Most do, at least… they did over on the east coast where I lived at the Sears perfume counters, and they gave me a good handful here on the west coast at the Bon. Some come in those tiny vials, some come on a strip of paper with a removable tab, some actually come in a little blister pack, and they give you one blister with the cologne in it. Some people will just say sorry, we don’t have any. What I do: ask* everyone*. It doesn’t hurt. The first few times I did it, I thought it would make me look like a deadbeat, but they were handed out willingly enough, and most of the salespeople like to chat a little, sometimes about the product, sometimes about the weather. Either way, they quickly learned that I was a returning customer, and became very eager to hand out samples when they saw me. I used to enter the Sears back home through the perfume counter entrance, and I would be flocked to, salespeople holding their newest sample offerings (don’t worry, the spray-it-in-the-face method is out out out!). They did everything but roll out the red carpet for me. Incidentally, I only ever bought two bottles of perfume from them, both from Clinique. However, I actually own 14 bottles of designer perfume (every one of them Calvin Klein, or Tommy Hilfiger, or Chanel, or Givenchy, or Clinique, etc, etc - and a couple of those “celebrity” scents, as well, I have Glow and Still by J-Lo and that Celine Dion one) and countless other manly scents - if I had kept them, I would have just mailed them out to you to at least try, or pass it on (I had some Armani scent, two Tommy Hilfiger, one CK, and a Tommy “sport shower gel” or some such thing) - I don’t use them, and hubby only wears Calvin Klein - but I gave them away to an old male buddy of mine. That’s not including the body lotions, powders, soaps, bath/shower gel, tote bags, designer cases, a silver tray (from Calvin Klein), makeup pouches, etc… etc… etc.
Why am I telling you this? If you like perfumes (and this goes for anyone), get in “good” with one of your local perfume counter sections in a department store. I’ve found that once they know you, and know you have an interest in these things, suddenly, they start telling you about contests and (in my experience) after hours parties where you win giant prizes, not just limited to perfume. At one of these parties, my friend won a gigantic Clinique gift basket (I was so jealous!), someone won an entire dining set (table, chairs, plus china dinnerware and a set of silverware)… as for me, well. I won a trip to Panama and a gift basket with tote bags, luggage tags, a bottle of champagne, flute glasses filled with gourmet chocolate, a teddy bear, a beach ball, a golf shirt (?), and other little vacation implements.
I entered two contests out here on the west coast and won Clinique’s Simply… but I haven’t gotten as into it over here, so I don’t know how deep it may go. But, seriously, it could be worth your time if you like that kind of thing.
Writing all this, I’m rambling… but I realise how much I miss it all! Perhaps I’ll nose around the Bon next week.
