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Want to save money when shopping for the hottest beauty products? My biggest piece of advice is to avoid Sephora at all costs; their prices are slightly higher, and their rewards program stinks. Instead, I recommend you make your purchases at Ulta for two main reasons. First of all, they sell products not available at Sephora, often at way lower prices, and second, the Ulta Beauty Rewards program has so much to offer.
When it comes to basics, I tend to invest in high-quality, low-cost products from these brands:
e.l.f Cosmetics
The Halo Glow Liquid Filter is my holy grail. For $14, you can smooth out redness on your face, complete with an ethereal glowy effect. I also use their Suntouchable Whoa Glow Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen ($14) as a primer and their Matte Magic Mist & Set ($6) to complete my makeup routine.
NYX Professional Makeup
The Brow Glue Laminating Setting Gel ($10) does a great job taming my crazy eyebrows, and you can get it in clear or colored form. Additionally, I’m a huge fan of their Fat Oil Lip Drip Vegan Lip Oil, specifically in the shade “Missed Call” sold for $9.
ColourPop
For $9, their Pretty Fresh Hyaluronic Creamy Concealer is totally worth it. Plus, they are an inclusive company with over 20 different shades to choose from, and one bottle lasts so long. They even sell fun eyeshadow shades, including this adorable two-pack that’s Frosty the Snowman themed ($12).
Tree Hut
It’s not just your face that deserves all the love, so I have to mention the Vanilla Bare Moisturizing Shave Oil ($12.99) and Watermelon Shea Body Butter ($11.49) that, dare I say, smell better than Bath and Body Works products! These two products are worthy additions to your showering routine for sure.
As for the Ulta Beauty Rewards program, here are my favorite perks:
Birthday Gift
I will admit, the Sephora birthday gifts are so much better; I got a Glow Recipe kit worth almost $20 last year. That being said, the Ulta gifts are still solid, and their options rotate seasonally. This past October, I selected the NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick deluxe sample, and I’d highly recommend picking it, too.
Coupons
Okay, most places have coupons, but you can stack them at Ulta to maximize your savings. Amazing! Common coupons include $3 off $15 and $10 off $50, and you can combine them with points and gifts with purchases, which I’ll talk about next.
Points
Again, lots of rewards programs implement a point system, however, Ulta frequently has multiplier events where certain items earn more points per dollar. For example, all Tula skincare could be 5X points one week, a select array of hair care products could be 3X for a short time, or all Black-owned brands could be 10X points one day of Black History Month. These points rack up quickly, and I redeemed $17.50 worth of them at once a few months ago!
Gifts With Purchase
Who likes freebies? I bet you do! Ulta’s GWPs are unmatched in terms of both quality and quantity. One time, I got a 20-piece beauty sampler when I spent $81 on lip balm, hand cream, and an Ariana Grande Cloud Eau de Parfum bottle. I then added in a coupon, bringing my order down to $64 which is great considering the perfume retails for $60!
Hopefully, I converted you into an Ulta stan after reading this article. If not, then have fun spending more money at the black and white striped store!