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SaveBeauty & Style The Ultimate Guide to Saving (and Getting Free Stuff) at Sephora

The Ultimate Guide to Saving (and Getting Free Stuff) at Sephora

Learn how to save on Sephora products and how to use Sephora points to get free things. Get answers to does Sephora give free samples in store and more.

The Ultimate Guide to Saving (and Getting Free Stuff) at Sephora

If you love makeup and beauty products, Sephora is one of the best stores to get your favorite items from. It carries hundreds of brands, including skincare and fragrance, so for many beauty lovers, it’s a one-stop shop to stock up on everything that makes you feel fabulous

But the cost of all those alluring products can add up. A 2022 survey of 1,400 Americans found the average monthly beauty spend is $46, and expenses go even higher for Millennials and younger generations. That’s more than $550 a year on average for beauty expenses for the average American.

The good news is, at Sephora, perks like cash for Sephora points and free samples can help you elevate your beauty regimen for less money. Here are some tips for how to get free stuff on Sephora online and how to save in stores.

Check out Sephora Beauty Inside club and how to use Sephora points

First, if you’re a frequent Sephora shopper, you’ll want to sign up for the store’s Beauty Insider club. It’s free to sign up online to start getting immediate savings.

All members earn 1 point per $1 spent. There are three tiers to the club, based on how much you spend at Sephora each year. Everyone who signs up immediately achieves Insider status. If you spend at least $350 per year, you’ll reach VIB status. You’ll reach Rouge status with a spend of at least $1,000 per year.

As an Insider or higher tier, perks include:

  • Beauty Insider cash: Get $10 off when you redeem 500 points
  • Exclusive discounts and savings delivered to your inbox
  • Brand point multiplier events: Get extra points when you purchase specific products during specific time frames
  • Free standard shipping: Get free shipping for every order, at any price point
  • Access to Auto-Replenish: Get 5% off when you set up subscription delivery for products
  • Free birthday gift
  • Free samples on purchases
  • Access to the Rewards BazaarYou can redeem points you’ve earned on various products in Sephora’s Rewards Bazaar, where points typically have a higher value than if they're redeemed for cash

At the VIB and Rogue tiers, you can get extra rewards, perks, discounts, and savings. But just by signing up as a Beauty Insider, you’ll start saving on delivery costs for every purchase. 

If you prefer to shop in stores, you may be wondering, does Sephora give free samples in store? The answer is yes – you’ll get to choose free samples with every Sephora purchase, both in stores and online.

You don’t even have to make a purchase to get a free sample. Just approach an associate in a store to tell them you’re interested in trying a product first. They should be able to provide you with a sample to take home.

Get discounts when you shop Sephora-branded products

Like most brands, you can spend less when you shop the company-created products. For example, instead of buying a pricey moisturizer from a non-Sephora brand, you can choose the Sephora brand moisturizer and potentially save.

Sephora branded products are frequently on sale, so you can save by comparing brands for the items you need. Check out the Sephora Collection online to compare items from that collection with others to see how much you can save.

Save with sales and value sets

Also like many companies, Sephora offers special sales and beauty offers to help you save. Online, you can check out what’s on sale, with some items up to 50% off. The site also features a rotating list of beauty offers, from buy two, get one free offers, to free makeup samples with a minimum amount of purchase.

You can also save   and try out new products   when you shop Sephora value sets. Some are limited-edition sets, while others are mini-collections of various products. You can get smaller versions of popular products for a discount when you shop for them in bundles like the value sets.

Earn cash back with credit card purchases

Another way to save when you shop at Sephora is to use a cash back credit card for your purchases. Some credit cards provide extra cash back (up to 5% or more) on online purchases. For example, for every $100 you spend with a 5% online purchase cash back credit card at Sephora, you could get $5 back in your account as a reward.

There are also Sephora branded credit cards available. When you sign up, you can get 25% off your entire first purchase using your card. Other benefits include doubling the amount of Beauty Insider points for every $1 spent at Sephora, plus 4% back in credit card rewards at Sephora.

The Sephora Visa credit card also offers 1% back in rewards on purchases outside of Sephora and a $20 Sephora card credit after spending $500 outside of Sephora within the first 90 days of having the card.

Speaking of payments, you may be wondering, does Sephora take Apple Pay? Currently, Sephora only accepts Visa and MasterCard credit, debit cards, American Express, and Discover credit cards. You can also use PayPal for purchases on Sephora.com, but Apple Pay isn’t an option.

Save more on the latest makeup trends

In addition to saving on your favorite makeup brands at Sephora, there are other ways you can save on skincare and beauty products. For example, did you know coconut oil can be used as a moisturizer? Learn about more ways to use coconut oil.

Find some DIY face mask recipes in our round-up of celebrity-inspired beauty tips. And since winter’s approaching, see how you can prep your skin with our winter glow-up guide.

Save even more on cosmetics with coupons from Save. Sign up for a coupon book to get coupons delivered to your door.