You’d think that choosing skincare would be relatively straightforward. It’s not like you have to match it to your skin tone like you do when looking for a foundation match, or when deciding what lipstick colour suits you, and so on. Yet it can be a minefield and often, the best way to tell if your complexion is getting on well with a product is to try free skincare samples.
We’ve previously shown you how to get hold of free foundation samples in the UK, and some of the options and ways to get free skincare samples below are similar.
A word of warning, however. With makeup, you’ll know relatively quickly if you’ve got the correct shade or the consistency that suits your complexion but with skincare, it can be a little difficult to tell.
As you can read in our guide to How we test skincare, it can take up to a month to see the true impact of products on your skin so this means that, where possible, opt for a large skincare sample and test it over as long a period as possible before making a decision. The plus side of skincare samples, however, is that if you’re allergic to them or they cause a reaction, you’ll know quickly!
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Free skincare samples are much easier to get hold of in-store and if your local Boots beauty counter, for example, is open then that’s a great place to start. You can ask the people working at the counters for tester pots or samples of various products – including free foundation samples – and you can walk out with a haul of goodies.
However, if you’re not massively comfortable asking for free samples, or you can’t get to a store, there are ways to get hold of skincare samples online. Sadly, they’re not always free.
Some are free when you spend a certain amount or when buy certain products from individual brands. Others cost a couple of quid each, but are still cheaper than forking out full-price for products you don’t know will work for you.
FURTHER READING: Foundation samples UK: How to get free foundation samples online
Feelunique offers a Pick and Mix service that lets you choose up to five samples of anything listed on the Pick and Mix page for just £3.95. This includes foundation samples, as well as many skincare samples from the likes of La Roche-Posay serum, CeraVe, Elemis, Eve Lom, and more.
Although you’re paying for the postage, and this postage applies whether you choose one or five samples, Feelunique will also send you a £3.95 gift voucher with every Pick and Mix selection meaning that they’re *technically* free skincare samples.
You can only order a Pick & Mix bundle once a month, and you can only buy one per household. This means if you order on the 2nd of the month, no-one in your house will be able to order another sample set until the 2nd of the month after.
Feelunique Pick & Mix
FURTHER READING: You can now virtually try makeup on from MAC, NARS and more within Google Shopping search results
Avon has an entire page dedicated to selling samples of its bestselling products. While these samples aren’t free, they only cost 50p each. Or you can get three samples for £1 with the code SAMPLES.
At the time of writing, you can get skincare samples of the Anti-Wrinkle Retinol Serum, the Anew Platinum Day Cream and the Dark Circle Corrector Dual sachets.
You can also buy various perfume samples, as well as samples of makeup including foundation samples, lipsticks and more.
Avon Samples
Glossier gives away skincare and makeup samples with every order and the samples are usually the brand’s bestsellers. However, it does change things up on occasion and you might get to try out a new product or a more rare sample.
All you need to do to qualify is to buy anything on the Glossier site. You’ll then be presented with the option to add a sample to the checkout, for free!
Glossier samples
There are two ways to pick up Clarins Try Me Love Me skincare samples. The first is in-store, where you can get free skincare samples from the brand’s many counters across the country. You can discover your nearest store here.
The other is online, but you’ll need to buy a full-price Clarins product to qualify. You can shop the Clarins range here, and the samples are available with all purchases. You don’t have to spend a set amount or buy certain products. Simply add whatever you’re after to your basket and you’ll be given a choice of samples to choose from.
The cheapest way of getting these free samples is by buying the ClarinsMen Smooth Shave Foaming Gel for £16, or Clarins Lip Perfector for £18.50. If you sign up for the Clarins newsletter you’ll get 10% off your order, and at the time of writing, Clarins is holding a sale with up to 30% select products.
According to the brand, a single Clarins sample gives you up to five days’ use, and testing the products “allows you to discover their scent and to appreciate their texture on your skin.”
FURTHER READING: Clarins Double Serum review: Smart mirror reveals before and after results of the cult serum
Clarins samples
If you’re not familiar with Green People, it specialises in vegan, cruelty-free, organic skincare ranges that work wonders for a variety of skin concerns. Our favourite is the Age Defy range and you can read more about this in our guide on What happens to skin and hair during menopause?
The brand was founded in 1997 by Charlotte Voetz when the lack of gentle, natural products on the market spurred her on to create her own organic creams and salves, carefully tailored to her daughter’s allergy-prone skin.
Today, none of the products across its full range of lines – there are nine in total for women, men, children, and even animals – use aggressive ingredients or synthetic chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, alcohol (ethanol) or synthetic fragrances or colourants. They never test on animals, either.
Green People samples aren’t free; they cost around the £2 mark, but you don’t have to buy anything else to get your hands on them. You can buy one, or get them all directly.
Green People samples
Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget
