Beauty on a Budget: Eye Studio Sampler pack

The perfect way to get all the high-end mascara you need

By Lauren Kelly, Graphics Manager

Need an easy way to pick your next mascara? Shopper’s Drug Mart sells an Eye Studio Sampler pack that comes with seven sample size mascaras from brands such as Benefit and Smashbox, as well as a sample size of Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner. You also get a certificate you can use to receive a full size of any product in the box. This lets you test out each one until you know which works best for you.

The mascaras it comes with are well-known favourites: Benefit They’re Real!, Clarins Mascara Supra Volume, Clinique High Impact Mascara, Smashbox Full Exposure, Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara, and both Lancôme Hypnôse Drama and Monsieur Big. Although it says they are sample sizes, looking at the list of products on the back and the sizes of each paints a more confusing picture. While They’re Real! and High Impact Mascara are listed at about a third the size of a regular tube, the rest are listed with the same measurements as the full-size tubes. When I purchased the product in a previous year they were all the small sample sizes, so I’m assuming this is an error.

If they are each the sample size, then these seven tubes of high-end mascara add up to around two full size ones, and you can pick and choose which you like best and which is best for the look you’re going for. And after all that, you get another full tube’s worth of your favourite. The value here is fantastic. The added Stila eyeliner, which I’ve reviewed in this column before, is a nice cherry on top to complete your makeup looks. I know from experience that these sample sizes will last you a long time, too.

I will admit that the sample pack isn’t cheap. At $42, it’s a bit hard to say it’s truly a “budget” product. However, if you’re looking to save in the long run while still getting high-end products, this is the best way to do it. The regular-sized mascaras are all well into the $25-30 price range, so paying an extra $15 or so gets you a lot more for your money. If there are some you know you don’t like, you can use them as stocking stuffers, or go in on the pack with a friend (you’ll just have to fight over the full size!). Just one piece of advice from someone who’s bought it: Put the certificate somewhere safe, so you don’t lose it!