How to Save Money at Sephora
- Colleen
- Jul 16, 2016
- 7 min read
If you're into makeup, Sephora is probably one of your most frequented stores. It has literally everything you could ever possibly need - skincare, makeup, brushes, nail supplies, perfume, and more! A downside of Sephora (if I can even say that there is one) is that their brands, excluding the Sephora brand, are all prestigious - a.k.a., expensive. I don't have money to blow, and even if I did, I don't think I'd want to spend it all on makeup when I know that I could get it cheaper. I still love their things though and probably keep them in business, so here are a few of my tips for saving money at Sephora.
Become a Beauty Insider
First off, if you shop at all at Sephora, you need to become a Beauty Insider - it's their version of a rewards card. For every dollar you spend, you get a point. Once you reach 100 points (let's be real, that's pretty easy to do), you can choose a free gift which is usually a luxury sample. You can also hold onto your points and build up to 250 for larger gifts. You also get a free gift for your birthday as well as a free 15 makeover! If anything, it's worth it just to get a little pampering on your birthday! As a Beauty Insider, you also get personalized recommendations, free beauty classes, and access to sales and samples that I'll talk about later.
There are also different levels. There's Beauty Insider (the first level), VIB (spend $350 a year), and VIB Rouge (spend $1,000 a year). Each level has its own perks and different aspects to motivate you to spend! Now that we've established that you need to be a Beauty Insider, go sign up!
Shop the VIB Sale
Twice a year, a magical thing happens: Sephora has a sale. You're probably thinking, "What's the big deal about a sale? They happen all the time." Let me stop you there. As I mentioned before, Sephora's products are from prestigious brands and because of this, they do not go on sale. Even if you go directly to the brand's website, you will hardly ever find a sale. Now, depending on if you went and signed up to be a Beauty Insider or not, you can now get some products that you genuinely need or have had your eye on for a while, without feeling guilty! The sale is generally in the Fall and Spring. The higher your level as a Beauty Insider, the more you save - Beauty Insiders save 10%, VIB save 15%, and the VIB Rouge members loaded with cash save 20%. I think it should be the other way around seeing how the people spending the least obviously can't afford it, but that's besides the point. The point is that this is a great time to stock up on needs, wants, and gifts.
Take Advantage of Samples
I am a sucker for samples. I will purposefully walk past the Chinese restaurants at the mall just to get my Teriyaki Chicken sample. I will wait in line at grocery stores to get a sample of a hotdog that is the size of my pinky toe. I love anything free, and Sephora is one of the best places to rake in the goodies. When you shop online at Sephora, you get 3 samples that you choose from a short list of options. In my opinion, shopping in-store is way better. You can get a sample of virtually anything, AND you get 9 instead of 3 samples. Yup, TRIPLE the samples!! You are limited to 3 of each world - skincare, makeup, and perfume.
I have a few certain products that I will probably never actually buy because I always just get samples of them. Here are my 3 "must samples."
This stuff is the bomb. It is the absolute best mask I have ever used! It has charcoal in it and you can literally see the mask vacuuming out the junk and clogged out pores. Even though I am completely obsessed with this product, I will never buy it. Why? Because instead of spending $69 on a 1.2 oz. product, I can get free samples that give me 3-4 masks! Even the travel size (which is about the size of two samples) is $22.
This perfume is my favorite of all times. I love the mix of floral and sweet, but it's not overpowering and smells like something your great-grandma wore. It's perfect for daytime or evening, and is just the perfect scent, in my opinion. I can't make myself buy it. Sure, I'd love to have a beautiful Chanel perfume bottle setting on my dresser, but I can't make myself pay $72-$124 for it. I can, however, get samples! Sephora's fragrance samples come in a tiny little spray bottle. No more unscrewing the lid and praying it doesn't all pour out at once! I guess a good month's worth of wear from my Mademoiselle, and that's if I wear it every single day.
I also love to get cologne samples for the hubs. I heard several people rave about Dior's Sauvage cologne - boy, were they right. If you have a man in your life, you need to get your hands on this stuff (preferably a sample, of course). You WILL thank me. I got a couple samples of this cologne for Ross to make sure he liked it, and I will probably wait until the VIB Sale and get it for him for Christmas!
