All the bars had the pattern on one side (even the Solar System planets, so I wasn't disappointed there! it smelled very nice and neutral too) Several had a touch of glitter but not the topper of the big boy.
Samplers are the best if you want to try out fragrances or just want a lot of variety in a small guest type soap. Each bar is a little bigger than a typical hotel bar so you do get enough to enjoy, but it's not like it will take you forever to get to the next fragrance/design.
They're also an inexpensive way to find out if you like a fragrance without committing to an unknown. For instance, based on the listed notes I would have adored Autumn Leaves with just a hit of spice, and a lovely fall look, but when it came the spices were unpleasantly overwhelming to me. But on the other hand I would have avoided the pinky (Daydreamer) and purple (Starglow) soaps on looks, while my daughter loved, loved, LOEVED those fragrances with fruity and floral notes galore. The Star Fragments was a nice citrus, but I'm not fond of the hightop frosted soaps (they don't fit anywhere in my spaces) so the mini bar was best here, too.
And last, while I really like the ombre look of Pinewood Trail, I don't care for topper or the fragrance (it's like Ax body spray or Pinesol, way too much pine for me, like to the point my cedar allergies started to trigger.)
But with a sampler, the two I don't care for aren't too much to put out in the guest bathroom for holidays and then they'll be gone! where full sized soaps would have been just too much to handle and felt like a waste.
