The Sephora Fourth of July Sale is here! From now through July 4, save up to 50% on the most popular beauty products and receive free shipping on all orders (with no minimum) using the promo code FREESHIP through Aug. 31. Plus, earn 5% cash back for your online purchases.
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For card-carrying beauty fanatics like us, wandering around Sephora can feel like we’ve been unleashed in a candy store. A glittery, shimmery, shiny, very expensive candy store.
We’re not the only ones entranced by the Sephora siren song. Turns out, the store’s dazzling displays of eye shadow, checkout-line shelves, travel-size goodies and enticing rewards programs are all designed to make you spend more money. And their business model is working: Sephora recently announced its largest expansion in the U.S., a move that includes opening more than 60 new Sephora retail stores and 200 Sephora kiosks inside of Kohl’s department stores to add to its stores inside JCPenney’s.
It’s quite a conundrum: As much as we love Sephora (and candy), we also like saving money. That’s why the RetailMeNot team has spent countless hours scouring the Sephora sale section and researching topics like scoring free makeup samples and saving money at Sephora.
Now, we’re bravely foraging into new, exciting savings territory: the elusive, but magical Sephora sale, when the retailer treats shoppers to discounts and other perks. Read on to learn everything you need to know about scoring Sephora on sale and feeding your beauty addiction for less.
How Do Sephora Sales Work?
First, let’s start with a brief overview of how Sephora sales work. With the notable exception of its Oh Snap! Sale and a few national holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Sephora generally restricts its sales to members of its Beauty Insider rewards program.
OK, so that’s the bad news. The good news is that the Sephora Beauty Insider program is free to join, and there is no minimum spend to qualify. Joining Beauty Insider takes about 10 seconds, or less than the amount of time it takes to pop on a fresh layer of Birthday Confetti-flavored Lancome lip gloss (just saying).
As a Sephora Beauty Insider member, you earn points on all your purchases which you can exchange for samples, freebies and other rewards. The number of points you earn on different purchases depends on your level of membership.
Sephora Beauty Insider Membership Tiers
The Sephora Beauty Insider program is divided into three membership tiers:
Sephora Insider
You are automatically awarded Insider status when you join Sephora Beauty Insider. The free, entry-level membership, Insider status earns you 1 point back on all Sephora purchases. But perhaps best of all, Insider-level membership lets you access many (though not all) of the exclusive Sephora Beauty Insider sale events, including the Sephora Spring Sale and VIB Holiday Bonus Sale.
Sephora VIB
You are automatically awarded VIB status when you spend $350 or more at Sephora within a calendar year. VIB status earns you 1.25 points back on all Sephora purchases. VIB-level membership also gets you access to all of the Sephora Beauty Insider sale events, including the Sephora Spring Sale, Summer Bonus Sale and VIB Holiday Bonus Sale.
How Often Is the Sephora VIB Sale?
Sephora has three VIB sales a year (April, August and November) and they can be called different things: Sephora VIB Sale, Sephora Beauty Insider Sale and Sephora Rouge Sale. VIB and Rouge members get to shop all three sales.
Sephora Rouge
You are automatically awarded VIB Rouge status when you spend $1,000 or more at Sephora within a calendar year. Rouge status earns you 1.5 points back on all Sephora purchases. Rouge-level membership also gives you early access to all of the Sephora Beauty Insider sale events, including the Sephora Spring Sale, Summer Bonus Sale and VIB Holiday Bonus Sale.
Annual Sephora Sales Calendar
As we’ve noted: Like many major retailers, Sephora throws sales on national holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But Sephora also celebrates a few of its own annual sales holidays — many of which are exclusively available to Beauty Insiders.
To make sure you never miss a single opportunity to score Sephora on sale, mark these annual Sephora sale events on your calendar:
January
Skincare Savings Days
The Sephora Skincare Savings Days is competitive with Ulta’s Love Your Skin Event. Sephora runs a different skin care product every day for 50% off during the event. You’ll want to check back every day so you don’t miss out on your favorites.
February
Sephora Presidents Day Sale
As winter continues to drag on and beauty mavens twiddle our thumbs waiting for spring, up pops Sephora’s Presidents Day Sale to help us over the hump. The sale offers up to 50% off on everything, including makeup, fragrances, skin care, hair care and more. Plus, Sephora usually gives shoppers free shipping with no minimum purchase requirement.
March
Oh Snap! Sale: Spring Edition
Sephora ran its first Oh Snap! Sale in 2020, and likely introduced the savings event to compete with 21 Days of Beauty, the biannual savings event held by competitor beauty retailer Ulta. It’s open to all shoppers — not just Beauty Insiders and traditionally runs from mid-March and again in September.
What Is the Sephora Oh Snap! Sale?
Sephora traditionally offers one to three top-selling beauty products for 50% off for one day only. Each deal is only available for a 24-hour period or until the product is sold out. In addition, Sephora usually limits shoppers to two purchases of the same product each. During past sales, featured brands have included MAC, Urban Decay, Clinique, Too Faced and Smashbox.
April
Sephora Spring Savings Event
One of the store’s most highly anticipated events, the Sephora Spring Event usually kicks off in April both online and in stores on almost everything. But sorry, nonmembers — this one is only open to Beauty Insiders, which is another reason you should join. Sephora gives all Beauty Insiders — no matter the tier — 30% off Sephora Collection products.