I have very sensitive skin, and one of the joyous things I have to deal with is allergic reactions to most SPF's. Because of this, I used to hardly ever put SPF on my face. I know, that's awful! Well, as I'm getting older, I've gotten wiser (more like I'm actually listening to my mother), and I went to Sephora and asked for help. The people that work at Sephora are so knowledgeable and are so understand and helpful! I told one of the managers about my problems, and she pointed me to this product. I was a little skeptical, but I have had no problems with it! It's $42 for 1.7 oz, so I go for samples. I only wear it on days I know I'm going outside since I work at a desk, so the sample lasts for quite a while. Now I'm saving my skin and my bank - win-win.
Buy Sephora Sets
Everyone has their own value sets, and Sephora is no exception. I don't go for all of their sets, but typically you do save a wad of cash opting for those instead of individual products - if you actually intended to buy every product in the set. One set that I do highly recommend is Sephora's favorites perfume samplers. They're $65 so right away you're probably thinking, "Wow! How is that saving money???" But wait. The perfume samples are actually mini versions of the full size luxury perfumes. Tiny bottles of Burberry, Chloe, Chanel, and Tory Burch - you usually get 9 in a box. The best part though is that the set comes with a coupon for a FULL SIZE of your favorite sample.
For example, I bought one of these recently with the intention of getting my sister a perfume. Reba is the essence of Burberry, so she was really excited to see that she could get a full sized bottle of My Burberry. There's usually a smaller and a larger "full size" bottle, and the coupon typically applies to the larger! So I was able to get my sister a $95 dollar bottle of perfume (that I was already planning on getting her), and 9 luxurious samples in quality packaging, for $65! And if you wait for the infamous VIB sale, you would basically make money off the deal - right???
Get Pampered
Sephora is not just a place to go to spend money. It's a place where you can get pampered. Sephora offers what they call "mini facials" and "mini makeovers." Each is a FREE 15 minute session which will leave you feeling either refreshed or feeling fine for an evening out.
Free Mini Facials
Sephora has two different free mini facial options:
Mask & Moisturize
Peel & Perfect
I've only ever had the Peel & Perfect (usually I have makeup on if I'm out and about so a facial isn't my top priority), but it was simply lovely. It's always a treat to have someone pamper and take care of your skin for you - especially when they know what they're doing!
Free Mini Makeovers
Each of the Mini Makeovers focuses on a certain feature of the face. Whether you're having pictures taken, you have a date night, or you just want to get those brows on fleek, it's great that you can just pop in to Sephora and get some expert help. Sephora better be glad I don't live close to one of their stores, or else I would literally have them fill my brows in for me everyday. Just saying.
Their makeovers include:
Smoky Eye
Contour
Polished Brows
Everyday Eye
Essential Eyeliner
Flawless Foundation
Correct & Conceal
Blush & Bronze
Perfect Lips
False Lash Application (does not include lashes)
Get a Custom Makeover
You can also get a 45 minute full-face makeover free with a $50 purchase (How easy is that to do??). You get step by step instructions customized for your personal needs and product suggestions along the way. I think this would be the perfect idea for a bride on a budget or even prom or engagement pictures! If only I had known....
Feel at Ease with their Return Policy
Another thing I love about Sephora is their return policy. They will accept anything, anytime, for any reason. Yes, they will give you looks if you return an empty bottle of Chanel perfume and ask for an exchange, but according to their return policy, they will do it. I have turned down products many times because I've been afraid to spend the money on something and end up hating it. I don't have that problem at Sephora! I know that if I'm not totally in love with a product, that's ok! I didn't just waste a ton of money, and odds are they'll help me find something I will love.
Maybe I spend too much time at Sephora (Ross would say yes), but I feel like there are always those little tips and tricks to shopping at a store to get the ultimate and best experience you can. If you have a good shopping experience, I feel as though you will enjoy the products more and have fond memories - I know I do.
I hope you all have enjoyed my tips for saving money at Sephora! Let me know if you have any tips that I don't know about - I will gladly add them to my list to save more while getting more products!
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