WePurple’s Sample2Skin sessions will be led by Creative Director Caroline Colin.

WePurple will turn its attention to the changing face of beauty sampling at TFWA World Exhibition & Conference, where the agency is hosting a series of complimentary Sample2Skin sessions exploring the trends shaping traveller behaviour.

Led by Creative Director Caroline Colin, the 15-minute sessions will look beyond the beauty category itself, drawing on emerging travel, lifestyle, wellness and cultural movements to examine how brands and retailers can translate changing consumer attitudes into more engaging – and commercially effective – retail experiences.

At the heart of each Sample2Skin session is a hands-on sampling ritual. Participants will select one key trend to explore before seeing how it could be brought to life through an in-store beauty experience, moving the conversation from trend forecasting into practical application on the shop floor.

Among the themes is ‘Subversive Beauty’, which explores a shift away from polished perfection towards more individual and unconventional aesthetics. ‘Food as a Vibe’ looks at the increasingly blurred lines between food and beauty, while ‘Getting Swicy’ considers the appeal of unexpected contrasts and combinations, inspired by the sweet-meets-spicy trend.

The sessions come at a time when spontaneous purchasing is gaining ground in travel retail. According to m1nd-set data cited by WePurple, nearly one in three travel retail shoppers now make purchases on impulse, up from just over one in five in 2019. WePurple believes the shift gives beauty brands an opportunity to rethink the role of sampling as a tool for stopping travellers, encouraging discovery and ultimately driving conversion. Based on Generation Research’s valuation of the global travel retail beauty market at around $24.4 billion in 2025, the agency estimates that approximately $8 billion of the category could now be open to impulse purchasing.

Colin said: “We’re living through a remarkable moment in travel retail. Impulse purchasing is surging, and that tells us that travellers are open, curious, and ready to discover. The question is whether beauty brands are ready to meet them. With nearly one in three shoppers now making spontaneous purchases, the sampling moment has never been more powerful or more consequential.

“Our Sample2Skin Sessions at TFWA World Exhibition & Conference reflect our belief that beauty brands can’t afford to treat sampling as an afterthought. The trends reshaping how consumers express themselves, care for their skin, and connect with fragrance are moving fast, and they’re being driven by forces well beyond the beauty aisle – from wellness culture to global creative movements.”

Schedule a Sample2Skin session here.