One of the best ways to know if a skincare product will work for your skin, is to try it. There is really no other way. Reading about it only sets your expectations. But you have to actually try it on YOUR skin, to determine if it’s something you or your skin likes.
The easiest, and most painless way of course, is to buy it. The other way is to try to wrangle out a sample from the counter or store.
There’s a third way, and that is to purchase a set of trial-sized skincare products, often packaged in a discovery set. Often, these products come in deluxe trial-sizes. That really, is just another way of telling you “We are selling you a sample, but in bigger, better packaging”.
Sometimes, these very same trial sets are given away as gift with purchases (GWP) when you purchase above a certain price tier. So, you could ask why bother to buy, if you could eventually potentially get it free?
Hence my question – do you buy these sort of trial skincare sets to try a new product? Or perhaps just suck it up and buy the full size?
In this situation, I do not include instances of people who take to online platforms to sell samples they obtain for free from the store, nor of people who purport to repackage a full sized product into smaller size bottles or tubs at home. My recommendation is to stay far away from those because you are not sure of quality, authenticity, nor hygiene.
I refer here to trial sized skincare sets that are sold by the brands themselves. Often, these are sold by way of an introduction kit, to allow you to test different products within a brand, in a routine, so to speak. Quite often, they will have the star products and a few other products, to make up a set that you can use all together.
I usually don’t buy such sets, unless I am particularly curious about a new brand. Part of the reason is because I feel like some of these sets are a rip off, as they contain what are essentially, samples. I have seen sets that contain sachets, which puts me off. If I were to pay good money for these, I’d prefer something more than a sachet.
Yet, I recently caved and bought one such trial skincare kit LOL! 😛
It was this Sulwhasoo kit (RM199) that was available as an opening special at the new Sulwhasoo store at Mid Valley Megamall. I shared it on my Instagram, and it was really because it was quite a good value kit that I got it. The other reason was because I’d been looking for a cosmetics pouch that opens up the way this does for ages. This just ticked all the right boxes. I’m not sure if it’s still available, but if you want a good deal or if you want to try a bunch of Sulwhasoo products, this is decent.
I have bought some other trial kits as well from other brands. Usually, brands that I have no access to locally. This allows me to try some of the products to figure out if it works for me, before I invest.
But in general, I don’t. I often find that I may only really enjoy one or two products in a kit, or I may not enjoy anything in there at all. Often also, I find that these trial sized kits tend to be packaged according to skin types, and there’s always that odd product in there that jars or disagrees with my skin. I much prefer if we could mix and match some samples to tailor to our skin. But I guess that takes the point out of a trial-sized discovery kit LOL 😛
Do you buy trial-sized skincare discovery kits? Do you find it useful?
If it’s a brand I’ve used before, like Sulwhasoo, if I feel that it’s a good deal, I’ll buy and keep the samples for when I travel. Otherwise, I don’t usually buy such trial kits, do you? 🙂
Paris B
Weinie says
June 1, 2018 at 12:09 pmI would buy these kits for the sole purpose of traveling and I would buy only products that I have been using. If I want to try new products, I would usually ask for free samples. I don’t buy to test, as it would be a waste of product (and money) if it is not suitable for me.
Paris B says
June 1, 2018 at 2:25 pmThat’s interesting Weinie 🙂 I do tend to prefer getting free samples too myself. It sort of makes sense. So the times I buy trial kits is usually when it’s a brand I don’t have access too locally, so I can try a product for longer to see if I like it enough to buy the full size 🙂
Nicole says
June 1, 2018 at 1:49 pmI normally don’t unless I spot an extremely good deal, such as holiday set that comes packed with a few deluxe-sized products. One was a recent purchase from Clinique (USA) that came with such great value it would have cost me 3 or 4 times the price if I got it in Singapore.