In addition to sitewide discounts, the event features other perks, including free shipping, free samples and member-exclusive offers. As a Sephora Beauty Insider member, there is no limit to how many times you can shop the Spring Sale. Sephora credit card holders can save even more, earning 2X on all purchases made during the sale.
What Is the Sephora Beauty Insider Event?
Score up to 20% off, depending on your Beauty Insider membership tier. Different membership tiers also got access to the sales at different times.
- Rouge: 20% off your entire purchase for the entire event.
- VIB: 15% off your entire purchase starting Day 4 to the end of the event.
- Insider: 10% off your entire purchase starting Day 7 to the end of the event.
July
Sephora Fourth of July Sale
Sephora’s annual Fourth of July Sale is a much-anticipated event, although lasting for a relatively short time. In 2022, it starts July 1 and lasts through July 4. It’s the perfect opportunity to get must-have beauty products for up to 50% off.
August
Sephora Summer VIB Bonus Event
The online and in-store Sephora Summer VIB Event is a pretty big deal because it’s available only for VIB Rouge and VIB members, and there’s no limit to how many times you can shop. Traditionally, the sale includes virtually everything.
What Is the Summer VIB Bonus Event?
The Sephora VIB Bonus Sale awards eligible shoppers with a sitewide discount, depending on their membership tier that rolls out in different waves for different membership tiers.
- Rouge: 20% off your entire purchase during the entire event.
- VIB: 15% off your entire purchase starting the Day 2 of the sale through the end of the event.
September
Sephora Oh Snap! Sale: Fall Edition
Just like the spring Sephora Oh Snap! Sale, the fall version is equally tantalizing. It’s the chance to get everything you need for stocking up on makeup with warmer tones and vibrant colors as the weather becomes a bit coolor, the leaves begin to turn and we transition into the fall season.
November
Sephora VIB Fall Bonus Event
Yet another Beauty Insider member-exclusive sale, the Sephora VIB Holiday Bonus sale is open to all membership tiers on virtually everything online and in stores starting in early November. In 2021, it started Nov. 5 and ran through Nov. 15.
As with other Beauty Insider sales, the Sephora VIB Holiday Bonus sale rewards higher membership tiers with greater savings.
What Is the Sephora VIB Holiday Bonus Sale?
Like the Sephora Spring Sale and Summer VIB Bonus Sale, the Sephora VIB Holiday Bonus Sale awards eligible shoppers with a sitewide discount, depending on their membership tier. And also like the other Beauty Insider sales, Sephora’s VIB Holiday Bonus Sale rolls out discounts in waves for different members.
- VIB Rouge: 20% off your entire purchase.
- VIB: 15% off your entire purchase.
- Insider: 10% off your entire purchase.
Sephora Black Friday Sale
In the spirit of the holidays, Sephora holds a Black Friday sale every year — with savings for everyone, not just Beauty Insider members. Sephora’s Black Friday sale is typically a multiday event that has historically kicked off on Thanksgiving Day and lasts through Cyber Monday.
What Is the Sephora Black Friday sale?
During Black Friday sales of yore, Sephora has offered hot products for $15 and under. We’ve also seen gift “sets” designed with the holiday shopper in mind. In previous sales, some products were advertised as “limited edition” and “exclusive,” and deals are typically only available while supplies last.
Sephora Cyber Monday Sale
Falling on the Monday after Thanksgiving, Cyber Monday is the retail world’s online-centric version of Black Friday. In the tradition of Cyber Monday sales, this Sephora holiday sale is comprised of a series of online-exclusive deals to tempt the savvy holiday shopper. This one, too, is open to all holiday shoppers hoping to score Sephora on sale.
What Is the Sephora Cyber Monday Sale?
In the past, Sephora has taken up to 50% off hundreds of products and offered gift bundles for $25, $50, $75 and under. During previous sales, shoppers were also rewarded with a free sample if they spend a certain amount during the sale. Like its Black Friday deals, Sephora Cyber Monday products tend to be available in limited quantities.
December
Beauty for All Sale
Sephora’s Beauty for All sale is exactly what it says — All Sephora Beauty Insiders tiers can save during the event. The event made its debut in 2021, starting right the same week following Cyber Monday from Dec. 3 to Dec. 12. The sale gave all Beauty Insider tiers 20% off your entire purchase and 30% off the Sephora Collection.
Other Ways To Score Sephora Deals
You can score Sephora for significantly less if you shop at the right time with the right membership tier. But the aforementioned sales are only a glimpse of the many promotions, freebies and special offers Sephora entices shoppers with throughout the year. Here are a few, from shopping the Sephora sale section to navigating the Sephora collection:
Sephora’s Sales and Offers
If you’re trying to shop at Sephora outside of its annual sales events, you can find deals in the Sephora sale section of the store website, which features deals on beauty products, haircare, skin care and more. The Sephora sale page is easy to navigate and can be organized by filters like product category, rating and price.
The Beauty Offers page of Sephora.com is hands-down our favorite spot on the site (if not the entire internet). That’s where you’ll find a constantly updated stream of free goodies, plus other perks like free shipping and point multiplier codes.
Shop the Sephora Collection
If you think about it, the Sephora Collection functions like a never-ending Sephora sale, since it features high-quality proprietary Sephora-brand beauty products at ultralow prices. Everything from retractable waterproof eyeliner to vegan eyelashes to coconut foot masks: Whatever your beauty-loving heart desires, you’ll find it in the Sephora Collection for less.
The post Your Official Sephora Sales Calendar: Feed Your Beauty Addiction for Less appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.