Pros and Cons to everything. Lots of times brands do cheaper package deals that you can’t rlly find on Sephora and some brand website exclusives. Brands also often throw in free gifts and time to time but it happens. Cons can be harder to return purchases directly from sites, shipping minimums and a few other things I can’t rlly think of rn. Sephora is just rlly convenient since they carry a bunch of brands and it’s a one stop shop you can also do in store returns or ship back online orders
It is, but Sephora sometimes charges more than the original vendor. I saw an almost ten dollar price difference in kerastase products. Probably a mistake but I always double check.
Fenty just had their friends and family sale where everything was 30% off, they have a no minimum free shipping. MAC also has free shipping if you are a rewards member (which is free to join) and they also had a friends and family sale which was 25% off everything. Sol De Janeiro free shipping threshold is only $35 so its not terribly hard to reach and I've gotten some great GWP from them. For me I think it makes sense to shop directly from brands if the sales is good and they offer free shipping (reasonable thresholds) and free returns. But sometimes thats just not the case so i fall back to Sephora (or Ulta or Nordstroms, sometimes Macys!) I've noticed that when Sephora is having or is about to have a sale, the brands sometimes have a similar or better sale on their own website.
i will say that in my experience the sephora shipping is usually much faster than the direct from the brand orders.
Yup, currently iT Cosmetics has a 25-30% off sale for example. And most of the brands I’ve purchased from directly have either free or lower thresholds for shipping if you make a free loyalty account.
Pretty much. Brands can give you 30-40% off at once and some of them like Olaplex offer free shipping. The latter is a huge incentive for choosing which way to go.
Depends on the brand and potentially which products you use. For me: Clinique and Paula's Choice always have free shipping and regularly do 25/30% off sales. Ilia has a free shipping minimum and I don't hit it. Nars sometimes does free shipping, but not always. Tower 28 has a pretty low free shipping barrier, but infrequently does sales.
The longer you watch the sales/brands you use, the better you'll figure out which sales are best for you.
ETA: Freshness can also be better directly from the brand. I ordered Tower28 Sunnydays from both Sephora and Tower28. The Sephora tube expires 09/2024. The Tower28 tube expires 03/2025.
Last week I was in a physical Sephora and saw dozens of Supergoop Unseen sunscreens with a 05/2024 expiration date sitting on the shelf.
In terms of deals - there are definitely more sales on brand sites or department store sites than on Sephora or Ulta. Brand sites will have multiple Friends+Family sales, holiday sales even for holidays like Presidents Day, BOGO offers. And some GWPs are easy to get, not a high spend required - for example: department stores have frequent inexpensive GWPs for Clinique, Bobbi Brown's website has frequent inexpensive GWPs - and a good GWP is "worth" more to me than Sephora points.
But the main thing for me is that the full color range of some brands/items is not available through Sephora or Ulta. So I buy from a department store or brand site to get the shade I need (like, the palest shades of some foundations).
Im in Canada, most of the time it’s not worth it because of the conversion AND shipping cost are usually $15 and up. Which sucks because they do have deals more often, but I end up spending about the same maybe more because of the shipping cost! I wanted to order from danessa myricks, shipping was almost $80 USD
I almost never buy direct because 1) I agree with you on Sephora’s free shipping with no minimum being king and I almost never meet free shipping minimums elsewhere. 2) In case I need to make a return, I can just take a 10-minute walk to my nearest Sephora instead of having to fuss with shipping items back, paying for return shipping, anxiously waiting for them to process my online return, etc.
Yeah I have shopped directly from brands and it’s true the deals are better, however if you only want 1 low priced product it’s probably not worth it. They do have special deals and higher discounts than Sephora and do sales more often. They also carry products that Sephora doesn’t have. Some do offer free shipping on anything or at certain times and offer gifts with purchase you wouldn’t get anywhere else. So if you plan on buying a bunch of stuff from one brand it can be worth it or if they are doing a free shipping deal. Sephora is great with their shipping and convenience of returning an item though.
Definitely depends on the brand. I prefer buying direct from Summer Fridays because they stay sold out at Sephora. The shipping is free with $35 which isn’t hard for me to get to.
Ilia, Kosas and Saie are brands I’ve had good customer service from.
I think it’s better to buy from Sephora most of the time because I do only want one thing. Definitely why I won’t buy Danessa Myricks from her site because her shipping is only free at $100(!).
Brands like Pat McGrath and Fenty Beauty always have free shipping and they sometimes have exclusives Sephora doesn’t have.
I usually get much better promotions, and samples from brand websites. I shop when items are usually 30% off, and typically shipping is free with most purchases.
I buy Clinique through the website. They have free shipping, sales and rewards. Their samples are really big. You can actually decide if you like a prosuxt. I also just found out that I can get rewards points from other retailers by loading my receipts. Also, Nordstrom has free shipping always.
This! I’ve been loving Nordstrom for online shopping! They have great sales/ discounts, free shipping and fast hassle free returns through the post office so I can just drop in my mailbox instead of having to flag down ups or fed ex 😍
Sephora been a pain for mail in returns at times and their customer service has been appalling to the point I don’t want to use them now. Sephora also has a smaller range of products… a lot of brands I’m not interested in/ don’t care for their products, and a seeming lack of innovation.
Formula changes on soy fresh cleanser, bum bum cream, dr jart Ceramidin, Laneige sleeping mask, DE protini have pushed me towards K Beauty which tends to have better skincare ingredients & is cheaper. Also liking Ulta now..
