10 Easy Ways to Get Free Makeup Samples

This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn from qualifying purchases at NO extra cost to you.

Are you looking for free makeup samples? You are not alone.

I know many women, including myself, are happy to score free makeup samples because, as we all know, many makeup products aren’t exactly cheap. Fortunately, for the beauty junkies out there, there’s such a thing as free makeup! So today, I am going to show you some easy ways to get makeup for free.

Getting free makeup samples allows you to test products and see how they feel and look on your skin without spending anything. I love getting free foundation before buying a product to make sure that I am picking the right shade for my skin and that it doesn’t feel heavy and oily. This is super important for people like me who have sensitive, acne-prone skin and don’t want to waste money on the wrong products.

If you are new to getting free beauty products, you’d be surprised to know that most cosmetics brands offer free products. And if you know where to look, you could get free makeup samples that would last you for a long time!

Ready?

---

10 Amazing Hacks to Score Free Makeup Samples

Sign Up for Rewards

Most makeup brands and beauty stores have rewards programs to entice customers with various perks and rewards. Of course, you don’t want to spend more than you intend to just to score freebie makeup samples, but if you’re going to spend anyway, it’s good to collect those points that can come in handy in the future.

1.   Sephora Beauty Insider Program

One of the most popular beauty brands is Sephora. The retailer sells various high-quality beauty merchandise, including skincare products, perfumes, and of course, makeup. Sephora runs the Beauty Insider Program, which works as a rewards program, for its new and current customers. The Beauty Insider comes with three tiers, and each entitles you to freebies and other exciting rewards. Purchases made in-store or online entitle you to points that you can use when you checkout or convert into free samples from Sephora.

2.  MAC Rewards Program

MAC SELECT is MAC’s rewards program and is one of the best ways to score freebie makeup samples from MAC! You join the free membership program and start with the “Seduced” level which gives you access to some makeup free samples, limited-edition products, and an annual gift. 

The next two levels are “devoted” wherein you need to spend at least $150/year to enjoy the perks, and “Obsessed” level wherein you must spend at least $500 to become eligible. This is perfect for the MAC fanatics out there who want to be in the loop with the brand’s newest releases and enjoy free products from time to time.

3.   Ultamate Rewards by ULTA

Ulta Beauty’s Ultamate Rewards entitle you to earn points for every purchase you make. You earn $3 for every 100 points. Depending on the level of your membership, you may get free annual birthday gifts, a $10 birthday coupon, and free shipping for orders of $25 or more. Now, what to do with those points? You can use them to get free makeup or convert them into free services like a haircut. And if you’re an Ulta superfan, you might consider getting the Ultamate Rewards Credit Card which allows you to rack up more points even faster.

---

Test Makeup Products to Get Free Makeup Samples

Testing makeup products is another great way to snag makeup for free. Beauty brands value the opinion of their target market, so they hire product testers to try new products and provide feedback. They then refer to this feedback to see what can be improved on the products before they are introduced to the market. If you feel like becoming a product tester is something for you, here are the top testing sites you should check out.

4.  Toluna

Toluna is a company that hires product testers. It works with cosmetic and makeup brands to gather honest reviews and opinions on their products. Not only does Toluna give away free samples of makeup for you to try, but you might also receive full-size products or even a boxful of them! Apart from free products, Toluna also gives away cash and gift vouchers.

5.  Influenster

This is another well-known product testing site that sends product testers lots of free makeup to try. To qualify, you have to sign up and become an active member of Influenster. It helps if you have an active social media following because Influenster will require you to link them to your accounts. Keep your eye on the VoxVox, especially during the holiday season. These are boxfuls of makeup and skincare goodies. You get to keep all of them, but make sure to follow the instructions of the campaign. Often, product testers are required to do an unboxing, write about the products on their blogs, or share them on their social media accounts.

6.   L’Oreal USA Consumer Participation Program

Love L’Oreal and want to receive free makeup samples from them? Then join L’Oreal’s testing program! To get started, simply fill out an online application and answer the surveys so they can determine the types of products you might need. They will send you an email if you qualify to test a product. You will then provide your honest feedback at the end of the testing period. Apart from L’oreal’s own line of products, you may also receive beauty samples for free from its sister company such as Kiehl’s, Maybelline, and Urban Decay.

7.       Buy Products That Come with Free Gifts

Another caveat frugal beauty junkies take to heart is to never purchase products that don’t come with free makeup samples. Fortunately, many companies are generous with their freebies. Still, you’d get more out of your money by getting an extra product to try. If you go online look out for the free beauty samples before checking out. In some cases, you may have to reach a minimum purchase amount to get the free gift, but getting a freebie is always nice.

8.         Join giveaways

Most brands are so in tune with their social media presence that they’ll utilize every possible opportunity to increase their following and attract new customers. Doing giveaways has become a popular way to do so, and it is one  opportunity that can work to your advantage.

Scoring free makeup from giveaways is usually easy, but it also often boils down to luck. Simply follow your favorite makeup brands on social media. Instagram is a well-utilized platform in the beauty industry because it is more visual than others. Also, search for giveaways using appropriate hashtags, such as #freemakeup, #makeupgiveaway, and #beautygiveaway.

9.       Use gift cards

Rewards sites and survey companies often offer gift cards in exchange for your points. You can answer surveys on sites like Swagbucks and Survey Junkie to earn points. The more surveys you answer, the more points you earn. You can get a $10 gift card in exchange for 1,000 points, and then use the gift card to purchase new makeup without costing you any money. While it may take some time before you can enough earn points to get free gift cards, these sites are generally fun to use, and the tasks don’t take so much time to complete.

10.   Simply Ask For It!

Last but not least, just ask for free makeup samples when you visit stores. Most department stores also keep lots of makeup in sample packs to give away to customers. So, the next time you get a free makeover or updo, politely ask the sales staff if you could take  samples of the makeup that they used. They’ll be happy to give you some!

Conclusion

If you think makeup is expensive, think again. Although I must say that there are makeup brands that are priced at a premium, it doesn’t always mean that you should spend a lot on them. There are many ways to score free makeup nowadays — by signing up to their rewards program, becoming a product tester, and joining giveaways, to name a few. Of course, consider using gift cards and discount vouchers to further enjoy deeper savings!

So, if you want to try out new makeup products without spending or simply don’t have room in your budget to spend on makeup right now, consider getting free samples of makeup with the hacks mentioned above.

---