Surprise! Sephora decided to mix it up on us and have another sale! Historically, they only have TWO sales a year: one in the Spring and one in November, right before Christmas. Depending on your Beauty Insider status, normally you get a bit more of a discount during the November sale. (For VIB’s and VIB Rouges, normally we get a 15% discount in the Spring and 20% in the Winter.)
But recently, Sephora has been stepping up their game – likely because Ulta is KICKING ASS and taking names. Sephora has started a Weekly Wow, where they put a handful of their products on sale for a week. They never used to do anything like that, and I think they looked at Ulta, who has really good sales all the time, and thought they needed to step up.
Ulta’s rewards program also kicks ass. Let’s be honest – it’s leaps and bounds ahead of Sephora’s. Because… the points you get from making purchases literally translate into money. So I think Sephora looked at Ulta’s rewards and they decided to give their highest tier, the VIB Rouge customers, a few more rewards. The first reward is $100 Sephora gift card for 2500 points, which is AWESOME. FINALLY. We get CASH MONEY. (Well, Sephora Cash Money. BUT STILL. FINALLY.)
EDIT: After I published this, Jill called Sephora and gave me some updated information. Apparently, there are limited numbers of the 2500 point $100 gift card, and they come out in the Rewards Bazaar on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9am Pacific Time. The first time they will be available is on Tuesday, August 28! So set those alarms!
The second new reward for VIB Rouge is that you will actually be able to spend your points on FULL-SIZED PRODUCTS. That is amazing. It’s so sad to spend 500 points (which is essentially $500…) and you get the tiniest products on the face of the earth. I like trying little products but still. Being able to trade in for full-sized products is a game changer, because that is also like cash, in a way. You know, if you wanted to buy it anyway? I think there are limited quantities of those, and they will vary, but I still think this is really neat, and long overdue. Edit: I believe this begins on Tuesday, August 28, just like the 2500 point gift cards above.
I think they are having this surprise sale to highlight the changes to VIB Rouge, so that is exciting. It’s unclear whether they will still have the November sale, but… surely they will? That is their THING. However, in the meantime, below are the dates and codes for the upcoming sale, based on what tier you are in Sephora’s Beauty Insider program.
- Sephora VIB Rouge 20% Off Dates and Promo Code August 24 through September 3 with promo code YESROUGE
- Sephora VIB 15% Off Dates and Promo Code August 30 through September 3 with promo code YESVIB
- Sephora Beauty Insider 10% Off Dates and Promo Code August 30 through September 3 with promo code YESINSIDER
This blog is basically going to be a combination of both my recommendations and also products I plan on picking up myself. Usually what I recommend buying during the sale is skincare because… it’s expensive. I am a big believer in investing in skincare, and usually that means shelling out some coin. Is 15% a lot? No, obviously not. But it’s better than nothing! So I definitely try to hold out on skincare purchases until these sales. And usually the skincare products I buy during the sales are Sephora exclusives. So you can’t get them at Ulta or department stores. Just something to think about before you jump down a Sephora rabbit hole! Think of what you are running out of, what you use every day, or just something you love for the sake of makeup/beauty!
Sunday Riley Power Couple Duo: Total Transformation Kit ($85): As I mentioned in my most recent favorites blog, I have really fallen in love with the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil, and I had decided I would purchase the full-size version. I am almost out of my Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum (which I also recommend but it’s $80 all by itself, so I thought I would try the duo!), so I thought this would be a good time to try the Sunday Riley day and night treatments together. And at 20% off? Yes please. Sign me up.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask ($20): OK, this is an essentially a $20 lip balm, but it’s EXTREMELY nice. Unlike some of the lip balm/mask type products I’ve tried from Bite Beauty (which is a great brand otherwise), this is fantastic. The product consistency is very soft and smooth, so it glides on the lips. It’s meant to be a night mask so it’s a little thicker than a regular chapstick, but you could really wear this all the time if you wanted to. It has just the SLIGHTEST pink tint, but it just makes your lips really healthy and juicy. Doesn’t everyone want healthy, juicy lips? And 20% off, y’all! I don’t currently need this because the jar is freaking giant and lasts forever, but that’s why I’m recommending it to you!