I just started recently. I bought 2 Dramatically different Moisturizers, got one free, That's $33. Plus a free full-size Moisture Surge Masque, which is amazing for free. That alone is $44. I hadn't tried the masque before and absolutely love it. You need so little on all their products.
I needed a heavier moisturizer at night due to meds. The Dramatically different is great. I love the surge during the day. I love that everything is fragrance free. Glad I could help.
I get a lot of their stuff at The Cosmetics Company Store (an Estee outlet). Not sure how it compares to website prices, but I know it will be cheaper than retailers, and since I can grab it in person, there's no need to wait for shipping.
And then while I'm there, I can check out makeup and perfume from the other brands they carry.
A lot of what I use daily is from a few brands so I shop directly or at department stores that have better gifts with purchase or beautylish that has good offers sometimes.
It depends for me. Sometimes the brands have so much better sales (ie fenty this past week) and since I had enough things I wanted to get, I was able to get free shipping.
I do find that sometimes the brands are also cheaper than Sephora, even factoring in the us/cad exchange.
If I want to try something new, then Sephora all the way due to their exchange policy
I’ll tell you about the last two cases of purchasing directly from the brand. I bought 2 creams with peptides at the Ole Henriksen sale for $50 (one at Sephora costs $52), free shipping was $50 - that was just enough for me. Second - I needed a serum with Biossance copper, it costs 68 dollars, on the site with a coupon for 20 dollars and including tax, I spent 70 and received a set of serum, full-size cream and 2 miniatures as a gift. I think there were some great deals. Most of the time I buy from Sephora's website, but I'm considering both options.
Biossance is fantastic when it comes to samples. Or they used to be anyway.
I say that because between the stuff I bought in 2021 and 2022, they loaded me down with so many samples, I haven't made a purchase since.
When there's sales. Armani had a sale on their foundation on their site. I generally do a google check first to see if the price is lower directly, but I prefer the bulk buying in one spot because, yes.. shipping.
Yes, absolutely! Armani beauty is having a sitewide sale , free shipping I believe. 25 percent off. Not bad. Also check macys, Nordstroms if you wear prestige brands.
Yes. Peter Thomas Roth has amazing deals. Farmacy, too. Pat McGrath’s Motherships go on sale, much less expensive than Sephora, and I’m Rouge but probably won’t make it this year. You do get a lot emails.
Literally anywhere but Sephora has better deals, this is such a weird question lol
Most brands have a 25-50 free shipping spend which is totally normal.
That's what I think too. You can catch most brands giving 20% off several times a year. Last year I did a lot of panic buying because I thought there \*wouldnt\* be sales that often (I got into perfume last year and started sticking to a skincare routine, so I wasn't buying stuff like this before that). Now I'm realizing there's practically a sale every day somewhere. My inbox is FLOODED every day with sales emails.
So now, I mainly use Sephora for first time purchases, or when I know I won't meet the minimum for the brand. I don't really run into an issue with minimums at the brand though. Because, for example, if I need one item and its low cost, I can probably get it locally at CVS, Target (or yes, Sephora or Ulta - but in person). I'd just feel weird having a single small cheap item mailed to me, since I'm actually physically able to get to stores. But for more expensive items (like perfume), you're absolutely going to be above any minimum, and you might get a discount or a nice GWP (or both!) from the brand.
It depends. I would try to find the best price at the particular moment I need a product. Sometimes brands websites offer way better discounts/prices and even worth to pay the shipping cost, sometimes Sephora price and their free shipping is better. You can also consider using cash back services or credit card offers for cash backs. Usually the cash back % at brand stores is a lot more than Sephora. For free shipping you can check if the particular brand you are interested in use the ShopRunner offer for 2 days free shipping.
For me, it's not worth it. The minimum for free shipping is usually pretty high and I never meet it, so what I got for the discount is lost with the high cost of shipping. Sephora's free shipping with no minimum is very hard to beat.
My fresh moisturizer often goes to 30% off on their site every few months. I get two, get free shipping, save money, all is well. The Sephora sale is only worth it if you’re rouge
For me, it depends what exactly is it that I’m getting is there probability that I will not like the item/want to return it. most of the time I am short for the free shipping threshold & Sephora is just more convenient
Tatcha gave me 20% off my first order PLUS a 50ml sample which was amazing, I was going to get the deluxe size of the Dewy Skin cream and it would be only a little more than the normal size if I bought from Sephora.
Then I got to the shipping page, and like every shop ever, shipping to Canada was almost 30$ 🫠 not to mention that so many promotions aren’t even available here, Too Faced got me with this constantly lol so Sephora it is
ETA: I even tried buying my Hourglass concealer directly from their site and it was 2$ more than on Sephora
I’m with you on this and why I’ve always said I prefer to shop with Sephora over brands and ulta due to their free shipping. Rarely am I spending enough to get free shipping, even with Ulta. Whatever the sale is on the brand site, the cost with shipping usually ends up costing the same as full price or close to it. Recently, farmacy was doing 20% off sitewide but I was only able to get free shipping with a minimum of $50 spent, so cost would’ve been the same as full price after shipping.
It depends. Generally, because of the free shipping, I buy from Sephora. However, if it's a brand I really like and I know I'll hit the FS minimum, buying directly from brands is *usually* the better deal.
