Beauty's Best Sample Sale looks as if the Editor's Pick Guide has become a reality.

Hearing the words "sample sale" conjures up images of semi-feral shoppers playing tug-of-war over a single pair of Manolo heels or a perfume bottle with a torn box. The thousands of items at the new "Beautyfor" beauty sample sale might make even the calmest shopper lose the aforementioned composure. That was not the case at all. [At Beautyfor's inaugural sale in New York last weekend, more than 500 beauty enthusiasts purchased premium beauty items at more than 25% off, with proceeds going to three charities: the Jed Foundation, the Trevor Project, and the Humane Society of the The proceeds will be donated to the charities. Like the world's most organized magazine beauty closet, the store featured an array of color-coordinated products and stations for make-up and nail services in between shopping sprees. Guests politely chatted with editors and dermatologists for recommendations, and if two people reached for the same box at the same time, they exchanged "No, you take it," until someone relented

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The atmosphere was intentional: all 10,000 products and 50 brands in Beautyfor's first sale were lovingly curated by beauty editors-turned-co-founders Gabby Shacknai and Zoë Weiner.

It wasn't until later in the business-building process that they revamped the look and feel of the sample sale. A few months ago, the two wanted to tackle a larger beauty issue than fighting over the best dry shampoo on the shelves.

"We thought we knew the beauty industry backwards and forwards, that we knew everything there was to know," Shacknai says.

"But the brands sent us thousands and thousands of products [as editors], so of course we were very grateful. But we wondered where these products would end up if we weren't selling them this way. And after a little research, we realized that in many cases the answer was landfills."

Specifically, on average, 40% of beauty samples are sent to the trash. Weiner and Shacknai decided that brands such as Bubble, Peter Thomas Roth, and Grown Alchemist would rather have their excess inventory go to the trash heap than have it used cheaply for someone else's skin and hair care, and incidentally support charity as well.

The result is a sale that has the feel of a community fundraiser with the goodwill of a community fundraiser and the insider access of an editor-voted Skin & Hair Awards without the work of scrolling through Google search results over and over to find an expert-approved blush or toner. Weiner and Shacknai were on site to usher shoppers in matching Pistola pink jumpsuits embroidered with the logo of their new venture.

"I think another part we really enjoyed was the curatorial flair," Weiner said.

"We get to partner with brands that share our mission and philosophy and are making really good products that we can get behind."

After speaking with the founders and wandering around the tables, Beautyfor felt to me like the equivalent of the celebrity closet sales and editorial clothing swaps that are sweeping the city this year. Earlier this month, fashion girls lined up on Jenna Lyon's block for a chance to buy her old J.Crew work clothes. Each event was no doubt a good one, as the first purchases were made by luminaries in the field. And in covering each event, they not only shopped, but also chatted with their neighbors while waiting in line to enter or backstage.

Beautyfor's attempts have the same sustainability component, plus the elements of going offline, being in public, and meeting other people. (Community. Certainly the pandemic has spurred this," says Shacknai.

"But honestly, the internet, social media, and shopping being disconnected from the physical experience makes participating in something special, whether it's going with a friend or making a new friend."

"Beauty is so digital right now," Weiner agrees.

Weiner agrees, "There is so much listening to random influencers and things like that that the point of connection is lost." Here is your chance to find it again without fighting, along with a few items that may be missing from your routine.

For updates on Beautyfor's upcoming sample sale, follow the organization @Beautyfor_org on Instagram.

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