Milk Makeup KUSH Fiber Brow Gel ($18): I have never used this before, but I’m trying it out because I am out of my Glossier Boy Brow (which I love so much) but since I can only get Boy Brow from the Glossier site, it’s sometimes more convenient for me to buy something from Sephora. I always thought the price of Boy Brow was extremely fair, and the Milk KUSH Fiber Brow Gel is the same price – except now I get 20% off, which is an even better deal. They have three shades but I am going to try Dutch, which is the medium shade. (The others are Haze, which is blonde/taupe, and Grind, which is dark brown.)
Bite Beauty French Press Lip Gloss ($22): Like I said, I may not enjoy Bite Beauty’s lip treatment products but this lip gloss is freaking fantastic. I currently have the color Dirty Chai, and I receive compliments literally every time I wear it. And with all of the lip products I own, I might actually run out of this– that is how often I use it. Not only is the formula lovely, the applicator is really easy to apply – AND IT SMELLS EXACTLY LIKE COFFEE. I have been coveting the color Flat White, so I might pick that up during the sale. (PS: I got this image from Samantha Jane’s blog. She also has a rad YT channel!)
Dominique Cosmetics Latte Palette ($42): Twice a year, I tend to go into Palette Overload – Christmas and Birthday. And so there has been an insane influx of eyeshadow palettes in my life… and I love it. One of my absolute favorites by far. I think right now this brand is being a little overlooked or not taken seriously because it was created by a YouTube influencer named (and I honestly had to go to her site and look it up) Christen Dominique. I watch her sometimes, but that’s not why I wanted her company’s palette. While extremely neutral, the shadows themselves are amongst the most beautiful I have ever tried. They practically blend themselves. I think they are easier to work with than Melt stacks, which historically have been favorites in the beauty industry. The shimmers are very versatile, but are best applied wet or with a finger for maximum color payoff. I like that this palette has two interesting pops of color that can make an eye look interesting. All in all, if you like neutral palettes and you were in the market for another one, this one is bomb.
Too Faced Born This Way Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer ($29): I don’t know if any of y’all are still boycotting Tarte like I am, but I know that even after all of the controversy Tarte Shape Tape is still one of the most popular concealers of all time. I personally don’t love it, but I know others do. Well, now Too Faced created its answer to Shape Tape and it’s supposed to be even better. The Tarte version is a bit drying, where the Too Faced one is a little more moisturizing. I have not tried this concealer because the full-coverage thing is just not my aesthetic – I love a more sheer, serum-y concealer. However, if you are looking to try an alternative to Shape Tape… well, here we are. AND DURING A SALE.
Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Grind ($20): As you know, I purchased the color Distortion last month and I really like it so far, so I decided I think I want to get the color Grind, which is a light pink iridescent glitter. These are very versatile products because of how easy they make the glitter application process. You don’t need a separate glitter glue, and glitter isn’t going to cover everything you own. You can just use the little brush to apply glitter in really concentrated places like the inner corner, or spread it all over the lid. I haven’t used Distortion as much as I want to, but I think I am going to try to incorporate a bit more glitter in my life. I think I can get some good pictures with it, bare minimum! (PS: I got this picture from Temptalia’s blog, so check her out here!)
Are you planning on picking up anything at the sale? Comment down below. I also might do a part 2 for this, as I might think of a bunch of good products over the weekend. But even if I don’t, I have a blog coming up about some of my first ever purchases from Sephora, so that will be a fun jog down memory lane.
Jill, I want to know what you are getting. Text me. (Why did I just write to her through the blog? My Aleve PM has kicked in!)
xo
Lauren
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All opinions are my own
laurenelectro
A self-proclaimed beauty junkie/hoarder with a serious Sephora problem. This blog is a total rationalization of that problem. Everything is TOTALLY fine. Her free time is a mixed combination of making fun of reality TV with her husband, hanging out with cats and finally trying to figure out how to do her hair.