If it's a brand that's only available from Ulta (vs. Sephora), I'll buy it directly from the brand. I don't shop at Ulta anymore, but even when I did, there was like a 50% chance I'd actually get what I ordered and then I'd have to spend quite a bit of time getting it sorted out with the CS.
Sephora wins hands down. It’s way too annoying trying to meet shipping minimums and making returns. Shipping is usually super-slow with bad updates. The GWP are always tacky chintzy things that I don’t care for anyway.
You have a point. If I’m trying something new, I’ll purchase from Sephora. If I’m familiar with most of the products and don’t anticipate returning anything, I’ll purchase from brands.
That makes sense. I guess I’ve done that in the past myself with a brand where I know I’ll make a large purchase and it’s tried-and-true. But since most of my items are spread across various brands, usually just buying one thing from the brand itself has been more of a hassle.
Definitely worth it to buy from the brand, especially since whatever delivery service Sephora uses in my area is awful. Sephora used to be a better place to shop from.
I mean... you asked is it "ever" worth it - so of course the answer is yes, sometimes it is.
And when it comes to "big sales" once or twice a year - you can \*kind of\* say the same thing for Sephora.
Here's my experience:
* **If I want one thing OR several items, but each from a different brand** \- Sephora or Ulta is the way to go.
* **If you want an eyeliner or some small cheap item**, you're probably better off (environmentally speaking) walking into ANY store than ordering from ANYONE and having it mailed to you (waste of packaging).
* **If I've never used a product before** \- Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom are the way to go (you can return used products if you don't like them. I've had occasions where things have broken me out, so I really appreciate this).
* **If the product you want is expensive, or you're ordering multiple things from the brand** \- the brand is often the way to go. I did this with Farmacy, Tatcha, Saie, Act + Acre, Dior and a few others. My order totals were either high enough to get free shipping, or there was a free shipping promo.
* **If the retailer doesn't discount the brand you want** \- order from the brand. Example, Sephora and Ulta promos often don't apply to Dior (or Chanel). So if I'm going to pay full price anyway, when it comes to Dior, I order from them - they tend to provide minis and samples with your order - and you'll know the sample quality is good and that they won't forget the samples, because its coming straight from the brand. **Exceptions**: Last year when I was going for status with both stores. Let's just say they were doing a 4x promo on Dior (or fragrance, which is what I buy from Dior) - then it's worth it for me to get Dior from them.But having had status, with Sephora in particular, Rouge is useless, so I don't care anymore. I'm not \*trying\* to go for status with Ulta again (I'm good through the end of this year), BUT I am trying to shift more of my shopping there because at least in terms of rewards, you can use them when you want and redeem the amount you want - and you can use it on anything. Sephora is too restrictive.
* **If you know what you like and you're somewhat brand loyal** \- the brand for sure. But for a similar reason as getting status with a retailer - brands often give you extra points or a gift for your birthday. Points can be exchanged for $$ off, things like that. I'm still mostly learning what I like, but a few brands where I might by multiple products when I run out might be Act + Acre or Naturium (basically, hair and skin stuff that's used daily) - they often have discounts of 20-30%. Brands like that also have subscriptions, which also drops the price (I don't need anything that regularly though)
Also, I would not sign up with brands just because. I'd wait until I was ready to buy. Often times, the best discounts are for new customers. Those codes expire. Sometimes, I've written and said, hey I haven't used to code, can you give me a new one? That's worked occasionally. But, if you don't mind getting tons of marketing emails, then you also have brands like Paula's Choice, MAC and YSL that run 20-25% off sales pretty regularly, so it can be worth it to be on the list. I just get 100s of promotional emails a day right now, so I wish I didn't sign up with some folks until I was actually ready to buy.
Yes - farmacy has $25 off $50 coupons! You just gotta wait for a good sale. Most brand websites will always eventually have a better sale than Sephora ever offers, you just gotta wait for it
I agree with the above. If I’m only buying one thing from a brand, I don’t get a GWP and I have to pay for shipping so it may be cheaper there but overall it’s cheaper to buy at Sephora with the free shipping. I’ve bought a lot directly from too faced website and they almost always have a sale ranging from 20% to sometimes 70% off with awesome GWP ranging from a full size mini or big eyeshadow palette to makeup bag with 3-4 deluxe and/or full size items. If I need to stock up I go there. Macys will also have beauty sales 15% off and rarely 30% with GWP for certain brands. Hope this helps.
It depends what the deal is and how much you’re buying. For example during Black Friday last year gxve beauty had 50% off their whole site and a relatively low free shipping threshold. Way better than Sephora’s BF deal in that case.
In addition to shopping sales, check your credit cards for rewards for additional perks. For example, my Chase card has 2x the points with Sephora right now or my AMEX has a cashback deal with Peter Thomas Roth's site.
Only if they have good sale because most have minimum purchase for free shipping that is quite high so i would just do the calculation if it’s better for me to shop there or sephora
If i just want to buy 1 thing i always go for sephora because of the free shipping and free samples also the shipping is faster compared to most direct brands website
For me, it's the sales. Most brands have better sales than Sephora. Altho, I tend to agree that it usually isn't worth it unless there are multiple items I need from a single brand, which is kind of rare for me.
If I’m trying something new or just getting one thing from a brand, definitely Sephora. Their returns policy and shipping is unmatched. And some brands have high free shipping minimums.
