How To Get Free Beauty Products Online with Feel Unique
Editor's note: this blog post was originally written in July 2016 and has been updated for clarity and with the latest information.
Do you LOVE free stuff and enjoy finding new beauty products to try for free?
Feel a rush when you head to your favourite beauty counter to ask for a freebie?
Struggle to contain your excitement filling out a form for the latest beauty freebie online to claim your favourite sample? We hear you!
Are you already a seasoned pro at nabbing beauty freebies? Cut straight to the chase:
We're beauty freebie addicts here at Magic Freebies, and we're thrilled we're not the only ones.
Whether you're a newbie freebie hunter wanting to know the secrets of the pros, or you want to sharpen up your savvy beauty hunting skills, you've come to the right place.
Before I get started with my top tips on how to get free beauty products online, I think it's important for you guys to know why free stuff exists, especially if you're feeling a bit suspicious!
Why do free beauty samples exist?
Companies are keen for potential consumers to try their products and give feedback in return.
What does this mean for them?
It means they don't have to pay a middleman to do the research for them. The movement of companies to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter means that they can speak directly to their consumers, listen to their concerns and reach out to potential new customers at the same time.
This should remove any guilt you feel for taking their stuff for free because they actually want you to!
How can I get my hands on beauty freebies?
Glad you asked! There's a whole world of beauty freebies out there, you just need to know where to find them. Here's how to do it:
Join Magic Freebies
With more and more brands offering free beauty samples every day, our team of professional freebie finders are your best bet to find all the latest beauty freebies.
We do all the hard work so all you have to do is visit us and enjoy the freebies rolling in. The easiest way to keep up to date is by signing up for our newsletter and WhatsApp alerts, where we send out 8 new freebies every day.
Get free beauty samples on social media
Social media is now one of the most powerful ways a brand can create buzz about a new product launch.
Facebook is usually the best option to follow brands, as companies will create custom tabs with a free sample page where you can fill out your information instantly to receive your sample. Be sure to 'Like' official brand pages to get free beauty offers straight to your newsfeed.
We got this Givenchy lipstick sample from Liking the Givenchy Facebook page!
Twitter and Instagram are also great options for finding free samples. Follow brands on these and keep an eye out for any popular hashtags.
Some brands may ask you to like, comment or retweet, if you like interacting with brands, make sure you get involved and leave a review - they may even ask you to review more products in the future!
Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, too. We post all the latest freebies and love to hear from our fans about the freebies they've received!
Bag makeup freebies from your local beauty counter
'If you don't ask, you don't get!'
We love this phrase at Magic Freebies. Getting freebies from beauty counters is one of our favourite ways to get free beauty samples, as the professionally trained makeup artists that work there are able to recommend products that are suited to your skin type and tone.
These are our top tips for getting freebies from beauty counters:
- Don't be shy! As makeup is so personal, free sampling is one of the best (and easiest) ways for a brand to convince you to buy their product over another brand. Beauty counters have samples to give away so be bold and ask!
- Show genuine interest. If you seem like you're just after a freebie, the salesperson will be less inclined to want to give you a free sample. Do some research into the products that you want to try out before you go in, so that they'll know you're serious about the product.
- Try and visit during quieter hours. If you visit in the middle of the day on a Saturday, or right in the busy lunch hour, then the salesperson will be rushed off their feet and potentially won't have time to give you free samples. Try and pop in early mornings or on a weekday, as the shops will be much quieter and the salesperson will be able to take their time with you.
Luxury brands like Clinique, MAC and Estee Lauder stock small pots and tubes perfect for samples, which usually last for 10 days - 2 weeks. These are perfect for travel-sized cosmetics for your next holiday!
Stores like Lush are also known to distribute samples and will even label them and pop them into individual bags for you. These are really useful for gifts or if you enjoy making your own beauty concoctions at home. Be brave and see what you can get for free!
Sign up for beauty panels & trial new products for free
There are so many beauty panels you can sign up to for free!
Some of our favourites are the Glamour Beauty Club and Boots. These work with popular beauty brands to reach out to consumers just like you. Upon sign up, you'll often be asked a series of questions about your beauty routine, skin and hair type and general lifestyle questions. This is just to make sure you'll be offered beauty products that are ideal for you!
Beauty product trial websites all differ and some may exclusively invite you to trial a particular line of product depending on your profile e.g. skincare for acne. Others reach out to all members and pick people to trial at random!
They all have one thing in common though and that's that in return for the product, they expect you to provide an honest review of how you found it. Remember to follow the review process exactly, or you might find yourself not chosen to take part in future reviews.
Start a beauty blog
If you like reviewing products and your friends consider you a beauty or makeup pro, why not start up your own blog or YouTube channel? It's free to set up and once you've built authority, you can approach brands or they might even approach you!
Browse magazines for beauty freebies
Keep an eye on our Magazine Freebies page. We source out all the latest and greatest freebies from magazines, so you don't have to!
With the rise of the internet, magazines are now working harder than ever to entice readers. This means you'll find more gifts with your purchase so make sure you check out the magazine stand on your next trip to your local supermarket or newsagent.
Recent offerings have included Benefit mascara, Burt’s Bees lip balm and a Nails Inc. nail polish – often found in luxury spas and nail bars.
You can also find free stuff within the pages of magazines, too. Flick through to discover exclusive discounts and freebies. There are even sometimes coupons or money-off vouchers for skincare treatments and haircuts!
Join a Beauty Rewards club to earn free stuff
To encourage customer loyalty, big brands and shops offer beauty clubs that reward their members with exclusive freebies and discounts. The most obvious are the Boots Advantage Card and Superdrug Beauty Card, where you earn loyalty points with every purchase you make, which overtime can be used as cash instore.
Our favourite here at Magic Freebies though is the Debenhams Beauty Club. Every month, Debenhams gives away a new beauty freebie to its members, for absolutely no cost. Previous month's freebies have been:
- Make Up For Ever Liquid Highlighter
- Givenchy Lip Balm
- Kat Von D Brow Kit
- Clarins Beauty Flash Balm
- bareMinerals SkinLongevity Serum
Pick 'N' Mix Samples from Feel Unique
This is definitely my new favourite way to get beauty freebies and try out new products.
Feel Unique offer a 5 free samples when you sign up for their Pick 'N' Mix offer. All you pay is £3.95 for the shipping fees but you also receive a £3.95 gift voucher to redeem on a future purchase. Excellent!
You can choose from a massive selection of up to 440 samples and it's so simple to do. Here's how it works:
- Choose up to 5 samples per month for FREE
- Pay only £3.95 shipping and handling fee
- Get a £3.95 gift voucher in your follow-up email which you can redeem on a future purchase (excluding Pick 'n' Mix)
- One Pick 'n' Mix sample selection per person, per month
They're also offering a 'Try me' option where you can buy a full-sized product with the "Try Me" icon and they automatically send you its matching sample-size so you can try it first... Not for you? Simply return your unopened full-size product free of charge for a full-refund, simple and waste free! Love it? Mission accomplished.
So that's it, my entire guide to getting free beauty samples, do you have any of your own? Share them with us!
Collette xx