Anyone who is a skincare or makeup aficionado will tell you that Sephora is the hub of beauty products.
Avid shoppers will also tell you that their products are on the higher end of the beauty industry.
Sephora is an all in one shopping experience and the price tag reflects that. Not all of their products will fit into everyone’s budget, but is the price justifiable?
Keep reading to find out what makes Sephora more expensive and whether it’s worth it!
Sephora specializes in selling some of the most high-end brands on the market. They are a one-stop shop that specializes in providing some of the best beauty and skincare brands. At Sephora, you will find a seamless shopping experience across all platforms. They offer the unique ability to digitally try on any of their products and will build a profile to meet your needs.
As a leader in the beauty industry, Sephora has to continuously stay ahead of the game.
Whether it’s through their rewards program or shopping experience, it’s clear they will always be the best place to shop in beauty.
How Expensive Is Sephora?
Sephora offers a wide-range of beauty brands, everything from skincare and makeup to tools and fragrances can be found.
Most products offered under the Sephora Collection have a price tag of under $15, but you can find some name brand items for upwards of $500.
Sephora only has control over the price of their house brand. All of the other prices are set by the brands themselves, which is why you see mascaras from $15-$60.
Sephora is really a reseller of all of these high quality brands. They don’t control the prices, but they can offer things like a rewards program and coupons to save you money.
When you consider how the pricing works on the back end, they really aren’t much more expensive than buying directly from these luxury brands.
The Cost Of Sephora
Sephora is known for their high quality products, which is why you’ll see a higher price. But not everything at Sephora is extravagantly expensive.
Brands like The Ordinary and the Sephora Collection itself have a much lower price tag. The prices start at $4 and go up to $85 for hair and makeup tools.
Some of the more high end brands will always come at a higher cost. Brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills or Clinique can cost between $35 and $175, which may not be in everyone’s budget.
While Sephora does sell products at a high cost, they also have a lot of products that are low cost without sacrificing quality.
They ensure that every product is up to their standards, so you can find the perfect fit for your budget.
How Sephora Is Superior
Sephora is known for their seamless customer experience. When you shop in-store, you can chat with their beauty consultants to find the best products for you.
Their consultants are there to help you find the perfect product in all areas of the store.
When you shop in store, or through their mobile app, you can digitally try on any makeup product digitally.
This also helps customers find their perfect skin match for foundation or concealer, which is often a difficult task.
Sephora continues to stay ahead in the beauty industry by working to meet their customer’s needs.
By integrating digital strategy into their in-store experience, they’re able to set themselves apart from their competition.
Benefits To Shopping At Sephora
At Sephora, you have the opportunity to try a product before you buy it. Whether it’s just seeing an eye shadow palette in person, or taking home a sample of night cream.
Sephora offers the chance for customers to see, feel, or smell their products before they take the leap to buy it.
This open-sell environment was unique when Sephora was first founded, and it continues to set the retailer apart.
Their associates are able to help you navigate through endless aisles to find the best fit for you.
Sephora also offers an amazing rewards program, considered by many to be the best loyalty program in retail.
Although the price of their products may be higher than other retailers, you will save a lot of money in the logrun with their rewards program.
Plus, Sephora sends their rewards members special discounts every year on their birthday! All the more reason to treat yourself to something nice.
Makeovers At Sephora
If you’ve been to a Sephora during prom or wedding season, you’ve probably noticed some women getting their makeup done.
Sephora offers makeovers to their customers for $50 – and you get a $50 gift card in return.
The downside to doing a makeover at Sephora is that you can’t take any of the products with you for touch ups later in the night.
You can always ask your consultant for samples to ensure your makeup looks perfect all night long.
Makeovers usually take 45 minutes and reservations can be made through your local Sephora website.
Variety Of Products
Self-care is all the rage – especially for busy moms. Having a one-stop shopping experience at a store like Sephora to find the best products to indulge on is a necessity.
Everything from makeup to skin care can be found at Sephora. Their expert employees can help you find the best product to fit your routine and budget.
You can even find fantastic hair products to make your hair always feel like you’ve just come from the salon!
Best Selling Products
Sephora has dozens of best selling products in every category. They’re known for makeup and skincare, and the popularity of these items is shown in their best sellers list.
Some of their most popular items range from Armani Beauty foundation for $64 to Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask for $22.
When it comes to skincare, you can find items for anything you need. Their most popular moisturizer comes from Drunk Elephant for $68, while the Salicylic Acid Serum from The Ordinary goes for $6.50.
The wide price range reflected in their best selling items shows the wide audience Sephora appeals to, and that there’s something available for everyone!
What Sets Sephora Apart
Sephora sets itself apart by being an all in one shopping experience. You can find some of the highest quality products on the market, and try them before you buy.
Sephora offers luxury beauty and skincare brands. Unlike other department stores, they provide brands that can’t be found in any other stores across the world.
By offering exclusive brands in the beauty industry, they set the precedent for the type of experience their customers will have. Across their brick-and-mortar stores, website, and mobile app, customers find the experience to be extremely consistent.
No matter how you choose to shop, you will have access to over 3,000 of the best beauty brands in any category.
