1 per customer

[krenee]

I have been browsing the site quite a bit today and noticed that samples are marked as one per customer now. I tend to throw a few little sample sizes of blush, foundation, fp, etc into my orders to stick in gifts to friends, my mom, SIL, etc. Is it still okay to do this, or not?

[iPunky1]

That is strange. My mom and I use the same account, and I will order something that she likes and wants to sample and she orders stuff that I like and want to sample. Well that's a BIG bummer!

[JenW]

One per person is kind of different than one per customer(or address). We know some of you order together and we can accept multiples then, but we'd like you to try and keep it to the number participating in the purchase.

Samples are a loss item for us, and we make nothing on them to cover overhead, paychecks, formulating, etc. Our goal is to keep sample prices low so that people have the option to try things without paying more than necessary. Picking up a few samples here and there should not really be a problem.

[karen]

We want people to sample- oddly enough that's why we put the limit on it a few months ago. I really like to do samples as inexpensively as possible because I want you to feel free to try new things and play with the colors ,and because I know you share them. In theory we actually take a little bit of a loss- because even though you're not getting a huge amount of product we have to pay people to make them, and put them in jars, ship them etc and that adds up very quickly. I look at it as our advertising budget. I know you share them with friends, or want just a little jar to take on vacation and that's cool- I love it that you share. The problem was we were getting women who were coming onto the site and buying heaps and heaps of samples (like $100 orders of just samples) just for themselves. They were ultimately spending more because gram per gram samples are more expensive than the full size, and we weren't breaking even- it was a lose/lose. The only way to stop it was either to raise the sample prices,or to put a limit on it. The limit seems like a better idea. We're not real sticklers on it if you're grabbing some to share.

[krenee]

Ah, okay, gotcha - thanks.
I have never made a big order of just samples, so I guess I am okay. I tend to just grab a few samples of things that catch my eye in each order. Sometimes I give them away as a little pick me up or RAOK for friends etc. Today, it was blush samples for that dance recital. None are blush colors that I would pick for myself - but, I'm sure I will at least try each one, so you never know - maybe I'll be surprised.

[JenW]

Karen always explains it much better than I!

[iPunky1]

Oh ok!! I was kinda sad when I saw that but that makes me feel better. I normally will buy a sample show my mom, then she will buy one and then we buy a full size! I don't like having a whole bunch of little jars lying around so I try and use the sample and get the full size if I love it! Which I am about to do with Stardust!!

[krenee]

Jen you explained it great - you said pretty much the same thing as Karen.
I understand what she is saying about the $100 sample orders. I have never placed a sample order that big, but I have placed some $25 or so orders that are basically only samples at other places where samples are more expensive, and I do understand what she means - you really don't have a lot to show for your money that way especially if you are just sampling and don't end up liking all the colors. I was just wanting clarification because like I said I tend to add a few samples to my cart with each order.

[JenW]

It is also not so much the number of different samples that are ordered at times, but the number of multiples of samples. It is true that we have a few items where the cost of the multiple samples might be slightly less than an equal volume of the full size. However, there is alot more packaging....... and it weighs more. It initially looks good on paper, but usually comes out pretty close in the end for the customer. I will admit to keeping samples on hand to give away, too. I have had a few friends order in the past. If they want to come over and look at my color kit, I like to have something to send home with them.

We have no problems with people going in together on an order. In fact, we encourage it. It is a win win. You save money on shipping, and there is less packaging, processing, and energy used to get it to you.