‘The best move you can make in negotiation is to think of an incentive the other person hasn’t even thought of – and then meet it’ – Eli Broad
I’ll be the first to admit that makeup isn’t my forte. I wish I was a glamourous beauty blogger who gets sent the latest pallets from Urban Decay; that my opinion on beauty products really mattered. But to be perfectly honest the majority of the time I just throw stuff on my face and see what sticks.
The No7 range from Boots I always assumed was for mums and grandmas, kind of like an old fogies version of their Seventeen range I used when I was, well, seventeen. However No7 products have become staples in my make-up bag over the last couple of years and I’ll tell you for why; you get a shed load of free stuff from them.
My discovery of No7 make up was circumstantial. There’s a Boots within walking distance of my house and they do free makeovers using No7 products. I always planned my makeovers around events I was going to; a day at the races, a birthday party etc with my need for a new mascara or some foundation so it felt like I was getting something extra for buying something I needed anyway. Then I realised the stuff I was buying in order to make my free makeovers truly guilt free (only once have I had one ad not bought anything) were actually really good!
Before and after of my most recent makeover (no filter – just a different location!)
Their liquid and powder foundations last all day and their mascaras actually do make you look like you’re wearing false lashes; they live up to the claims they make and that’s rare in a makeup brand in my experience.
My holy trinity of make up essentials
What I love about them most though, and I’m not even the slightest bit ashamed to say, is that you get loads of extra stuff just from buying the things you need in your daily life. In fact, by way of pictorial example, simply by buying the 3 staples items I need from the No7 range, I’ve got the following, completely free, depending of what offer they have on at the time:
March 2017 – free gift when you spent over £20 on No7
June 2017 – Free gift when you buy two or more products (full sized mascara and bronzer is what i bought for the free gift bag)
March 2018 – Free skin illuminator (which is so good as a primer i bought the full size version a week later) a make up sponge, eye shadow and full size lipstick which is colour matched
May 2018 – again just buying my usual foundation and powder – free gift set including travel size mascara and primer – ideal for my monthly jaunts down to Eastbourne!
Here comes the science part: the liquid foundation I use is £15, powder foundation is £11.50 And mascara is £10 And I probably buy each thing every 2-3 months. So by spending £36 (ish) Every 10 weeks (for arguments sake) I’ve received all of this completely gratis. A lot of things like eye liner, eye shadows and brow pencils are full size. But to be honest I wear lipstick so rarely that little handbag sized ones are super handy and the mascaras and primers are great for travelling.
I know why they do it. Obviously it’s to get people trying their other products in the hope that they will buy some full priced items off the back of the samples. But hey it works!
There’s at least two items I buy regularly now that i discovered through free samples and even if it’s psychosomatic. you do feel like you’re getting more for your money with all the extra little treats!