Where To Find Sephora
Sephora operates over 2,700 stores across 35 countries worldwide. Sephora can be found in shopping malls across the world, as well as in certain Kohl’s across the US.
Luckily, if you don’t have a Sephora located near you, you can shop through their website or mobile app.
They make it easy to ensure you find the best products for you, no matter which shopping experience you choose.
How To Save At Sephora
One of the biggest ways to save money at Sephora is to become a member of their rewards program.
Through this, you will continuously receive emails with discounts and a heads up about upcoming sales, You will also receive coupons in the mail!
When you join the Beauty Insider program, you will be able to collect points through your purchases.
If you accumulate your points, you’ll be able to save even more when you shop. The points can be used in store or online, where you’ll have an even bigger selection of products to choose from.
You will also be privy to exclusive offers if you shop through their mobile app. Stores like Sephora want more eyes on their brand, so using this marketing technique is a great way to get new customers.
If you find yourself shopping at Sephora, don’t be afraid to ask for a sample of one of their products to try before you buy.
You can get samples of anything, that way you don’t waste the money on a full-sized product.
Also, if you’re a healthcare worker or first responder, you can get 10% off your entire purchase anytime you shop!
It’s no secret that when it comes to makeup and skincare, Sephora is the place to go. With over 340 brands and more than 45,000 products, the choices can be overwhelming.
According to their website, their best sellers in makeup range from Fenty Beauty to NARS.
Fenty Beauty is Rhianna’s makeup brand known for its wide variety of foundation shades meant to fit anyone’s skin tone.
You can also find hair styling tools from Dyson, which are known for protecting hair from heat damage. While you can’t exactly sample these products in store, they come with almost 400 4-star reviews on Sephora’s website.
If you’re looking for skincare, Sephora’s number one selling products come from the brand The Ordinary. This brand is known for their unique formulas fitting to every skin type, at a low price.
If you’d like to sample anything from the best sellers list, you can ask a store associate. That way you can see what others are loving without committing to paying full price up front!
Alternatives To Sephora
There are so many options out there for beauty and skincare, so you may be wondering how Sephora compares to its competitors.
While there are no retailers offering the same experience as Sephora, there are many that come close.
Whether it’s a company specializing in just makeup or a little bit of everything, we’ve compiled the perfect list for you!
1.Ulta
You can’t talk about Sephora without mentioning Ulta. While Sephora is known for their luxury beauty brands, Ulta is considered the retailer for drugstore brands. In reality, these two stores aren’t so different.
Both companies offer competitive rewards programs, a wide-range of products, in house beauty services, and an all-in-one shopping experience. The main difference lies in the quality of products they offer.
2.MAC
MAC Cosmetics is a boutique, specialty cosmetics company. Unlike Sephora, MAC is just one brand with a large shade range of eyeshadows, foundation, and lipstick. MAC is also known for using natural ingredients in their products, which will make their prices a little higher.
3.Lush
Lush is known for their colorful, fantastic smelling bath bombs and skincare products. Their main claim to fame is the fact that they don’t do any animal testing and use mostly natural ingredients to create their products.
The downside to Lush is that they don’t offer much in the way of makeup, and their retail locations are usually limited on space. If you’re looking for a great way to treat yourself to some self-care, Lush is the spot for you.
4.Nordstrom
Sephora is known as a department store beauty brand, but many department stores started this trend years ago. Nordstrom offers some of the most high-end cosmetics and fragrances on the market.
Nordstrom has a much smaller selection of cosmetics and skincare than Sephora. If you’re looking for a wide selection with a great shopping experience, Sephora is your place to go.
5.Macy’s
For many years, Macy’s was the place to shop for high-end cosmetics. When stores like Sephora came on the scene, it was clear that Macy’s selection was lacking.
In comparison, Macy’s has a much smaller selection of beauty products than Sephora, but they’re equally expensive. Below we will compare some of the best selling mascaras among Sephora and their competitors.
| Sephora | Too Faced Volumizing Mascara | $27.00 |
| Ulta | Tarte Maneater Mascara | $23.00 |
| MAC Cosmetics | Magic Extension Mascara | $25.00 |
| Lush | Eyes Right Mascara | $21.95 |
| Nordstrom | Lancome Monsieur Mascara | $26.00 |
| Macy’s | Clinique High Impact Mascara | $21.00 |
Is It Worth It?
Sephora has so much to offer to their customers, and the beauty industry in general. Although the prices are higher, they offer a unique experience when it comes to shopping in their stores.
There are great ways to save at Sephora through their rewards program, and you have the unique ability to take samples home.
The wide range of products offered at Sephora can help you find the best makeup, skincare, or hair products for you. Their employees are happy and willing to help you find the best fit for your routine.
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My name is Keren Tayler. I am a stay-at-home mama to three lovely girls, Sarah + Rachel + Hannah. Prior to becoming a mom, I had a successful career in the accounting field, steps away from becoming a CPA. I decided to give up on my career in order to raise my own kids (as opposed to letting a nanny do it, no judgment here :)) I learned a lot and I love sharing it with other moms. Along the way, I also became a Certified Food Handler.