Samples that made you buy the product

[Lucki1]

Hi Everyone,

I love samples and make a lot of full sized purchases based on them. I’m curious to know what samples others have loved so much that it encouraged them to buy the product? 

Here are a few of mine:

https://www.sephora.com/product/sugar-face-polish-P12295?skuId=1933696&icid2=products%20grid:p12295

https://www.sephora.com/product/flowerbomb-P255506?skuId=1377159&icid2=products%20grid:p255506

https://www.sephora.com/product/dinoplatz-lip-balm-P399175?skuId=1733203&keyword=dinoplatz&country_s...

[Tenderpig]

I will buy LANEIGE Cica Sleeping Mask   when it’s back in stock… got it recently as a sample.

[rrroxanne]

Doesn't look like this thread is still active. I'm not sure if there is another thread like it. But I wanted to share my recent purchases that I bought solely because of samples.

Dermalogica Sound Sleep Cocoon Night Gel-Cream 1.7 oz/ 50 mL was a foil sample (I actually requested this one with an online order and was surprised it came!). It came with enough to use it for 3 nights, and I was hooked. I had to buy it. It's my new favorite product. 

Also, Drybar Liquid Glass Miracle Smoothing Sealant 6.4 oz/ 188 mL was a GWP deluxe sample, and it's everything I didn't know I was missing! I just threw it in because there was no other GWP that sounded interesting to me, and now it's my new holy grail hair product! 

[cianni]

My absolute go-to products I first tried as samples are the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer 1.7 oz/ 50 mL(which led me to the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration 6 oz/ 170 g- Saves my winter skin!!) and the OLEHENRIKSEN - Sheer Transformation® Perfecting Moisturizer. What I like best about the samples is that I try things I either didn’t know existed, or would never think to pick up, like the AMIKA - Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Shampoo((and the conditioner), which is SUCH a lifesaver for bleached or lightened hair. I saw results in one wash! Plus the TOUCH IN SOL - No Poreblem Primer, which I never hear anyone talk about but is amazing, the DR. JART+ - Ceramidin™ Cream, SMASHBOX - Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in the shade Drivers Seat, Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads 30 Treatments + 5 Bonus and TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL - Egg Mellow Cream i didn’t know anything about K-beauty at the time and thought it would be weird for some reason but I’m obsessed! I don’t use the cream as often anymore , but I do love the sheet mask TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL - Egg Cream Mask Hydration

[WinglessOne]

More recent sample-inspired purchases of full sized product: 

Youth To The People Superfood Air-Whip Lightweight Face Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid 2 oz / 59 m... 

Got this in the rewards bazaar and bought a full size a few days later. It’s perfect for me as a night cream. 

BELIF - Moisturizing Eye Bomb 

Last weekend a Sephora cast member made up a sample for me, plus a sample of the Fresh rose eye gel cream. I don’t like the Fresh cream at all, but the Belif cream’s quite nice! I’m still testing it against my usual Lancôme eye cream, but I’ll definitely buy a full size this weekend. Even if I end up not using it during the day, I’ll use it at night. 

FIRST AID BEAUTY - Facial Radiance Pads 

After using just 2 of my sample pads, I bought the big tub. These are so gentle, they don’t irritate my skin at all—yet they’re still fairly effective. They’ll be a good way to ease my skin into more potent chemical peels. 

[courtneyinsea]

I have so many! But most recent ones that I can remember include: Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer 1.35 oz/ 40 mL,BECCA - Shimmering Skin Perfector® Pressed Highlighter - Moonstone,TARTE - Color Splash Lipstick - Rainforest of the Sea™ Collection - Set Sail, REN Clean Skincare Evercalm™ Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask 1.7 oz/ 50 mL, BITE BEAUTY - Agave Lip Mask,Living Proof Prime Style Extender™ 5 oz/ 148 mL, and Origins High-Potency Night-a-Mins™ Resurfacing Cream with Fruit-Derived AHAs 1.7 oz/ 50 mL

[rrroxanne]

I have a couple that made me buy the full sized product. For starters, the living proof perfect hair day shampoo & conditioner- I received a sample in a hair shampoo grab bag. From the first use, I was hooked. I'm on my second jumbo bottle now. Totally obsessed.

LIVING PROOF - Perfect Hair Day Jumbo Set

Also, the living proof blowout concentrate... I received a sample, and had to buy the full version! 

LIVING PROOF - Restore Smooth Blowout Concentrate

The fresh lotus youth moisturizer was included in a fresh gift set I received, and it's now the only moisturizer I purchase. 

