Free makeup samples are now so commonplace that, rather than being pleasantly surprised when they receive them, consumers have come to expect them. They are generally given to customers and potential customers to introduce them to new products. Promotions that involve free makeup samples probably draw in a larger number of new customers than any single commercial would.

One could argue that commercials are best for establishing brand recognition among consumers while free makeup samples actually help clinch the deal for the consumer. With commercials, the consumer understands that marketers are trying to manipulate him into buying a product whose features they are exaggerating. With free makeup samples, it is a different story. Consumers can actually test the items for themselves to see if they are long-lasting, if they help moisturize the skin rather than drying it out, or if the colors are as flattering on their skin as they supposedly are on the TV model’s skin.

Makeup is advertized widely in all sorts of media, attesting to the fact that the industry rakes in millions of dollars each year and that it has the potential to grow even more. The funny thing is that 50% of the adult population does not use makeup and is ripe for the picking, and yet makeup manufacturers are not fighting to penetrate this market. I am talking about men, the last frontier in the American makeup industry.

A significant (and growing) number of men have shown interest in makeup or actually use makeup on certain occasions. First of all, although few people actually think about this, men who work on TV or act in films and plays are at home in the makeup chair. When they are being filmed, these men have to use makeup professionally because of the combined effect of the lighting and camera on their appearance on screen. If they are working on stage, they need to wear make up to define their features for dramatic effect. In both scenarios (on screen and on stage) the men also wear makeup to help them get into character- when applied well, makeup can reproduce the appearance of old age, illness etc.

Perfectly ordinary men who play no roles on stage or on screen have also been known to wear makeup. These men include professionals in the corporate world who recognize that there is ageism in the workplace. Looking their age could place them at a considerable disadvantage. Hence, they use concealer to disguise the wear and tear around their eyes. Some of these men would probably benefit from free makeup samples.