How To Receive Free Products Without Being A Blogger

If you ever need to get a hold of me, there's a good chance i'm in the makeup section of any store. My obsession meets new heights each day but you know how it goes- you love what you love. It's funny, I always thought I was so much more into fashion growing up... my best friend Abigail had the makeup guru locked down. So much that if I ever wanted to look cute, she was the one I went to. I remember her pulling out her collection of MAC makeup, and me being in awe because I knew notihng.

I'm embarrassed y'all but when I first wore makeup my Clinique powder foundation had AWFUL flashback, I wore way too much dollar store eyeliner (brown too!), and would frequent dollar tree for their flashiest, sparkly LA Colors gold shadow with a built in brush. One out of ten was about where I laid on the makeup skill scale.

Now you can typically find me doing my makeup with youtube tutorials going on in the background as I try super hard to look like I somewhat know what I'm doing. Over my last few years of being obsessed I've picked up a few tricks here and there for growing your collection for a fraction of the cost! In some instances dare I say FREE makeup (!!!) and yes even YOU can too.

So grab your wine, a notepad, and lets freshen up that face with a little setting powder (cheers to all my oily friends out there)... my only request is that if you have a tip or trick I didn't mention- leave it below in a comment and share babe!

1. Get Rewarded For Your Obsession

Quick guys, grab your phones and open your app store because you won't want to miss these! I have found two apps that help reward me with my shopping/window shopping obsession and there is absolutely NO hidden catch! 

-Shopkick.  This is actually a fairly old app that has been around for a while so if you're savvy when it comes to saving money... you may already know this one. I just recently started using it this fall. Since 2009, you have been able to be rewarded for something as simple as doing your daily Walmart stop (shout out to my bf who loves Walmart more than I love broadway)!  Through shopkick you earn points towards gift cards (I use mine for Sephora because #obsessed) in a few ways: by simply walking into the store, for scanning products found around the store, and for buying items. I even got my bf hooked on it and we typically spend Sundays going to all our favorite stores and scanning objects for fun! Stores that you can receive points from include: Target, Walmart, Food Lion, Best Buy, TJ Maxx, etc. 

Within the first two months of using the app, I received $30 to spend at Sephora. As a total, I have gotten up to $60 just for spending too much money at TJ Maxx and walking through Target daily (things I did with no profit before!) 

Use code EARN677438 when you download for a free 250 kicks to start off with (!!!)

-Influenster. This is my holy grail when it comes to free products. The concept is simple, the more you review products the better chance you have of being sent similar products to test out and review! As someone with a passion for beauty (and obviously a blog) I had many different products that I had tried out and that I had on hand. It took a little while and a ton of reviewing to get the "Beauty Junkie badge" but since then I have gotten a new product almost every month! I typically take a night once a month to round up 5-10 products I've tried out (or haven't reviewed yet) recently and give my honest review on them. 

Through influenster I have received: Marc Jacobs Shameless Youthful Look 24 Hr Foundation,  Laura Mercier Translucent Powder, Ciaté London Dewy Stick, Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick, and many more! 

2. TJ Maxx and Marshalls is where it's at! 

My biggest life regret, other than never going after my dream of becoming a real life Disney princess, is that I never knew the gold mine that is TJ Maxx. I always would walk up and down their home décor isles day dreaming of what it's like to own and furnish a stylish house. Their beauty section, however, I would barely bat an eye.

Here's why their beauty section should be on your radar: typically when a company repackages, revamps their formula, or discontinues a product... the leftover is sent to these companies to distribute. They are your number one stop for sometimes up to 75% off of regular price products you can find in places like Ulta and Sephora. This also can ease your mind from worries that these products are counterfeit, the only "bad" thing about them is their formula may be getting a new face lift in weeks/months to come.

Want to call my bluff? That's fine, take sometime to search TJ Maxx Beauty Hauls on youtube, not only are they incredibly entertaining... you'll find yourself craving to make a trip and see what goodies you can come out with! I've found Buxom, Kat Von D, Anastasia Beverly Hills, MAC, Too Faced, Smashbox, etc. They're relevant products too: like the Shade and Light Palette ($20), ABH Contour Palette, and Casey Holmes' Smashbox Collab ($15) that came out just last year!

Google is your best friend when it comes to being skeptical about certain products. You can double check on the specific product name, model, etc. You'll find many NARS products listed and still available through Nordstrom, that are discontinued yet you can find currently in store.

The only reason you would ever find counterfeit products sold is because they were falsely returned and then somehow found their way back on the shelf. If you feel as though a product looks off, then use your own discernment. Stick with your gut, but don't think they all are fakes.

My best tip would be to check and check often. I like to think I catch so many good deals BECAUSE I typically and check it out at least once a week. Yeah, some days it will feel like you're wasting your time but trust me: when you spot a Too Faced Cocoa Foundation Compact, Smashbox contour pencils, a NARS concealer for only $10, and ABH liquid lips you'll be glad you're obsessive checking payed off.

You can always get an idea by checking out what they have available online as well, while you can't search for a specific brand... you can roam until you notice something packaged v similar to NARS ;) Don't be fooled though, the goodies are found INSIDE the store.

3. Sephora Sales (WEEKLY WOW)

Sephora actually offers pretty good deals! Granted a lot of the deals are because products may be discontinued or they're trying to clean stock... but if you're skeptical about TJ Maxx and the authenticity and can't move past it then this is for you! Each week, they have between 3-6 products specific to that week on sale and then you can find other products they have a discount on as well! Typically, while supplies last you can find these products have the same sale price in store once you get to checkout as well.

While, I admit I have never actually purchased anything from the sale section... I watched it often. I've seen products such as BECCA highlighters (yes, even Champagne Pop) for $19 and Cover FX contour palette for $20some. I typically use the sale section to search for certain products I may have found in TJ Maxx. Such as the Kat Von D concealer or shade and light contour brush (all can be found on sale on their site as well as in TJ Maxx for an ever bigger discount).

If you're weary about the authenticity of a product here!

4. Top Secret Tip: HOW TO GET AROUND THE MINIMUM FREE SHIPPING

This is hands down my favorite tip! When I realized there was a way to get free shipping no matter the price of the product I had to share it with all my friends. I annoying texted in all caps to my besties (shout out to Crissy and Lauren) because FREE SHIP is a seriously thing (!!!)

When it comes to Sephora's Weekly Wow or wanting to try out a product, it's hard when you can't find it in your local Sephora (or it's an hour away if you're like me) and you feel like it's a waste to pay for shipping. I can't count the countless times you end up adding stuff in your cart you didn't really need or the amount of times me and my mom would chip in so that the shipping minimum was reached.

With the new shopping app Dote, there are countless stores you can order from and get free shipping no matter the price. This is a great tool if you want to buy from the Sephora sale page but aren't stocking up! While you get free shipping on your first order, specific stores have free shipping period without the minimum: SEPHORA is one of them (!!!)

You can even use the code: FIQ4 when you log on and get free $5 towards your next purchase (!!!). (There are always tons of codes out there for $5 off your Sephora order!!)


These are my tips and tricks for how I've substantially grown my own makeup collection in the last few years. I hope these help you build your own and again, feel free to share your own tips and tricks about discounts and such. We are all makeup loving gurus trying to help each other :)

xoxo

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