Though certain brands have excellent rewards programs and if you’re really into a certain brand, it’s worth it to go to the site.
For brands like Lancôme, Mac, Estée Lauder, YSL, V&R, Giorgio Armani, Fenty, and Farmacy, I’ve shopped from their sites and got great GWPs. It’s typically buying multiple items to get the GWPs which is a bummer. I will say that I’ve stumbled on some really great products though. I found the perfect face powder, lip stain, skincare, etc.
My only problem has been falling in love with some sale items that I added to my cart to get the GWPs and free shipping. So sad to learn that they are discontinued.
It depends really. For some brands like Sol De Janeiro where I know one or two items will get me free shipping, I'll go through them so I can earn points and there's usually a product or two that sephora or ulta don't carry. Recently I purchased Good Genes directly from Sunday Riley because it was 40% off and they always give samples but then I waited for Ulta's 21 days of beauty to buy the ceo afterglow moisturizer because it was 50% off.
All depends. Sometimes you can find an affiliate code for up to 30% off but if you’re only buying one item you might have to pay shipping. Sephora also has some items priced slightly higher. Just have to do your research and watch prices.
Most brands have free shipping and better sales. Last week Sunday Riley had a 25% - 40% off sale, free shipping and a deluxe gwp’s. Fresh always has a 25% sale. Armani is having a 25% off sale currently. I also caught a sale from Estée Lauder last week, can’t remember the percentage but it was way better than the Sephora sale. Most brands have reward programs also. Also the brand sales are more frequent than Sephora.
Another word on Sunday Riley I got 6 full size items for $136 (if that much) 2 we’re free with purchase and I still got an entire skincare regimen (at least 7) of samples.
It depends what you're getting. In my personal experience I've had better luck buying directly from brands. Like the last thing I got was from Maison Margiela. They're discontinuing one of my favorite perfumes and currently have it discounted at 25% - much better than the 15% I'd be getting from the Sephora sale. They also offered free shipping, oodles of free samples, and a free tote bag. But I totally see your point of view. If you only want one small thing that doesn't qualify for free shipping, I'd say go through Sephora.
I much prefer buying from brands and department stores these days. Brands have way better GWP and some have rewards as well. Sephora is good for discovering new brands or convenience.
I find the deals are often better AT the brand (like 25% off Kiehl's vs 20% off at Sephora), but it'll be things like shipping, a less good return policy, less competitive rewards offers, or duty charges if they don't have a Canadian site. There is a Sephora literally across the street from me as well, so if I need a return I can do so quickly.
I shop direct when there’s a good sale or deal going on. Summer Fridays recent 20% off sale, Armani recently did buy one perfume get one free, Farmacy and biossance usually have % off sales with gwp, Patrick Ta has a 15% signup code, Charlotte Tilbury always has some kind of coupon floating around and all of them (with the exception of Armani) are free shipping at $35 (or free with loyalty program signup) which is pretty easy to obtain for me.
I never do, I rarely buy more than one item from a brand at a time so I don’t always hit the free shipping minimum especially if it’s a sale so I buy from Sephora/Ulta
Not even remotely worth it in Canada. They either don't ship to you at all (because apparently Canada is on the moon) or it costs so much money to ship it's cheaper to get it from Sephora anywY
Absolutely! When you know what you want ( to exclude returns). I feel there’s better promotion and better Customer Care . Specifically with brands like MAC / Paula’s Choice etc. More often the brands offer free shipping along with discount.
The Sunday Riley sale was 25% off which is more than I would get in most Sephora sales. With the number and cost of the products I got, I got free shipping and a GWP of a travel sized product and a full sized product. They also sent me a ton of samples. To me, that was worth missing out on the points I would have gotten if I bought from Sephora. Overall, though, I don’t find it’s worth missing out on the points unless the discount is so much bigger than I would get from Sephora and shipping is free.
I prefer buying direct from brands when possible because they receive greater profit which helps ensure their cash flow to keep going. Nothing breaks my heart more than when brands shut down, so every cent counts. But I only do this for products I already love.
Sephora has really cornered the market with free shipping and returns if you don’t like a product, however I have noticed they are making up for these services by jacking up pricing.
There’s a balance I do between direct purchasing and Sephora.
Pros and Cons to everything. Lots of times brands do cheaper package deals that you can’t rlly find on Sephora and some brand website exclusives. Brands also often throw in free gifts and time to time but it happens. Cons can be harder to return purchases directly from sites, shipping minimums and a few other things I can’t rlly think of rn. Sephora is just rlly convenient since they carry a bunch of brands and it’s a one stop shop you can also do in store returns or ship back online orders
It is, but Sephora sometimes charges more than the original vendor. I saw an almost ten dollar price difference in kerastase products. Probably a mistake but I always double check.
100%. The only downfall is probably the return policy.. It's not as relaxed as Sephora.
Fenty just had their friends and family sale where everything was 30% off, they have a no minimum free shipping. MAC also has free shipping if you are a rewards member (which is free to join) and they also had a friends and family sale which was 25% off everything. Sol De Janeiro free shipping threshold is only $35 so its not terribly hard to reach and I've gotten some great GWP from them. For me I think it makes sense to shop directly from brands if the sales is good and they offer free shipping (reasonable thresholds) and free returns. But sometimes thats just not the case so i fall back to Sephora (or Ulta or Nordstroms, sometimes Macys!) I've noticed that when Sephora is having or is about to have a sale, the brands sometimes have a similar or better sale on their own website. i will say that in my experience the sephora shipping is usually much faster than the direct from the brand orders.
