Which free samples do people actually want? We looked at every sample request TrySpree members made in 2026 so far to find out. That's 66,706 requests from 8,562 members, across 4,275 different offers.
Some results we expected. Beauty is huge. Some surprised us. A nasal strip beat almost every perfume, and free T-shirts and stickers drew more requests than food.
How we counted: we counted signed-in TrySpree members who tapped to request a sample between January 1 and October 18, 2026. Each person counts once per offer, no matter how many times they tapped. Guest visits and automatic requests are left out. A request means someone went to get the sample. It doesn't mean the brand mailed it.
The 10 most-requested free samples of 2026
- Well People Expressionist Mini Curling Mascara: 498 members
- Macy's fragrance samples: 451 members
- Breathe Right Extra Strength Nasal Strips: 414 members
- La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Serum: 363 members
- Rhode Scented Peptide Lip Tint: 307 members
- YSL Libre Berry Crush fragrance: 299 members
- Cushion foundation sample: 267 members
- Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm (Sephora): 264 members
- SheaMoisture Curl Stretch Collection: 259 members
- Prada Paradoxe Sweet Chemistry fragrance: 250 members
Nine of the top 10 are beauty. The one exception is Breathe Right at #3. Practical, everyday products do very well when they're free.
Beauty is 40% of everything
Add up fragrance, skin care, makeup, hair care and other beauty, and you get about 40% of all requests. Here's how the main categories compare:
| Category | Share of requests |
|---|---|
| Free swag (T-shirts, stickers, merch) | 19.0% |
| Fragrance | 12.5% |
| Food and drink | 9.3% |
| Skin care | 8.2% |
| Other beauty | 7.8% |
| Health | 7.7% |
| Makeup | 6.7% |
| Sweepstakes | 5.3% |
| Pets | 4.6% |
| Hair care | 4.4% |
| Books and media | 4.1% |
| Household and laundry | 2.7% |
| Baby and kids | 1.7% |
Fragrance alone is the biggest single product type. Perfume samples are small and cheap for brands to mail, and a full bottle can cost over $100. That makes a free vial an easy yes.
Free swag beats free food
Free T-shirts, stickers and branded merch made up 19% of requests, about twice as many as food and drink. A free shirt from a law firm or a movie promo drew as many people as many big-name beauty samples did.
The brands people chased most
- e.l.f. Cosmetics had five offers near the top: Halo Glow Skin Tint, Soft Glam Concealer, Soft Glam Foundation, Glow Reviver Lip Oil and Blush Tint. Together they drew more than 1,000 requests.
- Summer Fridays lip balm deals at Sephora drew over 500.
- Rhode peptide lip tint offers drew over 450.
- Giorgio Armani fragrance samples drew close to 400.
When people hunt for freebies
- Afternoon is peak time. Requests climb from late morning and peak around 3 PM Eastern.
- Night owls count too. Requests stay high until about 1 AM.
- Early morning is quietest. The fewest requests come in around 7 AM.
- Every day is busy. Thursday is slightly busier than the rest, and Saturday slightly quieter, but the gap is small.
What this means for you
Popular samples go fast. Brands send a limited number, and the best ones can run out quickly. If you want the next big beauty freebie, turn on alerts for the categories you care about and check in during the afternoon, when new offers are fresh.
The average member requested about 8 different samples this year. A few minutes a week is enough to keep a steady stream of free stuff coming in the mail.
Want to use these numbers? You're welcome to share or cite them. Please link to this page as the source.
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