FRESH - Lotus Youth Preserve Moisturizer

[courtneyinsea]

Living Proof was a love-at-first-sample moment for me too!

[rrroxanne]

I try to recommend it to everyone to try! I used to use Pantene Pro V, and just thought I had bad hair and that was my fate. I upgraded to Joico, but still did not have results like living proof! 

I never thought I'd be this person who spends this much on shampoo/conditioner, but it's worth every single penny! 

[samkeaysxo]

On my very first visit to Sephora in 2015, I received a sample of ABHBrow Powder Duo and I thought to myself “what the heck? I’m not going to use this..” I never ever cared about my brows, but I used it one dayjust playing around and ended up loving it! I bought the full size a few days later and have purchased no other brow products ever since! There have been a few other things I’ve sampled that made me fall in love as well; Kat Von D Lock-It Setting Mist, Mugler Alien Perfume, different foundations etc. Most recently I redeemed 100 points for a Smashbox Primerizer mini, and loved it so much I got 2 more, and now I plan on buying the full-size on my new pay day!

[moxiepancakes]

Natura bisse the cure sheer eye tempted me into a full size 

[sephoraaddict918]

For me, it's fragrance samples that make me want to buy the full size. I would have never experienced the beauty of NEST New York Indigo Eau de Parfum 1.7 oz/ 50 mL, 

 or Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum 3.4 oz/ 100 mLwithout receiving a sample. Now, I plan to buy GUERLAIN Mon Guerlain Eau de Parfum 1.7 oz/ 50 mLbecause of the sample I just finished.

[rrroxanne]

I found the Nest Indigo by randomly picking up a rollerball in Sephora, and now that's the ONLY fragrance I wear! Love it! 

[cianni]

@sephoraaddict918 I agree! The fragrance samples are the best because you can really see how they wear, plus I find it so overwhelming to try new fragrances. There’s just way too many and it’s everything is just a blur if you’re trying multiples in store. I always grab fragrance samples to keep in my purse, but ended up falling in love with KILIAN - Princess Eau de Parfumaand DEREK LAM 10 CROSBY - Drunk On Youth. The kilian is slightly out of my range, but I did pick up the full size drunk on youth! I never would have been exposed to it if it weren’t for the sample!

[ZakiyaBT]

I received samples ofFenty Beauty by Rihanna Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Liquid Foundation 460 and surprisingly the sample shade that I received matched my skin tone exactly. I went out and bought it to wear for my sister's wedding and my skin was flawless. I also received a sample of Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau de Parfum 1.6 oz/ 50 mLand I recently purchased that as well. I love the scent. 

[HelenBT]

Hi @Lucki1,

Samples are such an amazing way to discover new products. I had tried the BELIF - The True Cream Aqua Bomb as a sample and loved it! I definitely went out to buy the full size and it's still one of my favorite moisturizers til' this day! 🙂

Warmest regards,

Helen

[MissPuff]

@HelenBT , @Lucki1 Second this! For awhile, all the foils that came with online orders were packets of the Aqua Bomb and I got hooked! Then it was a 100 pt reward and that sealed the deal. I'm on my 3rd or 4th jar now...

[rockstargina]

Ahh, yes a sample of this got me hooked too!

[karinaa93]

Anything by Caudalie.  I fell in love with the brand through samples.  Last year's birthday gift, I think, put me on to them.

[rockstargina]

This has quickly become some of my favorite products.  Right now I'm loving the toner and am looking to try some other items during the upcoming sale.

[nche]

For me, a lot of the Fresh products. The FRESH - Soy Face Cleanser,  fresh Rose Face Mask 3.3 oz/ 100 mL, fresh Sugar Face Polish Exfoliator 4.4 oz/ 125 gand FRESH - Sugar Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF 15 - Sugarare all regulars now thanks to a mix of samples and Sephora Favorites kits. I would never try Fresh ordinarily as it is $$$ and has so much scent. But strangely the stuff works so well for my skin. 

Other stuff i have bought due to samples are MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua XL Eye Pencil Waterproof Eyeliner Aqua XL M-10aand KVD Beauty Tattoo Liner Vegan Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner Trooper. Another one I love is ESTéE LAUDER - Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II which is more from EL GWP samples than anything freely handed out. Tbh brands need to give out samples more freely or at least in GWP. Especially skin care. How else can people try products? Especially since returning is such a hassle even when allowed.