Sephora vs. Ulta: We compared the perks of each store's membership programs and more than

Updated

2021-05-17T17:27:39Z

Sephora v. Ulta 4x3

Alyssa Powell/Business Insider
  • Brands and product option
  • Sales and deals
  • Memberships
  • Rewards program benefits
  • Aircraft costs
  • So, where should you become?

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  • As one-end shops for all things beauty, Sephora and Ulta are often compared.
  • Both are really pretty similar and peachy for stocking up on makeup, skincare, and haircare.
  • Hither we pause down their differences, from membership programs to shipping costs.

If you're an avid shopper of all things beauty, you've probably been to a Sephora or an Ulta — perchance even both. As one-terminate shops for everything from makeup to skincare to haircare and all else in betwixt, many people compare the two stores.

Sephora has a reputation for selling more luxury beauty brands while Ulta has long been considered a retailer for drugstore brands. The reality is that these two stores aren't then dissimilar. With competitive rewards programs, strong selections, beauty services, and more, both stores offer a great shopping feel.

Wondering where you should go to go what? Beneath we've covered the membership programs, rewards, production and brand selections, means to shop, and how to decide which store is best for you.

Continue reading for a consummate breakup of what yous tin can wait to find at Sephora and Ulta.

Brands and product option

Sephora carries a host of brands, including its popular in-house Sephora Drove.
Sephora/Facebook

Both stores carry a wide range of products across all toll ranges, and there is a lot of overlap between the two when it comes to brand selection. Generally, Sephora stocks more than high-cease brands and Ulta more than drugstore options.

Sephora:Sephora carries hundreds of brands, forth with its own individual label. Sephora Drove, the store's in-house line, offers affordable beauty products starting as low as $1. The store as well stocks a host of mid-tier brands, as well as high-end ones like Dior, La Mer, and Chanel. Fenty Dazzler, Huda Dazzler, and Charlotte Tilbury are some of Sephora's standout brands yous can't find at Ulta.

Ulta: Ulta Beauty Collection is the store'southward in-house label offering affordable beauty products — prices outset below $i for a sheet mask — with everything from skincare to beauty tools. Similar Sephora, yous can detect plenty of mid-tier brands, just what stands out near Ulta is its curation of budget beauty brands. NYX, due east.50.f. Cosmetics, and L'Oréal are some of the drugstore brands you tin can't notice at Sephora.

Sales and deals

Some of the brands at Sephora you tin save on.
Sephora/Facebook

Both beauty stores have online auction sections and limited-time deals. Ulta tends to host sales more than often, but Sephora gives greater savings during singular events. And similar many retailers, the sales are even greater when y'all enroll in their membership programs.

Sephora: The beauty retailer has weekly sales on trial and mini sizes, and with online orders, you tin can choose two free samples at checkout. Sephora also hosts a massive annual spring auction where Beauty Insiders can save big on popular brand names. If you sign up for the rewards program, you can use an exclusive promo code to take x% off nearly every product Sephora carries. And for Rouge and VIB members, the deals are even greater — saving 15% and xx% off, respectively. Right now, everyone tin go free aircraft with the code "FREESHIP."

Ulta: Constantly releasing coupons, purchase more save more deals, and auction items, Ulta makes information technology easy for people to shop discounted dazzler products both in-store and online. Its large sale events — similar the 21 Days of Beauty, the Gorgeous Hair Event, and the Beloved Your Peel Event — are notorious for featuring Dazzler Steals, where customers can store up to 50% off height brands like Tarte and Glamglow and the deals refresh every 24 hours. These events come and become quickly, so you lot can sign upward for Ulta Beauty emails to stay in the know for large upcoming events.

Memberships

Ane of the photo-ready products yous can observe at Ulta right now.
Ulta/Facebook

Both stores offering membership programs that advantage shoppers through points programs, granting them special access to promotions, and more than.

Sephora: Beauty Insider is Sephora's membership plan. There are iii levels of membership: Beauty Insider, VIB, and VIB Rouge. Any shopper can get a Beauty Insider since in that location's no minimum spend necessary. To become a VIB fellow member, you must spend $350 a year, and to become a VIB Rouge fellow member that number goes up to $1,000 a year.

Ulta: Ultamate Rewards is Ulta's membership for loyal shoppers. There are three tiers of membership: member, platinum member, and diamond member. In that location is no minimum spend required to become a regular member. You must spend $500 a year to go a platinum member and $1,200 to become a diamond member.

