If that new fragrance has you intrigued but you just aren't ready to spend your hard-earned money on it, keep your eyes open for free perfume cologne samples. Chances are there's a sample available for just about any fragrance. It's just a matter of knowing where to look!
Try Before You Buy
It only makes sense. You see or read about a new scent and are immediately intrigued, but you aren't necessarily ready to purchase it without giving it a fair try first. This applies whether the fragrance happens to be expensive or cheap; you don't want to waste money on something that isn't compatible with your body chemistry! Fragrances may smell one way in the bottle, another way on someone else and completely different on your skin. That's why it's so important to use a sample before purchasing a full size product.
Sampling Discount Fragrances
It can be a bit tricky finding samples of established, inexpensive scents. The bottles that sit within the cozy confines of locked drugstore cases (such as Jovan Musk for women and Stetson Black for men) are generally well known and highly respected, but beyond that they're also old guards on the fragrance front. For that reason, you may have a bit of a job on your hands tracking down samples for them. That doesn't mean it's impossible, though. Here are a few tips for finding free perfume cologne samples of inexpensive fragrances:
- Check the shelves. Often, drugstores have a small basket full of complementary fragrance samples. These are usually limited to newer fragrances, but you may luck out from time to time.
- Check the product's Web site, which may occasionally have a free sample offer available.
- As a last resort, or if you'd rather not wait to have a sample mailed to you, purchase the scent from an establishment with an agreeable return policy. Try the scent and return it if you don't love it.
Sampling High-end Fragrances
High-end fragrance samples are usually a bit easier to come by. That's because more expensive fragrances are sold at stores that can easily provide decants or that already have samples on hand, sent directly to them from the manufacturer. If you're interested in a particular high-end scent that's been around for a while, pay a visit to the fragrance counter at the department store and ask if there are any samples available. If you're searching for something newer to the market, head out to Sephora if they happen to carry the scent of your choice. The sales associates are usually more than happy to provide you with a sample in a plastic atomizer if they don't already have carded samples available. If Sephora doesn't have the scent you're interested in, try Nordstrom. The store is notoriously consumer-friendly and will almost always provide a vial sample if asked. Other department stores may also have samples on hand - it never hurts to ask. Of course, these tips apply to any fragrance, not just the newest offerings.
New scents are usually heavily touted in the beauty world. Brands roll out major marketing campaigns, complete with fancy Web sites and magazine advertisements. These ads often have a fragrance sample strip attached to them. This is usually not enough to actually get you through an entire day, but it's a great way to get an initial idea of the scent and even how it meshes with your chemistry.
Finding Free Perfume Cologne Samples Online
As mentioned, free samples are often offered on the fragrance manufacturer's Web site. In fact, a quick online search for "free fragrance samples" pulls up a remarkable number of offers. It's just a matter of weeding through them to find those scents that appeal to you. You may even find the manufacturer's Web site without any free sample offers visible. In cases like this, don't be afraid to contact them directly. Just send them an email with your request and mailing address. Don't expect anything much more substantial than a fragrance towelette or a strip sample, though.
