of that company and remain a customer for many years to come.

How to Get Free Makeup

The wonderful part about makeup freebies is that there are several ways you can go about getting free samples. Most people will focus on one or two of the following ways to get free makeup. But there’s nothing wrong with going a little overboard and using all of these methods to score free makeup samples.

In the Mail

This may be the easiest way to get makeup samples. Plus, it feels good to get something in the mail that isn’t a bill. Of course, you can’t just sit back and hope something comes for you in the mail. Instead, you have to be proactive and let companies know you wouldn’t hate it if they sent you stuff. Also, you have to let companies know where to send free samples by mail.

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Typically, the first step is to visit the websites of cosmetics companies. Of course, just visiting the websites may only result in pop-up ads, which can be annoying. Once at the website, you’ll want to register your information, including your address, with the company. By doing this, you’ll end up on their mailing list whenever they send out free product samples.

Obviously, you’ll want to do this for all of your favorite beauty companies. But you don’t have to stop there. Do some Google searches and find some new or smaller cosmetics companies that you haven’t heard of yet. These companies may be more willing to send out free samples, believing that they have a chance of attracting your business.

A couple offers for makeup samples that we've found include this year-long beauty box subscription, these free Bath and Body Works samples, these free MAC samples, and our favorite: American Beauty Association's free makeup brush.

Some companies may offer potential customers a free trial of their products as a way to entice sales. For example, honest.com gives consumers a 7-day free trial of six of its best products. After testing the products for a week with no commitment necessary, you can decide whether or not you want to become a regular customer and have access to dozens of their beauty products.

It’s not unusual for companies to offer trials or samples, which can be a great way to receive free makeup in the mail. Taking this approach to getting free makeup will also help you learn about newer companies that are less established but still worth checking out because they often have new and creative ideas about makeup and cosmetics.

Another tactic to use to get free makeup samples by mail is to by searching for offers online and signing up for them. This may seem like a wild goose chase, but there are websites that keep track of existing offers, which makes them easy to find.

If you think you’re signing up for too many things, don’t fret. Not all of them will pan out, so odds are you won’t be overloaded with free samples, even though that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

One thing you should consider when signing up for all of these offers is to create a new email and use it solely for this purpose. You’ll receive plenty of free samples in the snail mail, but you’ll receive even more emails, and so you don’t want all of that stuff clogging up the inbox of your personal or professional email account.

At the Store

For free samples, it’s sometimes best to go straight to the source, which is the actual store. Virtually every store that sells makeup or cosmetics has free samples available to customers. The trick is knowing how to go about getting them. Sometimes it can be as simple as merely asking a salesperson, but not always.

For example, it helps if a salesperson recognizes you as a frequent customer; sales workers may only give out samples if they think it’ll lead to a sale later on. You have to make it seem like you may purchase something at some point. This is why it helps to ask for samples from stores where you have bought makeup before.

If you’re looking for samples in a new store, you may have to try a little harder to convince them you’re looking to buy. Try asking the salesperson for advice and be receptive to what they have to say. It may also help to mention that you have sensitive skin and prefer to try things ahead of time so you don’t have a bad reaction.

It’s also possible to pick up some free samples by attending an in-store event. Both cosmetics chains and department stores like to host special events or hold beauty classes, especially when they have new products they want to introduce. This can be a great way check out some of the latest beauty products and maybe go home with some free samples.

The salespeople at in-store events tend to be a little more willing to give away free samples on these occasions because they know only people who are serious about makeup and cosmetics are likely to attend. Even with a high-end line, they are likely to make sure everyone leaves with some free samples, making this a great opportunity to collect makeup and cosmetics samples.

Product Test Groups

If you’re feeling just a little adventurous, you may look into product testing as a way to get your hands on free makeup samples. In the past, there has been controversy surrounding makeup or cosmetics companies that test products on animals. Hosting product test groups or sending out samples to customers is a good way to avoid that.

More importantly, companies like Product Testing USA are looking for genuine feedback from consumers, and they’re willing to give out free samples in order to make that happen. If you don’t mind being the metaphorical guinea pig for new makeup products, you’ll be able to get your hands on plenty of free samples.