So far, I’ve yet to spend money buying sachets samples and don’t think I ever would. I don’t think a respectable brand would monetize sachet samples which should be meant for sampling. 🙂
Paris B says
June 1, 2018 at 2:29 pmOne of the brands that I have balked at buying a trial kit from is Tata Harper, because it contains a sachet. I know it’s an expensive brand, but to put a sachet in a set that is for sale just feels terribly cheap to me 🙁 Sometimes, I do like these deluxe trial size tubs though. They are useful for reusing in future! 😀
Margaret Cheong says
June 1, 2018 at 5:10 pmI don’t usually buy the deluxe sample size except for prohibitively expensive items. I bought the SKII deluxe size for trial since the usual size is too expensive for me to try.
Paris B says
June 2, 2018 at 8:18 amI do the same Margaret 🙂 With expensive brands or products, the trial kits are usually a good way to introduce ourselves to the brand, or to get a little more while paying less. SKII has become really expensive lately I noticed!
Fathin says
June 1, 2018 at 11:32 pmIf I’m interested to try a set instead of getting one or two from the collection, I will get the trial pack. It’s better than getting samples or normal size as it’s longer period to try (compare to samples) and save cost (compare to normal size, especially if turn out not suitable for your skin) :).
However the catch is usually easy to get for brands that sold at department stores or the brand’s own store. For brands that sold at pharmacy, sometimes you can get the trial size but often, you have to get the normal size. I know that the brands sold at pharmacy usually quite cheap but it’s still agonizing to have to throw most of it when you find that your skin reacts negatively after just few days 🙁
p/s: As an unofficial Bobbi Brown spoke-person (hehe), they usually give small freebies that big enough to be trial size compare to other brands that I’ve tried. But you have to be patience waiting for the promotions!
Paris B says
June 2, 2018 at 3:58 pmYou are right, barring brands like Hada Labo, I rarely see pharmacy brands offer trial kits. Really, considering they also don’t offer samples, it would make sense to offer a trial kit. But maybe they figure they’re so cheap, it doesn’t matter? And thanks for the tip about Bobbi Brown samples! I have seen some of their value packs or GWP and you are right, they are quite generous with their samples. That is ALWAYS a plus point for me!
Peggy Rider says
June 2, 2018 at 6:10 amI buy those deluxe sets for traveling purposes. Luckily since I move to US, samples are easier to get. I lived in Kuching previously and I have difficulty buying stuff that I just splurge on full size to save on shipping costs.
Paris B says
June 2, 2018 at 3:59 pmYou know, I used to hoard all these “samples” and kits for travel, till I realised I didn’t really travel all that much as I did in my head haha! So now, I’m a little more careful to take them out to use and actually sample, before they go bad!
Joann says
June 4, 2018 at 5:12 amI absolutely buy trial kits. I love being able to try multiple products from the same line/brand. It was honestly all I ever purchased from Sephora. If I REALLY like the product, then I’ll take the plunge and purchase the full size.
Heck, when I was younger, I would buy the trial sizes because I found the packaging to be really cute. I would justify my purchase by telling myself they’d be good to travel with. I don’t do that… as often anymore =P
Paris B says
June 6, 2018 at 10:07 amActually, sometimes I like the idea of trial kits (the ones with larger sized products) because it can sometimes be enough for about a month, and sometimes, that’s about as long as you want to use a product!
Anusha says
June 5, 2018 at 12:16 amYes i would love to buy . One of the easiest and most affordable ways to see if a product pleases or suits my skin is through trial / travel size kits .
Paris B says
June 6, 2018 at 10:11 amI think for brands that we don’t have ready access to a counter to get samples, trial kits are sometimes the best way to go. I do try to score a freebie first if I can though haha!
Amelyn says
June 10, 2018 at 11:15 pmI share the same sentiments as you! I do feel these trial sets can be a rip off, but sometimes I caved in if it’s GWP or if the trials come in decent amount and not sachets.
IG: amelynaishah
Paris B says
June 12, 2018 at 11:33 amYes if it’s a GWP, I might buy something else just to get the set. But when I come across a good deal (and don’t plan to spend lots of money on one item just to get a freebie) then I suck it up and buy the trial set instead 😀