How to get FREE Makeup!

Let’s be honest, we all love a bargain and I’m not sure many of us would turn our noses up at free makeup.. am I right?

My name’s Nishi and I write about all things beauty, travel, lifestyle and fashion over at www.nishiv.com. As a former makeup artist and a self confessed beauty junkie, I share a lot of beauty tips, tutorials and reviews on my blog and youtube channel;  www.youtube.com/nishiv1, as well as mini product reviews on my Instagram account; www.instagram.com/nishiv_mua.

With that in mind, I want to share 4 ways of getting free makeup!

Fellow beauty aficionados may already be aware of this, but most beauty counters will give you a free foundation sample if you simply ask them. Ok, so you’re not going to bag yourself a full size Dior foundation but you can often pick up smaller pots; perfect to try before you buy or just to throw into your travel makeup bag.

Requesting freebies in person can sometimes feel a bit intimidating but it’s something you should definitely take advantage of. It goes without saying that they won’t just hand out samples to anyone on request; you have to seem genuinely interested in the product, but whether you’re faking it or actually out to purchase a new foundation, I’d recommend asking for one either way. I mean, there’s nothing worse than forking out £30 on a new foundation for it to look completely different in day light, be the wrong shade or simply a formula that doesn’t work for your skin type – so it’s always worth trying one first!

“Sorry we don’t have any sample pots left” is something you may hear a lot. This can either mean they’ve simply run out of containers or that they just don’t want to give you a sample. I always take a couple of stackable travel pots with me when I go makeup shopping and ask whether they can give me a couple of pumps to try myself at home. You can pick these up in any pound shop or Boots for next to nothing, and more often than not, they’ll be happy to oblige.

As far as I’m aware, the only brands I know that don’t give out samples is Nars and Huda Beauty. Bobbi Brown are currently giving out a free 7 day sample of their new Skin Long-wear Weightless foundation and I’ve had samples from MAC, Benefit, Estee Lauder, Clarins, Clinique, Lancome and many more before.

Get a free MAC lipstick

It never fails to surprise me that many people still don’t know about the ‘Back to MAC’ scheme, and  as a huge MAC fan, when I first discovered it, I remember thinking ‘why didn’t anyone tell me about this?!’. In all fairness, it isn’t something that they advertise and I’m not sure why, but essentially, it’s their way of recycling their packaging.

I’ve written about it in depth here, but all you have to do is take back 6 empty or unwanted MAC products that aren’t empty, in their primary packaging in exchange for a free lipstick from the main collection. Amazing for the environment, and a brilliant perk for us customers too!

It’s worth noting that you can only take a maximum of 18 empties per visit, as you can only claim 3 free lipsticks at a time. The free lipstick can only be chosen from the main collection and it excludes limited editions, liquid lipsticks and the Viva Glam range.

Feel Unique Pick ‘n’ Mix

Now strictly speaking, this isn’t free, but this Pick ‘n’ Mix is a great way of trying 5 samples a month for just £3.95 p&p.

Every month, Feel Unique have over 400 samples from brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Laura Mercier, Ren, Yves Saint Laurent and many more to choose from. The samples are small, but a little goes a long way.. and the best part? After you order, you get an email with a gift voucher for £3.95 which is redeemable against all future purchases (excluding the pick ’n’ mix) – so technically, it’s free!

Have you claimed your free MAC lipstick or bagged yourself a sample at a beauty counter yet? Let me know in the comments.