E-Paper
A thing of beauty: How to score a freebie
Brands are big on handing out skin and make-up samples. You just need to ask. Plan it well and you could even be welcomed back for more
What could be more intimidating than a stark white art gallery? A makeup and beauty store, of course. They’re too bright, staffed by impeccably well-groomed people. The displays make everything look perfect and perfectly confusing. And everything on the shelves promises to turn you into Suhana, Kareena, Katrina or Malaika.
Big beauty stores offer samples – small sized goodies that either come with a purchase or handed out to a select few customers. The minis are a way to try out a new shade, a different formula, a fresh fragrance. Kavita Yadav, director of e-commerce business and modern trade for skincare and haircare brand Minimalist calls them a “risk-free entry point to test the waters over multiple uses.” Yet, stores aren’t always generous with them. Here’s how to score freebies at a beauty store.
Research is reward. At most multi-brand beauty stores, assistants are trained to help customers pick what they like across price points and competing brands. Play to their strengths. Figure out your skin type and your undertone, even if you’re not sure it’s the right answer. The prep saves assistants time, indicates that you’re serious about a purchase. It also means a customer is less likely to be upsold. “It is easy to be fooled into buying something you don’t need if you don’t know what you need,” says Pratishtha Parekh, 27, a Pune-based engineer and skincare enthusiast. She has acne-prone skin and looks for skincare ingredients even when she shops for make-up. “I carry my own sample container to the store,” she says. It makes it easier for an assistant to pump a few squirts of a new foundation or blush if Parekh is undecided. “I don’t take chances with what I put on my face and my body, so I go well prepared.”
Look sharp. As customers scope out products, store assistants scope out customers. Wear lipstick and kajal so it appears like you already have a preferred product and shade. Spend time swatching different products on your arm before you approach an assistant for help. Be clear about your queries – a foundation to glow in wedding photos, an eyeliner to last the workday, that new nude lipstick that Alia has been rocking, perfume that fits in the handbag, something to cover dark circles. A serum that also has some shimmer in it. It gives assistants an opening into what they can offer as a sample.
Don’t cower. “Beauty executives, in our experience, wholeheartedly engage with consumers seeking testers,” Yadav. “This stage is instrumental, as it allows potential customers to experience the product, understand its feel, and assess its compatibility.” Amanda Bell, international director of education and artistry at Pixi Beauty knows exactly how it helps turn a confused buyer into a fan. “Trialling a product in advance minimises the potential for returns, which is so much better for the store,” she says. “They actually look favourably on providing a sample.” The trick is to be specific. Walking in and expecting a free kit won’t work. Striking up a conversation, narrowing down options within a category, and expressing interest in a trial is much more effective.
Play up the money angle. Shrishti Bhatia, 31, a social media strategist from Delhi, says she swears by patch-testing and sampling. “I keep on trying samples until I figure out what works for me,” she says. It’s cheaper in the long run. “Sometimes, you don’t need to splurge on more than you need. One product can be used in several different ways. If a lipstick suits me, I use it as blush,” Bhatia says. Store assistants don’t always offer money-saving advice. Buying a trial size or asking for a sample is easier than ending up with full-sized, full-priced regret. Reliance Retail’s new brand Tira Beauty has even set up a sample vending machine at its first retail store at the Jio World Drive mall in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex. So, the next time you want something to try out, just ask!