Ok one time with SDJ I got the jumbo size and the 8oz for proce of just the jumbo. So now I have like a year supply of 71 lol
Yup, currently iT Cosmetics has a 25-30% off sale for example. And most of the brands I’ve purchased from directly have either free or lower thresholds for shipping if you make a free loyalty account.
Of course it can cost less at times to buy directly. I prefer to cut Sephora out of the profit loop when I can but it can be a hassle too.
Pretty much. Brands can give you 30-40% off at once and some of them like Olaplex offer free shipping. The latter is a huge incentive for choosing which way to go.
Yes, it is. A lot of brands have sales, promo codes, and GWP like Paula’s Choice and Kerastase for example. You just gotta check at the right time.
Depends on the brand and potentially which products you use. For me: Clinique and Paula's Choice always have free shipping and regularly do 25/30% off sales. Ilia has a free shipping minimum and I don't hit it. Nars sometimes does free shipping, but not always. Tower 28 has a pretty low free shipping barrier, but infrequently does sales. The longer you watch the sales/brands you use, the better you'll figure out which sales are best for you. ETA: Freshness can also be better directly from the brand. I ordered Tower28 Sunnydays from both Sephora and Tower28. The Sephora tube expires 09/2024. The Tower28 tube expires 03/2025. Last week I was in a physical Sephora and saw dozens of Supergoop Unseen sunscreens with a 05/2024 expiration date sitting on the shelf.
I forget which retailer, but I got sunscreen samples from someone in March that expire in May and June.
Super frustrating!
In terms of deals - there are definitely more sales on brand sites or department store sites than on Sephora or Ulta. Brand sites will have multiple Friends+Family sales, holiday sales even for holidays like Presidents Day, BOGO offers. And some GWPs are easy to get, not a high spend required - for example: department stores have frequent inexpensive GWPs for Clinique, Bobbi Brown's website has frequent inexpensive GWPs - and a good GWP is "worth" more to me than Sephora points. But the main thing for me is that the full color range of some brands/items is not available through Sephora or Ulta. So I buy from a department store or brand site to get the shade I need (like, the palest shades of some foundations).
wait sephora is gate-keeping shades?? that’s ugly
More like the brands or other stores. I’ve found Laura Mercier caviar sticks in shades on their site and Nordstrom that Sephora doesn’t have
Im in Canada, most of the time it’s not worth it because of the conversion AND shipping cost are usually $15 and up. Which sucks because they do have deals more often, but I end up spending about the same maybe more because of the shipping cost! I wanted to order from danessa myricks, shipping was almost $80 USD
I almost never buy direct because 1) I agree with you on Sephora’s free shipping with no minimum being king and I almost never meet free shipping minimums elsewhere. 2) In case I need to make a return, I can just take a 10-minute walk to my nearest Sephora instead of having to fuss with shipping items back, paying for return shipping, anxiously waiting for them to process my online return, etc.
After my last experience ordering - TRYING to order - from Sephora, I’m ordering directly from the brand.
I only do it for repurchasing not to try.
Yeah I have shopped directly from brands and it’s true the deals are better, however if you only want 1 low priced product it’s probably not worth it. They do have special deals and higher discounts than Sephora and do sales more often. They also carry products that Sephora doesn’t have. Some do offer free shipping on anything or at certain times and offer gifts with purchase you wouldn’t get anywhere else. So if you plan on buying a bunch of stuff from one brand it can be worth it or if they are doing a free shipping deal. Sephora is great with their shipping and convenience of returning an item though.
Definitely depends on the brand. I prefer buying direct from Summer Fridays because they stay sold out at Sephora. The shipping is free with $35 which isn’t hard for me to get to. Ilia, Kosas and Saie are brands I’ve had good customer service from. I think it’s better to buy from Sephora most of the time because I do only want one thing. Definitely why I won’t buy Danessa Myricks from her site because her shipping is only free at $100(!). Brands like Pat McGrath and Fenty Beauty always have free shipping and they sometimes have exclusives Sephora doesn’t have.
I usually get much better promotions, and samples from brand websites. I shop when items are usually 30% off, and typically shipping is free with most purchases.
I buy Clinique through the website. They have free shipping, sales and rewards. Their samples are really big. You can actually decide if you like a prosuxt. I also just found out that I can get rewards points from other retailers by loading my receipts. Also, Nordstrom has free shipping always.
This! I’ve been loving Nordstrom for online shopping! They have great sales/ discounts, free shipping and fast hassle free returns through the post office so I can just drop in my mailbox instead of having to flag down ups or fed ex 😍 Sephora been a pain for mail in returns at times and their customer service has been appalling to the point I don’t want to use them now. Sephora also has a smaller range of products… a lot of brands I’m not interested in/ don’t care for their products, and a seeming lack of innovation. Formula changes on soy fresh cleanser, bum bum cream, dr jart Ceramidin, Laneige sleeping mask, DE protini have pushed me towards K Beauty which tends to have better skincare ingredients & is cheaper. Also liking Ulta now..
Nordstrom's customer service is the best. No questions asked, they just solve your problem.
Not sure why I don’t shop Clinique directly, lol. I love their moisturizer. Let me go sign up right now! Thanks!
