It’s definitely Ulta by far. I placed an order the other day, which had 5X points… plus an extra point as a credit card holder… and it was nearly the equivalent of 40% off my order. They make it hard for me to spend points because so often there is some event going on, LOL!
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Definitely Ulta, especially if you hold onto your points and redeem in 2000 point increments and have a 20% off coupon. I only make purchases when there’s a sale or points multiplier offer, and I’ve done several “free” $155+ hauls this year by redeeming points in this way.
I’m gonna start doing that lol
Anybody have recommendations for UK retailers RE: loyalty programs?
Hands down, it is Ulta. I always check their site first as I vastly prefer to purchase through them. The only reason I go to the other stores is if Ulta does not carry something I really need. A far second would be saks since they frequently send me 20% off codes. The codes only last for 2 days and I can’t predict when they arrive, but Saks has many of the higher end brands that Ulta does not.
Sephora is insulting with their rewards system and I am now actively avoiding them.
They thrive on a culture of luxury and exclusivity and that’s their brand and their undoing. I honestly think customers should have a choice whether to use points towards purchases as money off or better products to redeem them for. Twenty percent off isn’t anything to get super excited over and honestly it’s like they just want to throw the smallest bone but their loyal customers run after it.
Definitely Ulta. I also do well at Macy’s when I have $10 Star Rewards timed perfectly with a 15% off beauty sale.
Ulta. Unfortunately, for me personally, after downsizing and curating brands I like, There isn’t a lot for me I get there. I do stock up on my tried and true Oiudad and sunscreens for my husband.
I agree with Beth regarding Sephora. They make you scrap for the $100 reward whereas it is automatic at Ulta.
I honestly didn’t buy one cosmetic yesterday. There wasn’t anything I really wanted. I did stock up at Aveda. I can wait to try there new Cherry Almond Leave in Conditioner and hope the rumors are true…that it will rival the disco’d Elixir. You got that as a choice with a $65 purchase after 20% was taken off. There a a few hair products I keep in my arsenal that help with frizz.
One thing I know, is that this site has one of the most comprehensive compilation of all the sales. I think at least 10 of my friends were in awe and will be coming here in the future.
Here in Canada, it would have to be Shoppers Drug Mart. I just wish the stores near me carried more of the brands I like – Chanel and Dior especially.
Definitely Ulta! I try to get all i need there.
It has got to be Ulta! Their points system is great. Too bad that they don’t have all the brands that Sephora does, or that’s where I’d be spending ALL my coins!
2nd up would have to be Sephora. Although definitely not as generous as Ulta, still not bad. They have those $100 GC’s at 2500 pts. Could be better.
Hands down, Ulta. When i realized i had earned $50 worth of points in a couple of months…for groceries, online bills, etc. with their card, when on a no-buy color cos, that did it. Not making Rouge this year. Pourquoi pas? You all know the answer. I do wish to give Beautylish a nod, though, as they make every transaction feel as if you are a loyalty member. Their GCs and holiday specials are not too shabby, either. Remember Sephora’s concierge service for rouge? (some days i think I made that up)
Beautylish provides that, without any attitude or assumptions. They are invariably kind and informative. If you have an issue, they fix it. Sephora, it would be kind to say ‘Not so much.’ I looked up my Ultabucks: >$300, and I truly barely touched color this year. Great cushion for gifts, etc. My U stores are clean and pretty well staffed. No indoor mall, always a plus to me. The shipping has improved (though i am well aware of the other side of that coin). Their online interface, if not color representation, has improved radically. They will get the lion’s share of my business, f’sure.
In Canada, it’s definitely Shoppers. Gain points on a wide range of goods from drugstore to food to luxury beauty and redeem points whenever you want on whatever you want. Regular opportunities for point multipliers and discounts for seniors. I rarely think of Sephora when shopping for cosmetics in Canada.
Ulta. Sephora’s is worthless to me, personally.
Ulta by far, unfortunately there aren’t any brands there that I buy—except hair products. I rarely shop there but probably redeem at least $50 a year. Whereas I spend enormous amounts at Sephora, at least 15x more than at Ulta, and I’ll be lucky to get 2 $100 rewards. I’ve also been pretty ticked at how they’ve been running out of products before a sale and take forever to get them back, like Tom Ford and Charlotte Tilbury. HOWEVER, I’m diamond at Ulta and there’s always an IG notice that people have received 20% off coupons that are for certain tiers and I never get it.
At the end of the day Macy’s has the best sale program right now because they’ve had 15% off, even Chanel, every 6 weeks.
I have a similar problem w Ulta. I am a diamond member but literally NEVER receive notices of special sales and discounts. I’ve tried to rectify this for several years wo success. For that reason, I only shop there when I have cash points or when I don’t want to deal with a crowded shopping area.
