x
Breaking News
More () »

11 ways to save at Sephora

If you can name your top 5 favorite beauty vloggers on YouTube, you've probably heard of a little makeup wonderland called Sephora. Bonus points if you've ever walked into the makeup emporium to touch up your brows with a free sample and left half an hour later and $100 poorer.

If you can name your top 5 favorite beauty vloggers on YouTube, you’ve probably heard of a little makeup wonderland called Sephora. Bonus points if you’ve ever walked into the makeup emporium to touch up your brows with a free sample and left half an hour later and $100 poorer.

The LVMH-owned beauty store has been fairly successful since it first opened in 1969. It currently boasts 2,000 retail stores worldwide and around 15,000 of your favorite products. All of that revenue doesn't have to come at the expense of your wallet.

We’ve done some digging to find 12 ways you can save money the next time the smell of perfume whisks you into your local Sephora retailer’s checkout counter with your credit card in hand.

1. Loyalty

Sephora is good to those who are loyal to the brand. Save on products and services when you sign up for the retailer’s loyalty program, Sephora Beauty Insider.

When you sign up, you’ll get points for each dollar spent in-store and online. The program has three tiers: Beauty Insider, VIB, and VIB Rouge, depending on how much money you spend with the leading makeup retailer.

Beauty Insiders — aka Sephora shoppers who spend less than $350 a year — get a free birthday gift and free classes, plus the option to pay $10 a year for unlimited free shipping privileges. VIBs, or Very Important Beauty Insiders, get all of the above plus additional exclusive savings and one free custom makeover for an annual $350 spent on merchandise.

Spend $1,000 a year in merchandise purchases, and you’re rewarded with the VIB Rouge level. Rouge offers all of the aforementioned perks, but you won’t need to pay the additional $10 a year for unlimited free shipping. You’ll also get other exclusive perks like unlimited custom makeovers.

2. Get freebies by scanning the Beauty Deals page

Sephora has an entire page of its website dedicated to savvy shoppers like yourself. It’s appropriately titled Beauty Deals. It’s a little tricky to find the deals page as there isn’t a direct link to the page on Sephora’s home page, so make sure to bookmark www.sephora.com/beauty-deals.

It’s where you’re sure to find all of Sephora’s promotional codes for additional discounts and samples. You’re allowed a maximum of three free samples at checkout.

3. Buy gift sets to save on individual products

If you’re going to purchase one or two items from a product line, you might be better off just buying a gift set. For example, the Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Beauty Gift Set will run you $100 and comes with the Black Opium Eau de Parfum ($91), Rouge Pur Couture lipstick ($37), and Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils ($32).

$91 + $37 + $32 = $160 value.

By getting the set, you’d save $60.

4. Size up and save

If you buy something regularly, purchase the value size rather than smaller sizes. You’ll almost always spend less per ounce that way. For example, the regular 4.2-oz. bottle of Clinique's Dramatically Different Gel will run you about $6.24 per ounce, whereas the smaller, half-ounce travel size option costs about $10 per ounce.

5. Stock up on free samples in store

If you want to try out a product that’s way, way, out of your normal price range, get a free sample in-store to try before you buy. That way you won’t waste the full-size perfume you bought because of the brand more than the scent.

You are allowed up to three free samples per department in-store, and can get even more freebies online with beauty deals. Make sure to take home a sample of that expensive foundation to see if you can apply it as smoothly in your bathroom as the artist did in the store’s lighting.

Samples can also come handy when you’re traveling. So stop by Sephora and stock up on samples instead of travel-size bottles for short vacations.

6. You can and should return products you don’t like

If you didn’t follow amazing aforementioned advice to try before you buy, it’s OK, I don’t listen to my mom either. What’s great is that at Sephora, you CAN make returns, even on makeup. Learn the return policy: you can return opened goods within 60 days in gently used condition.

7. Shop out to in, bottom to top

Like at grocery stores, products are arranged at Sephora so that you see what costs the most, first. Check out items on the outer edges and on the bottom shelves first. They are typically cheaper than the ones you’ll see displayed at eye level according to Real Simple.

8. Shop semi-annual sales

Sephora holds major semi-annual sales twice a year. This is another instance where your loyalty pays. Only Beauty Insiders get access to the major sale, when products are up to 20% off. The semi-annual sales typically happen in the spring and fall, usually mid-April or mid-November, and the sales normally last a few days.

9. Use discounted gift cards

Purchase a gift card someone else is getting rid of at a discount before you shop. You can buy discounted gift cards for Sephora or department stores like Macy’s or JC Penney’s with in-store Sephora counters.

To find discounted gift cards, use sites like Gift Card Granny, which aggregates discounted gift card offers from around the web for you. Other great resources are Raise, WalletWhiz, and Cardpool.

Right now, we found Sephora gift cards available for up to 9% off through Gift Card Granny.

10. Download a rebates app

You can get even more of the money you spent at Sephora when you shop using rebate smartphone apps like Ibotta or Checkout 51. For example, when you take a picture of your receipt after spending at least $50 at Sephora, you get $5 back on Ibotta.

With Checkout 51, you’ll browse local offers at stores, then take a picture of your receipt, and your savings will be credited to your account. When your account hits $20, you can cash out.

11. Learn to DIY

You can save a lot of time and money on makeovers at Sephora by learning a few of the artist's tricks yourself. Learn how to sculpt the perfect brow or apply flawless foundation at one of the retailer’s free 2-hour beauty classes.

Check online or ask the manager at your local Sephora for find out when and how to sign up for classes. If you have about 15 minutes and want a more personal experience, you can have a professional explain their process to you during a mini-makeover any day.

MagnifyMoney is a price comparison and financial education website, founded by former bankers who use their knowledge of how the system works to help you save money.

Before You Leave, Check This Out