Here's How To Get The Best Deals Out Of Your Sephora Reward Points

The Beauty Insider Card was introduced to Sephora customers in 2012.

When you make a purchase at Sephora, you'll be asked if you're a Beauty Insider. Say "No," and the staff will set you up with an account in less than a minute, handing over a shiny black Insider card and allowing you to start collecting points for every purchase you make. Once you rack up 100 points, you can start redeeming those points for product samples, branded experiences, and even more extravagant rewards, like trips to Las Vegas. 

The reward points work like this: For every dollar you spend, you get 1 point on your Beauty Insider card. You can start redeeming your points once you reach 100, which may sound like a lot, but we all know how easy it is to drop $100 at Sephora in a single visit. Sephora even has what they call the Beauty Bank - it's basically like online banking for your rewards card, where you can check your Beauty Insider account balance via the Internet. If you return a Sephora item, the points will be deducted from your account (so no cheating!).

Proud owners of a Sephora Beauty Insider Card can present the physical card at the checkout counter to claim points for any items purchased that day. But, being that we're living in the digital age, there's no need to keep the card in your wallet at all times - a Sephora employee can look up your account information with your phone number or email and add your new points to the account that way, too. Online purchases are eligible for points, and even purchases made at Sephora counters inside JC Penney stores will add to your grand total!

Serious Sephora Beauty Insiders will hoard their points and hold out for a huge-value prize. For example, there was a point in time where you could redeem 35,000 points (AKA, $35,000 spent at Sephora!) for an experience at Drybar Las Vegas for you and two friends. If you have 5,000 points on your card, you could trade them in for access to a masterclass with Fresh Cosmetics in Boston, where you'll learn how to make their cult-favorite masks. The points do not include travel, but they are still a pretty great incentive to buy!

If you're a more casual makeup fan, you might want to redeem a smaller amount of Beauty Insider reward points every time you shop. By redeeming 100 points at a time, you can stock up on sample-sized products from brands like Smashbox and Beautyblender. Redeeming 250 points will get you bigger prize items, like a bottle of Versace's Bright Crystal Perfume. Warning: Once your awesome free sample runs out, you'll be tempted to buy the full-sized product. But, hey, at least that means more rewards points!

Previously, Beauty Insider points lived in your account until you decided to redeem them - even if it took you four years to claim those free goodies. In July 2017, Sephora changed that policy and put an expiration date on their reward points. Their site clarifies, "All unredeemed points shall expire when a program member has not engaged in point activity associated with that membership account (through purchase or redemption) for 18 months or more." So, basically, as long as you're still buying from Sephora, your points are alive and well.