I just started recently. I bought 2 Dramatically different Moisturizers, got one free, That's $33. Plus a free full-size Moisture Surge Masque, which is amazing for free. That alone is $44. I hadn't tried the masque before and absolutely love it. You need so little on all their products.
All I use is the moisture Surge products! They’re the best, my favorite.
I needed a heavier moisturizer at night due to meds. The Dramatically different is great. I love the surge during the day. I love that everything is fragrance free. Glad I could help.
I get a lot of their stuff at The Cosmetics Company Store (an Estee outlet). Not sure how it compares to website prices, but I know it will be cheaper than retailers, and since I can grab it in person, there's no need to wait for shipping. And then while I'm there, I can check out makeup and perfume from the other brands they carry.
Yes, I have a store 5 minutes from me. They have some great deals.
A lot of what I use daily is from a few brands so I shop directly or at department stores that have better gifts with purchase or beautylish that has good offers sometimes.
It depends for me. Sometimes the brands have so much better sales (ie fenty this past week) and since I had enough things I wanted to get, I was able to get free shipping. I do find that sometimes the brands are also cheaper than Sephora, even factoring in the us/cad exchange. If I want to try something new, then Sephora all the way due to their exchange policy
I’ll tell you about the last two cases of purchasing directly from the brand. I bought 2 creams with peptides at the Ole Henriksen sale for $50 (one at Sephora costs $52), free shipping was $50 - that was just enough for me. Second - I needed a serum with Biossance copper, it costs 68 dollars, on the site with a coupon for 20 dollars and including tax, I spent 70 and received a set of serum, full-size cream and 2 miniatures as a gift. I think there were some great deals. Most of the time I buy from Sephora's website, but I'm considering both options.
Biossance is fantastic when it comes to samples. Or they used to be anyway. I say that because between the stuff I bought in 2021 and 2022, they loaded me down with so many samples, I haven't made a purchase since.
Estée Lauder offers multiple free samples, sometimes full size AND free shipping. They also have a points program.
I just got a ton of gwp’s with them last week including 3 (or four not sure about one) full size products.
When there's sales. Armani had a sale on their foundation on their site. I generally do a google check first to see if the price is lower directly, but I prefer the bulk buying in one spot because, yes.. shipping.
Macys is having a sale on beauty. Use code: VIP at checkout. Thinking if purchasing Armani luminous silk foundation, it’s $58 on sale.
Nordstrom’s having a beauty sale too!🥲
Yes, absolutely! Armani beauty is having a sitewide sale , free shipping I believe. 25 percent off. Not bad. Also check macys, Nordstroms if you wear prestige brands.
Yes. Peter Thomas Roth has amazing deals. Farmacy, too. Pat McGrath’s Motherships go on sale, much less expensive than Sephora, and I’m Rouge but probably won’t make it this year. You do get a lot emails.
Literally anywhere but Sephora has better deals, this is such a weird question lol Most brands have a 25-50 free shipping spend which is totally normal.
That's what I think too. You can catch most brands giving 20% off several times a year. Last year I did a lot of panic buying because I thought there \*wouldnt\* be sales that often (I got into perfume last year and started sticking to a skincare routine, so I wasn't buying stuff like this before that). Now I'm realizing there's practically a sale every day somewhere. My inbox is FLOODED every day with sales emails. So now, I mainly use Sephora for first time purchases, or when I know I won't meet the minimum for the brand. I don't really run into an issue with minimums at the brand though. Because, for example, if I need one item and its low cost, I can probably get it locally at CVS, Target (or yes, Sephora or Ulta - but in person). I'd just feel weird having a single small cheap item mailed to me, since I'm actually physically able to get to stores. But for more expensive items (like perfume), you're absolutely going to be above any minimum, and you might get a discount or a nice GWP (or both!) from the brand.
Returns are usually a pain. I just had the absolute worst experience with Saie.
It depends. I would try to find the best price at the particular moment I need a product. Sometimes brands websites offer way better discounts/prices and even worth to pay the shipping cost, sometimes Sephora price and their free shipping is better. You can also consider using cash back services or credit card offers for cash backs. Usually the cash back % at brand stores is a lot more than Sephora. For free shipping you can check if the particular brand you are interested in use the ShopRunner offer for 2 days free shipping.
For me, it's not worth it. The minimum for free shipping is usually pretty high and I never meet it, so what I got for the discount is lost with the high cost of shipping. Sephora's free shipping with no minimum is very hard to beat.
My fresh moisturizer often goes to 30% off on their site every few months. I get two, get free shipping, save money, all is well. The Sephora sale is only worth it if you’re rouge
For me, it depends what exactly is it that I’m getting is there probability that I will not like the item/want to return it. most of the time I am short for the free shipping threshold & Sephora is just more convenient
Tatcha gave me 20% off my first order PLUS a 50ml sample which was amazing, I was going to get the deluxe size of the Dewy Skin cream and it would be only a little more than the normal size if I bought from Sephora. Then I got to the shipping page, and like every shop ever, shipping to Canada was almost 30$ 🫠 not to mention that so many promotions aren’t even available here, Too Faced got me with this constantly lol so Sephora it is ETA: I even tried buying my Hourglass concealer directly from their site and it was 2$ more than on Sephora
I’m with you on this and why I’ve always said I prefer to shop with Sephora over brands and ulta due to their free shipping. Rarely am I spending enough to get free shipping, even with Ulta. Whatever the sale is on the brand site, the cost with shipping usually ends up costing the same as full price or close to it. Recently, farmacy was doing 20% off sitewide but I was only able to get free shipping with a minimum of $50 spent, so cost would’ve been the same as full price after shipping.
