How Cover FX Drove New Customer Acquisition and Strong Conversion with Try Before You Buy

“Shoppers love Try Before You Buy. When they discover the option and see all the products eligible for TryNow, they convert at a much higher rate—over 13%! It removes the risk of purchasing the wrong shade or trying a new beauty brand for the first time. They can test the shade on their own skin, feel the texture, and see how it fits into their routine—all from home. It’s a game-changer for beauty, giving customers the confidence to try."
– Harry Roth, Director of eCommerce at AS Beauty

About

Cover FX is a clean beauty brand dedicated to creating high-performance, skin-safe cosmetics for every skin type and tone. Their comprehensive product range, developed in partnership with makeup artists and customers, combines powerful performance with safe, inclusive formulations that work across the entire spectrum of skin tones.

Challenge

Online Beauty Shopping Barriers

Cover FX recognized two key challenges their customers faced when shopping for beauty products online:

1. Finding the perfect shade match proved difficult for many customers, who couldn't accurately assess colors through digital screens. Additionally, customers wanted to experience how products felt, interacted with their skin, or fit into their makeup routine before committing to a purchase.
2. Past negative experiences with online beauty purchases made many shoppers hesitant to invest in premium products. Many beauty shoppers’ common experience of wasting time and money on products that ultimately didn’t work for them led to widespread reluctance to try new beauty brands.

Solution

Cover FX partnered with TryNow to implement a Try Before You Buy program that transformed the online beauty shopping experience. The program encouraged shoppers to try more items to ensure the perfect shade and fit for their skin and completely eliminated risk for new-to-brand shoppers.

• Shoppers check out with Try Before You Buy for $0
• Shoppers can try up to 6 items for 14 days at home
• Shoppers can experience the texture, finish, and wear of products and ensure they have the correct shade
• Shoppers can easily keep what they love, return what they don’t, and only pay for what they keep

Cover FX implemented TryNow through:

• A dedicated TryNow collection page accessible from the main navigation
• The TryNow button on the PDP

Results

“TryNow has been an incredible partner, jumping in immediately to support us, shipping new features based on our feedback, and providing technical guidance whenever needed. Returns haven’t meaningfully changed, and the success we’ve seen makes us excited to expand Try Before You Buy across more AS Beauty brands.”
– Harry Roth, Director of eCommerce at AS Beauty

After launching TryNow, Cover FX achieved significant results:

New Customer Acquisition

• TryNow successfully attracted new-to-brand customers at a higher rate than standard purchases
• ~85% of TryNow orders were from first-time shoppers

Standout Conversion Rate on TryNow Collection Page

• The TryNow collection page achieved an impressive 13.67% conversion rate, demonstrating strong customer interest once shoppers discovered the Try Before You Buy option

Strong Customer Feedback

With 90%+ positive feedback, customers highlighted several key aspects of their Try Before You Buy experience:

Product Testing and Personal Fit

• Customers particularly valued the ability to try products before purchasing
• Many emphasized the importance of experiencing products personally, especially when making shade and texture decisions
• Long-time makeup users appreciated being able to compare products with their existing routines

Decision-Making Process

• Customers found the trial period helpful for making informed purchasing decisions
• The ability to test multiple products simultaneously helped in comparing options
• Many noted how the program helped them avoid the usual risks associated with online beauty purchases

“I enjoyed the experience with Try Before You Buy. I was able to see how well the products match up with my skin tone!”
- Quantessa J.

“I really enjoyed the try before you buy option because I have had to dispose of makeup that did not work for my skin and lost lots of money but I do like this foundation and I feel like it looks clean on my skin even with my texture and acne.”
- Janyda R.

“I really love the 'try before you buy' option. It persuades me to actually give an item a shot and allows me to genuinely consider whether it's worth the purchase."
- Temica G.

“Because the product isn't available in stores, it allowed me to physically examine the product and decide if it was right for me before being charged for it. The return process was also unbelievably easy. I liked that the return process was also designed to help me select a more appropriate shade (the reason I wanted the TBYB offer).”
- Terri F.

“I love that I can try the foundation color and make sure it suits me before fully pulling the trigger on it.”
- Misty G.