Rewards program benefits

This Laneige skincare gear up is one of the three eligible birthday gifts for Beauty Insiders.
Sephora

Both the Beauty Insider and Ultamate Rewards programs offer great perks to shoppers, whether you're spending lots of money at the shop each year or none at all. Sephora offers its members more than promotions while Ulta offers more birthday perks, but ultimately both programs reward shoppers very similarly.

Sephora: There are many benefits of condign a Beauty Insider. One of the most notable is the points system, which turns your spending into points that yous tin redeem at the Rewards Baazar in exchange for products. Here'south a rundown of the rewards you get, at every membership tier:

  • Insider:1 point for every $i you spend, 2 free altogether gifts, 10% off during seasonal savings events
  • VIB: 1 point for every $1 yous spend, 2 free altogether gifts, 15% off during seasonal savings events, exclusive gifts with a monthly purchase
  • VIB Rouge: i bespeak for every $1 you spend, 2 free birthday gifts, 20% off during seasonal savings events, exclusive gifts with a monthly buy, free standard shipping, access to exclusive events, first-in-line for new production launches

Ulta: Ultamate Rewards members get lots of benefits that make time to come shopping hauls more affordable. Unlike Sephora where points are redeemed as products, at Ulta points are redeemed equally cash discounts on futurity purposes. Hither's a breakdown of the rewards at every level:

  • Fellow member: 1 point for every $1 you spend, free altogether gift, double points during your birthday month
  • Platinum: one.25 points for every $1 y'all spend, costless birthday gift, double points during your birthday month, $x birthday coupon, points never expire
  • Diamond:one.5 points for every $1 you spend, costless birthday gift, double points during your birthday month, $10 altogether coupon, points never expire, everyday free shipping on orders of $25 or more than, annual $25 beauty service reward card

Shipping costs

Ulta

Both Sephora and Ulta have well-organized stores where yous can discover (and be tempted by) thousands of products on display. Both also offering pretty similar online shopping experiences, though Ulta offers an incredibly convenient in-shop pickup pick.

Sephora:Sephora's shipping offering is pretty standard. If you spend $50 or more, you're eligible for costless, standard iii-solar day shipping. For orders less than $50, this same shipping costs $half-dozen.fifty. To get two- or 1-day aircraft, you'll pay $ten.95 or $16.95, respectively. If you shop online at Sephora oftentimes, it may be worth information technology for you to enroll in its wink aircraft program. It costs just $15 a year and gives you gratis shipping for the unabridged year, no minimums required.

Ulta: Ulta's shipping rates and policies are pretty standard besides. Regardless of how much you spend on your order, standard shipping costs $5.95 (3-eight business organization days), expedited shipping costs $9.95 (3-4 business days), and premium shipping costs $xvi.95 (2-three business days).

If you want to avoid shipping costs and alive close to an Ulta store location, use Ulta'south in-store pickup service. All you lot have to do is choose "Buy Online & Pick Up in Store" every bit your purchase selection. When your order's prepare, you'll become an e-mail from Ulta — but caput over to the chosen store with that e-mail confirmation and an ID, and yous're skilful to get.

So, where should you get?

Ulta

Truthfully, it's upwards to you. You tin can't get wrong shopping at Sephora or Ulta. For many shoppers, it's a matter of what they know. For example, I grew upwards going to a local Sephora and got a Beauty Insider carte at that time. It'due south however worth information technology for me to shop in that location every bit I've accumulated points over the years and information technology'due south proved to be a brand I tin really trust. If you grew up going to an Ulta instead, yous'd probably say the same almost that brand.

Another cistron in choosing where to shop is looking at what yous want to buy. If e.l.f. Cosmetics is your favorite brand, go to Ulta — Sephora doesn't stock the brand. If you dearest Charlotte Tilbury, you lot'll desire to go to Sephora, as Ulta doesn't take it. Luckily, both Sephora and Ulta stock a number of popular beauty brands like Nars, Clinique, and Too Faced, amidst others — and then if that'due south what you need, you're set up wherever you go.

Shop makeup, skincare, beauty tools, and more at Ulta.

Shop makeup, skincare, beauty tools, and more at Sephora.

Remi Rosmarin

Commerce Reporter

Remi is a reporter for Business organisation Insider's affiliate commerce team, Insider Reviews. After graduating from Colgate University with a caste in Artistic Writing and Political Science, Remi joined Business Insider to assistance readers notice the best products worth buying. Since joining the team in 2018, Remi has reviewed hundreds of products and interviewed founders of industry disruptors, such as direct-to-consumer startups Koio and Absolut Art. She specializes in women's lifestyle, only loves to acquire about any and all products that add value and excitement to our everyday lives. Say hi at rrosmarin@businessinsider.com. Learn more than about how our squad of experts tests and reviews products at Insider hither.

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