The key, of course, is knowing how to sign up for product testing. The first step is to search the websites of your favorite brands and look for a way to sign up for product testing. However, you should be aware that not every company operates this way. Some of the more prominent makeup brands won’t leave product testing up to everyday consumers.

Fortunately, a few Google searches should be able to direct you to several legitimate companies that do encourage average customers to participate in product testing. After signing up and submitting information about your demographics and consumer history, the company will send you products to test if they believe you’re part of the target audience for a product.

The lone caveat here is that you’ll have to fill out questionnaires and give the company an honest review of the product so that they can take that feedback and make any necessary changes. But as long as you’re fine spending a little bit of time giving your opinions, product testing can be a great way to get free makeup and cosmetics.

On Social Media

In recent years, social media has become a great way to pick up free makeup samples. The first step is to start following your favorite makeup and cosmetic companies on Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media sites you use. This is not only a way to keep up with the latest developments and product launches, but it can lead to free stuff.

It’s become common for companies to offer free samples, rebates, and contests for those who follow them on social media.

If you don’t follow these companies on social media, you may not hear about ways to get samples, test new products, or receive great discounts. If you don’t follow top brands on social media, you risk missing out on these opportunities to get free samples.

There are also accounts on Facebook and Twitter that share ways to get free stuff on a daily basis. Obviously, not everything posted pertains to makeup and cosmetics, but some of is bound to be something you’d like to try. This may not be the most efficient way to get free samples of makeup, but it’s not something that you’ll want to overlook.

Earn Them Online 

There are countless ways to earn free stuff on the Internet, including free samples of makeup and cosmetics. Even by doing things as simple as shopping online, web surfing, playing games, and taking surveys, things you would probably do anyway, you can earn cash, gift cards, or other types of rewards, including free samples from your favorite brands.

One of the best places to do this is swagbucks.com. Swagbucks has become one of the top rewards programs on the Internet. Once you sign up, just about everything you do on the Internet helps you to earn points that you can then turn into gift cards, cash, or other cool stuff. 

Swagbucks members are also privy to special offers and codes that can lead to free stuff. Also, aside from their regular Internet perusing leading to points, playing games and taking surveys can also have a significant payout at the end. If you’re looking to score free makeup and cosmetics, among other rewards, this is definitely an avenue worth checking out.

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Write the Company & Ask for Them

Let’s call this the direct approach. Instead of attending in-store events, taking part in product testing, filling out surveys or questionnaires, or scouring websites and social media for deals, sometimes all you have to do is write to a makeup or cosmetics company and ask for free samples. Of course, it’s not always as simple as asking “pretty, pretty please.”

The first step is to decide what companies you want to contact. You probably won’t be able to write a letter to every makeup company, but you may want to choose a handful or a dozen. Obviously, you’ll want to pick the companies that you like the most. However, a couple Google searches may also lead you to companies that are more likely to send you samples.

The next step is finding the company’s mailing address. Searching a company’s website for a “contact us” or “about us” page will likely lead you to the address. However, some companies may only provide an email address, which can also be a viable way to ask for samples.

However, large companies may have several email addresses, and so you have to find the correct one, which could be related to customer service or public relations.

Once you have the company identified and found the proper address, the next step is writing the actual letter. When writing the letter, it’s important to be as formal and professional as possible. You also want to compliment the company on their products and share how those products have had a positive impact on your life personally, being as specific as possible.

You then have to be careful about how you ask for samples. Try mentioning that you have been recommended a product by someone but would prefer to test it out before buying it. If you have a specific reason for wanting to test a product first, such as having sensitive skin, this will help your case and make the company more likely to send you something.

You may be more likely to receive a package of free samples if the company believes it will ultimately help them in the long run. If you review makeup or cosmetics for a blog or organization, they are more likely to send you something. Of course, you have to tell them about your blog or business to establish a level of credibility to make the company think that your review will benefit their business.

Finally, you should review your letter to double-check that it has a positive but professional tone with compliments directed and the company and its products. You should also check that you’ve asked for samples without seeming blatant or greedy. Once you’ve done that, send your letter and email and hope for the best.

Get Free Beauty Samples From Honest.com