I have been doing a spot of tidying and sorting and have realised (quite late on in life, I suppose) that I am a bit of a hoarder. Look at this lot! Tiny tubes and bottles and jars, all of them filled with gorgeous unguents and potions. Not only are they brilliant for travelling with, they’re a great way to try new things (or old) that you don’t want to splash out on before you’re sure you like it. Most counters will provide samples, I find, so long as you don’t look as though you’re just after a sample. You have to play it cool, know your stuff, look like – at some point – you’re going to come back and spend some dosh.

Of course if we were in France, we wouldn’t have to play any silly counter games, because in France they see the importance of complimentary samples and they literally lavish you with them when you’re shopping. Granted, you usually have to buy something, but no matter how small that something is, expect a whole batch of lovely sachets and tubes to try out when you get home. That’s they way things should be, in my opinion. If you’re going to invest thirty, forty, fifty pounds and up on a new face cream or cleanser or foundation, then it’s helpful (and kind of necessary in many instances!) to be able to try it properly before you commit.

Anyway, mini-moan over – what on earth am I going to do with my five kilos of samples? I travel a lot, but still not nearly enough to use this lot up! How about a giveaway? Does it seem weird to do a massive bumper selection of minis as a giveaway? Let me know and I’ll sort it out!