Sephora Beauty Insider: How to Maximize Points (and What Not to Waste Them On)
Sephora’s Beauty Insider program is the Meryl Streep of loyalty programs—legendary, polished, and always nominated for something. With a cult-like following (the good kind, not the “might be a future Netflix doc” kind), it’s no surprise that more than 80% of Sephora’s sales come from its loyalty members.
But even the best of the best have their blind spots. That’s where we at Rewarded or Robbed? come in—to break down where this program truly shines and where it could use a tiny bit of retinol.
Image Credit: iStock
How the program works:
Sephora’s program is free to join and blessedly straightforward: you earn 1 point for every $1 spent. There are three tiers:
· Insider – Everyone starts here.
· VIB – Spend $350/year.
· Rouge – Spend $1,000/year. (Hi🙋🏻♀️ this author has been Rouge for... too many years to count. Don’t judge. We need a lot of make-up.)
Let’s be real: These thresholds are totally attainable if Sephora is your go-to for beauty. And the perks? Genuinely tiered, unlike vague programs that promise “surprises” and “special offers” (ahem, H&M), Sephora actually spells things out. Bravo!
Further benefits are:
· Seasonal Savings Events – Up to 20% off, depending on your tier.
· Point Multiplier Events – 2X, 3X, even 4X the points for big earners.
· Challenges – Earn a good haul of bonus points for simple tasks like quizzes, app purchases, or trying an in-store service.
· App Exclusives – Special deals, gifts, and “for you” offers targeted directly to your account.
And yes, these promotions run often and are personalized, such as the below example. You’ll see “Member Name”-specific perks in your app. (We’re not saying Sephora knows your skin type better than your dermatologist, but we’re not not saying it either.)
You can also earn and redeem points at Sephora in Kohl’s locations too. Points everywhere? Yes please.
Tier Charts:
Here are the full benefits by tier summarized. We LOVE how the savings and promotions get richer the higher up you go in tier. THIS is how a loyalty program should work (take note Gap Inc brands).
When it comes to sample benefits, higher tiers get more options for their Birthday gift, which is also a nice touch.
how you redeem points:
Unlike Ulta, which makes points all about $$ off (not a bad thing, just different) Sephora leans into its Rewards Bazaar, a rotating set of point redemption goodies. These range from small 100-point samples to full-size luxe bundles at 5,000+ points. New rewards drop Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the good stuff goes fast.
You can:
· Add rewards to your cart online if you have enough points.
· Pick from available rewards in-store when checking out.
· Stack multiple rewards in one transaction (hallelujah!), though you can’t grab the same reward twice.
Why aren’t more programs this generous with stacking of rewards? Honestly, let’s take this to Congress. I smell bipartisanship on this one. ⚖️
BEAUTY INSIDER CASH:
Sephora lets you turn points into cash savings at checkout:
· $10 off for 500 points
· $20 off for 1,000 points (Rouge members only)
But let’s be blunt: that’s a 2% return value—and that’s... meh. We wish this was more a 5% return value. You’re far better off shopping the Bazaar, where point redemptions can reach 10% to 20% return value or more. We even calculated it (you’re welcome), which you’ll see in the next section.
There is also a Rouge award for $100 off, which requires 2,500 points (a 2.5% return value), but these are doled out sparingly and require knowing a secret handshake or something similar?🧐 As a Rouge member, we have never been able to get access to this nor have we been marketed it. Someone hook a gal up!
Redemption Math: We Crunched the Numbers So You Don’t Have To
Many members don’t know what the best use of points in the Bazaar is: smaller point items or larger point items? Well, you’ve come to the right place. We took a look at one week of Rewards in May of 2025 to see how things measured up.
We calculate point return value for Bazaar Rewards by comparing:
1. The full-size cost of an item by ounce.
2. The size of the reward item at the per-ounce cost.
3. How many points are needed versus the retail value of the reward
(So if you spend $100 to earn enough points to get a $10 in rewards, that’s a 10% return value.)
100 Point Redemptions:
Point return value Range: 2% to 24% (our calculations in gold circles)
Average: 6–7%
👩🏻⚖️Verdict: Surprisingly solid value. These are great for trying new things without wasting points or space in your beauty drawer.
250-749 Point Redemptions:
Example Point Return Values: Biossance item = 11%, Living Proof = 5%
👩🏻⚖️Verdict: Good if you’ll use everything in the Reward. Skip if some of it will collect dust.
1500 -5000 Point Rewards
Typically, very high rewards include items such as makeup bags, totes, or other non-separately-sold products, making their value challenging to calculate.
However, based solely on the beauty merchandise, we consistently see a reward value of between 7% and 10%. The good news is that these are typically regular-size items, not trials. While redeeming 5,000 points for the Kiehl’s set is a significant amount of points, keep in mind that you are getting over $500 in retail value of product for free. It’s a rare retail unicorn where you can redeem for that amount of value.
👩🏻⚖️ Verdict: Amazing return, but only if you’ll use the vast majority of the items. This is not the time to trial a brand. And these high value rewards SELL OUT QUICKLY.
Now you might be thinking, “What if the Rewards Bazaar never has brands or products I like?” It’s a fair question, but Sephora rotates Rewards very frequently and offers a lot of options, so we think the vast majority of members will eventually find something they desire.
However, if you are someone who just prefer straight cash-back or discounting in your loyalty program, then Sephora Beauty Insider is not for you. You are much better off at Ulta whose program leans heavily on discounting. Both are good programs, they just approach Rewards differently.
🕵️♂️ Any Fine Print?
Here’s the legal-ish stuff that won’t ruin your day:
Points expire only after 12 months of inactivity—so hoard away.
Bazaar rewards require a $25 purchase online (unless the reward is 750+ points). No spend needed in-store.
You can’t redeem the same Reward twice in a transaction.
Beauty Insider Cash is limited to $10–$20 per order, but can be used at Kohl’s too.
Birthday gifts require a $25 purchase. (And no, you can’t resell them. Sephora will find out. And they will come for you.)
Verdict & summary:
No suspense here. Sephora’s program is one of the best in retail, full stop. It combines frequent and attainable promotions, flexible redemption options with high return value, and transparent tier structures.
BUT to ensure you are maximizing your savings, here is the recap on the Do’s and Don’ts:
👍🏻 DO:
Shop during Point events.
Take on the silly challenges to earn more points
Ensure you get your rich %-off savings coupons (sign up for email and snail-mail marketing)
Try to get to VIB status by spending $350. It’s worth it.
Use the 100-point Rewards for trials as they are good value.
WAIT to redeem your points until you find something you love. Sephora allows point hoarding and has a generous expiration policy.
❌ Don’t:
Don’t blow points on Beauty Insider Cash. It’s bad return value.
Only redeem high-point rewards for brands and products you love.
Don’t try to sell your birthday gift. They will catch you.
Whew, that was a lot 😵. Hope you are still with me.
However, the fact that we had so much to say is because this program offers numerous benefits and a great deal of richness. We can’t say that for many programs we review here so when we have a good program, we like to dig into the details.
If you liked this review and want to share the tips with your fellow beauty haulers, feel free to share.
Rewarded or Robbed?
⭐ A no Brainer, Rewarded! 💄
Leave us a comment! Do you agree or disagree? Any further tips about Sephora Beauty?
