I always like getting a sample of something while for instance buying a beauty product (and I think there's a great gap in the market to do the same in clothing stores). It's like getting a little gift and I don't know about you, but I personally really like getting (free) gifts...


I think the main thing of giving you a sample of another product with your product-buy, is to persuade you to go back and get some of that too. Which is very understandable and may have a flaw or two in the thought process behind it (but obviously it must be working otherwise the tradition of it would've died long ago). It's also a great way to get out on expedition and experiment outside your usual cliche. OR -what I mostly do- is to get the samples of the products you really like but think is (yet) too expensive to purchase yourself. Also, as some of you will note, a sample comes very in hand when on the road. And all of that for free (although, not wanting to sound like a conspiracy theory enthusiast, but the price of the sample will probably be calculated through the price you're paying for the product you've bought. Just saying).


The other day I was roaming through my little collection of samples, trying to tidy it all up a bit (downside of getting samples is that you sometimes end up with something that you absolutely can't stand, but you won't throw it away just in case or because you don't want to waste anything. Getting a free sample of a foundation is always a nightmare. On one hand it's absolutely not your colour, but on the other it's from Dior. Oh the torment!).


So, while roaming through my little collection (and making a collection out of the collection) it sparked to me that you -or at least I- (almost) never take a picture of the sample, but only from the 'actual' product. So yes, this post is just a big scheme of me who wanted to take some pictures of samples. Don't they look pretty?


It's funny to see how most brands go for a minimal, clean packaging. Perfume samples are very often quite repetitive in design (and it's really the name on the tube you must go on. And the smell, naturally). While other products, as for example the YSL mascara, gets a more personalised touch (although not in any way can be compared with the look of the bigger version. Which is funny, because a sample is in some way just a mini me, but they all still choose to use a unrelatable (probably cheaper) design).

Any samples I've missed?

Love,
Dominique