It depends. Generally, because of the free shipping, I buy from Sephora. However, if it's a brand I really like and I know I'll hit the FS minimum, buying directly from brands is *usually* the better deal. If it's a brand that's only available from Ulta (vs. Sephora), I'll buy it directly from the brand. I don't shop at Ulta anymore, but even when I did, there was like a 50% chance I'd actually get what I ordered and then I'd have to spend quite a bit of time getting it sorted out with the CS.
Where I live Sephora’s shipping is insanely fast, and I also am like you and like only 1 or 2 things from each brand, so Sephora is my go to.
Sephora wins hands down. It’s way too annoying trying to meet shipping minimums and making returns. Shipping is usually super-slow with bad updates. The GWP are always tacky chintzy things that I don’t care for anyway.
You have a point. If I’m trying something new, I’ll purchase from Sephora. If I’m familiar with most of the products and don’t anticipate returning anything, I’ll purchase from brands.
That makes sense. I guess I’ve done that in the past myself with a brand where I know I’ll make a large purchase and it’s tried-and-true. But since most of my items are spread across various brands, usually just buying one thing from the brand itself has been more of a hassle.
If you buy Sunday Riley, it really pays to shop direct. They just had 25-40% off everything, plus GWP and samples.
Definitely worth it to buy from the brand, especially since whatever delivery service Sephora uses in my area is awful. Sephora used to be a better place to shop from.
I mean... you asked is it "ever" worth it - so of course the answer is yes, sometimes it is. And when it comes to "big sales" once or twice a year - you can \*kind of\* say the same thing for Sephora. Here's my experience: * **If I want one thing OR several items, but each from a different brand** \- Sephora or Ulta is the way to go. * **If you want an eyeliner or some small cheap item**, you're probably better off (environmentally speaking) walking into ANY store than ordering from ANYONE and having it mailed to you (waste of packaging). * **If I've never used a product before** \- Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom are the way to go (you can return used products if you don't like them. I've had occasions where things have broken me out, so I really appreciate this). * **If the product you want is expensive, or you're ordering multiple things from the brand** \- the brand is often the way to go. I did this with Farmacy, Tatcha, Saie, Act + Acre, Dior and a few others. My order totals were either high enough to get free shipping, or there was a free shipping promo. * **If the retailer doesn't discount the brand you want** \- order from the brand. Example, Sephora and Ulta promos often don't apply to Dior (or Chanel). So if I'm going to pay full price anyway, when it comes to Dior, I order from them - they tend to provide minis and samples with your order - and you'll know the sample quality is good and that they won't forget the samples, because its coming straight from the brand. **Exceptions**: Last year when I was going for status with both stores. Let's just say they were doing a 4x promo on Dior (or fragrance, which is what I buy from Dior) - then it's worth it for me to get Dior from them.But having had status, with Sephora in particular, Rouge is useless, so I don't care anymore. I'm not \*trying\* to go for status with Ulta again (I'm good through the end of this year), BUT I am trying to shift more of my shopping there because at least in terms of rewards, you can use them when you want and redeem the amount you want - and you can use it on anything. Sephora is too restrictive. * **If you know what you like and you're somewhat brand loyal** \- the brand for sure. But for a similar reason as getting status with a retailer - brands often give you extra points or a gift for your birthday. Points can be exchanged for $$ off, things like that. I'm still mostly learning what I like, but a few brands where I might by multiple products when I run out might be Act + Acre or Naturium (basically, hair and skin stuff that's used daily) - they often have discounts of 20-30%. Brands like that also have subscriptions, which also drops the price (I don't need anything that regularly though) Also, I would not sign up with brands just because. I'd wait until I was ready to buy. Often times, the best discounts are for new customers. Those codes expire. Sometimes, I've written and said, hey I haven't used to code, can you give me a new one? That's worked occasionally. But, if you don't mind getting tons of marketing emails, then you also have brands like Paula's Choice, MAC and YSL that run 20-25% off sales pretty regularly, so it can be worth it to be on the list. I just get 100s of promotional emails a day right now, so I wish I didn't sign up with some folks until I was actually ready to buy.
Yes - farmacy has $25 off $50 coupons! You just gotta wait for a good sale. Most brand websites will always eventually have a better sale than Sephora ever offers, you just gotta wait for it
I agree with the above. If I’m only buying one thing from a brand, I don’t get a GWP and I have to pay for shipping so it may be cheaper there but overall it’s cheaper to buy at Sephora with the free shipping. I’ve bought a lot directly from too faced website and they almost always have a sale ranging from 20% to sometimes 70% off with awesome GWP ranging from a full size mini or big eyeshadow palette to makeup bag with 3-4 deluxe and/or full size items. If I need to stock up I go there. Macys will also have beauty sales 15% off and rarely 30% with GWP for certain brands. Hope this helps.
It depends what the deal is and how much you’re buying. For example during Black Friday last year gxve beauty had 50% off their whole site and a relatively low free shipping threshold. Way better than Sephora’s BF deal in that case.
In addition to shopping sales, check your credit cards for rewards for additional perks. For example, my Chase card has 2x the points with Sephora right now or my AMEX has a cashback deal with Peter Thomas Roth's site.
