First Posted: 3/24/2014
Everyone has a daily beauty routine, some more extensive than others. From the time you get into the shower until the time you apply that last bit of lip gloss, you probably have used over 10 beauty products. We all know that what you used wasn’t free and probably had no perk for buying it in the first place.
This is where my ever-growing love of perks cards comes into effect.
Currently, my top three favorite rewards cards belong to Sephora with its Beauty Insider card, Aveda with its Pure Privilege card, and Ulta with its Ulta-mate Rewards card.
Sephora’s Beauty Insider card has a points system where every dollar spent earns you a point that gets you closer to your next beauty bonus. As an Insider, you can enjoy a free birthday gift (usually some sort of makeup set of samples like shadow and liner duos or lip balm three-packs), eligibility to join beauty classes (which are not typically everyday affordable), and additional product rewards and seasonal promotions. You then can redeem your points for a 100 point perk or 500 point perk of deluxe samples or full-size products.
Sephora has an additional tier, V.I.B., in which if you spend $350 in a calendar year you receive special gifts and offers, first dibs on new product launches, advanced early access to sales, and private V.I.B-only shopping events.
As Sephora likes to call it, “the view from the top” is the third tier, V.I.B. Rouge, where spending $1,000 in a calendar year gives the benefits of free shipping, surprise gifts, unlimited beauty studio access, and exclusive Rouge event invites.
Ulta-mate Rewards from Ulta is a one point-per-dollar structure as well but, unlike Sephora, Ulta rewards are eligible for use for that calendar year. On your birthday, you also receive a free gift as well as double points on purchases. Once you spend $400 in a calendar year, you can reach platinum status, which allows your points to never expire and you begin to receive 1.25 points per dollar and receive two birthday gifts.
I love redeeming my Ulta-mate rewards since Ulta also carries a large variety of styling tools and men’s grooming tools that are hard to find anywhere else.
Lastly, Aveda’s Pure Privilege program earns 10 points per dollar, which is doubled on special weekends and when they send special double points certificates. Plus they have special product buys where buying two liters of your favorite product can earn a whopping 500 extra bonus points. The points never expire; you are simply required to swipe your Pure Privilege card at least once a year. To redeem your points, Aveda has a catalog of items to choose from, such as candles, organic handmade jewelry and accessories, certificates towards local Aveda spa services, and trips to all-inclusive spa and resorts in Canada and Jamaica.
Tip: Visit these sites to learn more: ulta.com, sephora.com/beautyinsider, and aveda.com.
Trick: If you’re going to spend the money on products, you might as well get something additional out of the deal – just stay away from cards that involve a membership fee.