No contest for me it is definitely Ulta. I am considering boycotting Sephora next year. I am having difficulty claiming the $100 dollar reward for rouge members with at least 2500 points. It is either not there to claim on Tuesdays/Thursdays or available for literally only a few seconds. I came close on Thanksgiving but it would not add to my basket after hitting the button several times. I called Sephora customer service yesterday. All they told me was to keep trying. I have been trying for weeks now. It took me a long time to accumulate those points too. Not happy with Sephora right now.
It took me 2 months of stalking the app at the exact time it launches, refreshing constantly to get my reward. Then I cashed it out and now I’m done with Sephora. One time I had it in my cart and got almost through checkout and it was gone, someone else must’ve claimed it. It’s insane.
Ulta by a mile. I can earn reward dollars quickly by buying at Ulta and outside Ulta, 20% off coupons are great, plus tons of daily/weekly specials, and they keep adding more and more brands. With all the discounts and reward dollars, you can easily get 50-80% off makeup
Having nothing like an Ulta in Australia, I guess our only beauty place that offers a reasonable loyalty program is Priceline – but it is a pale comparison.
I guess it must be local cosmetic stores Kicks, though it’s not nearly as good as Ulta seems to be. They do have quite a lot of high end brands, though Sephora has a some high end brands that aren’t available at Kicks.
If you think Sephora US is bad you should see ours, I’ve not bought from them since I moved two years ago, but we got to chose between two samples when we reached X amount of points, I can’t remember how much it was. There aren’t any tiers, no better stuff however much you have spent. Also it took about a year from they opened until they even got a reward system at all.
Both of the big department stores have OK rewards, like Kicks you get money back to spend at the store, a lot better than getting a sample size mascara, a tiny eau de toilette or, probably the best I got at Sephora, a small lipsticl from Nars, the ones looking like a fat pencil, you know 🙂
Absolutely Ulta by far! Let’s do some comparisons, shall we?
Ulta: 2,000 points = $125 off (no expiration date, can use whenever you want)
Seph: 2,500 points = $100 off (expires 90 days from date rec’d)
(More bang for your buck at Ulta, and you don’t have to use it right away)
Ulta: You can return products that you bought with your points and get your points added back on to your account
Seph: You cannot return products that you bought with your points, so make sure it’s something you know that you want and will like.
Ulta: So many discounts through the year, % off and/or 2x,3x,4x,5x and occasionally 10x points offer
Seph: Used to be only twice a year with % off, now for the last two years it has been 3x’s a year
Couple times a year with 3x (?) points on perfume, or another specific genre (like skincare)
There are other examples as well, but these are the ones most notable. In my eyes, the only thing Sephora has got over Ulta is their brand selections. But Ulta has started carrying more and more so with any luck they will keep adding more brands. If they would carry more brands that Sephora has, then I would drop Sephora flat with no hesitation at all.
Some people seem to be having shipping problems with Ulta, but I believe they are truly trying to amend this problem. I have the same turnaround time with them that I do at Sephora. Hopefully this will be amended for everyone. But honestly, I can wait a few more days when it means my points turn into free makeup/hair or skincare.
I know that’s a big one for alot of people with the shipping. And everyone is different as far as what’s most important to them, but for me Ulta has so much more to offer in the long run.
In Canada I think the best reward program is Shoppers Drug Mart. They have many brands in select stores and online. Points are collected and redeemed for any product plus there are lots of promotions to both earn and extra days for points redemption
Ulta, for sure. I don’t know of any other retailer that has such good cash rewards.
Ulta by a long shot. Between the coupons, the frequent extra point events and the extra points for being a credit card customer, they really shine in this area. Sephora should honestly be ashamed of their rewards program, it is especially insulting since they took away automatic Flash shipping and free makovers for all Rouge customers. There is zero excuse for offering a crappy sample sized item that most stores give for free with a purchase for the equivalent of spending $100. All the good rewards are extremely limited in quantity, you have to stalk the rewards page to find them and hope you get one before they sell out. The biggest insult this year was when they started asking you to use points to enter contests. They need to start listening to their customers and get someone in there who can rework that system into something people actually want to use. I see nothing but people complaining about their worthless points system. I will now only shop at Sephora for items I can’t get at Ulta, which is becoming less and less frequently as Ulta keeps adding new brands. I’ll be shocked if I make Rouge again in 2021
One might think with everyone’s answers clearly reflecting Ulta as the clear choice, Sephora would step up their game in some way. Between Ulta’s slow but steady gaining of more and more brands (Nabla, Zoeva, The Ordinary), and Sephora’s refusal to accommodate their (once) loyal customers by doing anything other than throwing a scrap or two once or twice a week for *thousands* to jump on at just the precise moment, Sephora is basically shut out of the running.