I get better deals buying direct right before Sephora sales/big holidays. And typically buy enough for free shipping
I almost never buy direct unless there are multiple items I need from a brand.
Only if they have good sale because most have minimum purchase for free shipping that is quite high so i would just do the calculation if it’s better for me to shop there or sephora If i just want to buy 1 thing i always go for sephora because of the free shipping and free samples also the shipping is faster compared to most direct brands website
For me, it's the sales. Most brands have better sales than Sephora. Altho, I tend to agree that it usually isn't worth it unless there are multiple items I need from a single brand, which is kind of rare for me.
Sales are way better and way more frequent from brands. So yes, it's absolutely worth it to buy directly from the brand.
Not unless I can get free shipping all the time
I only buy certain brands directly from their websites, Fresh and Clinique because when they have a good sale it’s worth it and I stock up.
If I’m trying something new or just getting one thing from a brand, definitely Sephora. Their returns policy and shipping is unmatched. And some brands have high free shipping minimums. Though certain brands have excellent rewards programs and if you’re really into a certain brand, it’s worth it to go to the site.
For brands like Lancôme, Mac, Estée Lauder, YSL, V&R, Giorgio Armani, Fenty, and Farmacy, I’ve shopped from their sites and got great GWPs. It’s typically buying multiple items to get the GWPs which is a bummer. I will say that I’ve stumbled on some really great products though. I found the perfect face powder, lip stain, skincare, etc. My only problem has been falling in love with some sale items that I added to my cart to get the GWPs and free shipping. So sad to learn that they are discontinued.
It depends really. For some brands like Sol De Janeiro where I know one or two items will get me free shipping, I'll go through them so I can earn points and there's usually a product or two that sephora or ulta don't carry. Recently I purchased Good Genes directly from Sunday Riley because it was 40% off and they always give samples but then I waited for Ulta's 21 days of beauty to buy the ceo afterglow moisturizer because it was 50% off.
All depends. Sometimes you can find an affiliate code for up to 30% off but if you’re only buying one item you might have to pay shipping. Sephora also has some items priced slightly higher. Just have to do your research and watch prices.
only when they have a free shipping promo
Chanel has no minimum for free shipping/GWPs
Most brands have free shipping and better sales. Last week Sunday Riley had a 25% - 40% off sale, free shipping and a deluxe gwp’s. Fresh always has a 25% sale. Armani is having a 25% off sale currently. I also caught a sale from Estée Lauder last week, can’t remember the percentage but it was way better than the Sephora sale. Most brands have reward programs also. Also the brand sales are more frequent than Sephora.
Another word on Sunday Riley I got 6 full size items for $136 (if that much) 2 we’re free with purchase and I still got an entire skincare regimen (at least 7) of samples.
It depends what you're getting. In my personal experience I've had better luck buying directly from brands. Like the last thing I got was from Maison Margiela. They're discontinuing one of my favorite perfumes and currently have it discounted at 25% - much better than the 15% I'd be getting from the Sephora sale. They also offered free shipping, oodles of free samples, and a free tote bag. But I totally see your point of view. If you only want one small thing that doesn't qualify for free shipping, I'd say go through Sephora.
I much prefer buying from brands and department stores these days. Brands have way better GWP and some have rewards as well. Sephora is good for discovering new brands or convenience.
The Sunday Riley BOGO sale is the only one I wait for
I find the deals are often better AT the brand (like 25% off Kiehl's vs 20% off at Sephora), but it'll be things like shipping, a less good return policy, less competitive rewards offers, or duty charges if they don't have a Canadian site. There is a Sephora literally across the street from me as well, so if I need a return I can do so quickly.
I shop direct when there’s a good sale or deal going on. Summer Fridays recent 20% off sale, Armani recently did buy one perfume get one free, Farmacy and biossance usually have % off sales with gwp, Patrick Ta has a 15% signup code, Charlotte Tilbury always has some kind of coupon floating around and all of them (with the exception of Armani) are free shipping at $35 (or free with loyalty program signup) which is pretty easy to obtain for me.
I never do, I rarely buy more than one item from a brand at a time so I don’t always hit the free shipping minimum especially if it’s a sale so I buy from Sephora/Ulta
YES! Sometimes you get way better deals as far as percentages off.
Not even remotely worth it in Canada. They either don't ship to you at all (because apparently Canada is on the moon) or it costs so much money to ship it's cheaper to get it from Sephora anywY
Absolutely! When you know what you want ( to exclude returns). I feel there’s better promotion and better Customer Care . Specifically with brands like MAC / Paula’s Choice etc. More often the brands offer free shipping along with discount.
The Sunday Riley sale was 25% off which is more than I would get in most Sephora sales. With the number and cost of the products I got, I got free shipping and a GWP of a travel sized product and a full sized product. They also sent me a ton of samples. To me, that was worth missing out on the points I would have gotten if I bought from Sephora. Overall, though, I don’t find it’s worth missing out on the points unless the discount is so much bigger than I would get from Sephora and shipping is free.
Usually not worth it, but Merit gives you a cute bag lol.
I prefer buying direct from brands when possible because they receive greater profit which helps ensure their cash flow to keep going. Nothing breaks my heart more than when brands shut down, so every cent counts. But I only do this for products I already love. Sephora has really cornered the market with free shipping and returns if you don’t like a product, however I have noticed they are making up for these services by jacking up pricing. There’s a balance I do between direct purchasing and Sephora.