How to Get Free Products at Sephora Stores

Sephora is a popular place to buy cosmetics and bath products. Besides the huge selection of brands and products, Sephora is known for its over-the-top customer service. This means that the sales team, or “cast members” are encouraged (sometimes mandated) to offer free samples of products. If you know the store’s policies, you can end up taking home plenty of great cosmetics for free.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Getting Free Samples In-Store

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Chances are, there’s a Sephora not too far from you. It may be located inside a mall, a JCPenney, or in your city’s downtown area. You can use the Sephora website’s shop locator to find one.
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Visit the store as a potential customer. Try to visit the store at a time when they won’t be busy. If you’re available to visit in the middle of a weekday, that’s best. Most people will be at work, and the store probably won’t be busy.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Asking for free samples when salespeople are very busy can sometimes seem bothersome or rude.
- When salespeople have downtime, they’re much more likely to be happy to make you plenty of samples.
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Ask for samples. You can ask for samples of any of the products that you see. Generally, Sephora salespeople are instructed to offer three free samples per customer. You can always try asking for more, but you may not get them.^{[2]XResearch source}
- If the salesperson sees that you’re actually planning to buy something, they’re more likely to offer more than three samples.
- Some Sephora “cast members” are assigned to certain “worlds” such as perfumes or eye shadows. It’s usually best to ask for the sample from the person working in that “world” rather than the cashier.
Always express gratitude for the free samples. If you’re friendly and appreciative, you’re more likely to be offered more samples in the future. Let them know you’re excited to try the products at home and report back.^{[3]XResearch source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Shopping Online

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Sephora’s website offers all of the products they have in their stores. Of course, you won’t be able to smell the perfumes or feel the products on your skin. However, the website offers some exclusive deals that you won’t see in the store.
This page contains a long list of coupons and promotions to help you get free products. It can be difficult to locate this page from the Sephora homepage. If you can’t find it, simply type “beauty deals” into the search bar.
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Choose a current deal. Most deals have a promo code that you’ll need to enter at checkout. Many deals are only for “Beauty Insiders”, so you may need to register before you can take advantage of them. Registering as a Beauty Insider is free and easy, so it’s worth it if you want to get the deal.
- Unlike shopping in the store, you always have to buy something in order to get something for free online.
- Take note of the deals you want. If they require a promo code, write down that deal's promo code. You'll need to enter it at checkout.
Some deals require that you purchase specific items. For example, a certain brand might offer a free clutch if you purchase a bottle of their perfume. Other deals offer a free product with any $25 purchase. Make sure to fill your cart with the right items to be able to get the deal.
Click the link toward the top of the page that says “3 Free Samples.” There will be a long list of items that you can request. Unlike in the store, there is a limited selection of samples you can request.^{[4]XResearch source}
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Check out using your promo code. Once you have filled your cart and chosen your samples, head to checkout. You will see a space to enter any promo codes that you are using. Enter the promo codes that you wrote down when looking at the Beauty Deals page.
- You may also enjoy free 3-day shipping if you make a purchase over $50.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Becoming a “Beauty Insider”

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1
Visit the Sephora website’s “Beauty Insider” page. From the homepage, click the link at the top that says, “Beauty Insider.” Beauty Insider is the name of Sephora’s rewards program. It entitles members to free products based on how much they buy.
- You can also become a Beauty Insider at the retail store. Simply ask the cashier to register you.
2
Choose which level of insider you’d like to be. There are three levels of Beauty Insider. You can choose from Beauty Insider, VIB, or VIB Rouge. All membership levels are free to join and have different benefits.
- Beauty Insiders receive a free birthday gift, beauty classes, and can accumulate points to spend on rewards.
- VIBs get everything that Beauty Insiders get, plus a free makeover.
- VIB Rouge members get as many free makeovers as they want, free 2-day shipping, and invitations to special events.
Registration for Beauty Insider status is fast and easy. Simply click the link to sign up and fill in your information. You’ll need to log into the site from now on to use your Beauty Insider status and get your points.
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Shop as a Beauty Insider. Once you’re logged in, your purchases will be recorded in your account. For every dollar you spend, you’ll get one point. If you choose to shop in the store, make sure they know you’re a Beauty Insider when you check out. Otherwise there will be no record of your purchase.
- If you’ve only registered as a Beauty Insider, you’ll be upgraded to VIB status if you purchase $350 worth of products in a year. If you purchase more than $1,000 worth, you’ll become a VIB Rouge member.
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Redeem your points for free products. Sephora rotates the products that can be redeemed for points. Some products can be purchased for only 100 points while some can cost 1,000 points. Check the website for new rewards deals, or ask about them at your local Sephora store.
- Points can be gained any time you shop in the store or online. They are automatically added to your account when you shop.
- To redeem points in a store, tell the cashier that you'd like to redeem your points. You may be able to get your reward on the spot.
- Points can be redeemed online at any time.
- Points do not expire.
Once you’ve registered as a Beauty Insider, you get a free gift during your birthday month. You can go into the store to request it, or login online. However, if you’re requesting your gift online you’ll still need to make a purchase to receive it.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Returning Used Products

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With many products this is easy, since the product is inseparable from the packaging (as with lipstick and nail polish). If you don’t have the packaging you won’t be able to return the product.^{[5]XResearch source}
2
Return the product in-store or by mail. Sephora accepts returns within 60 days of purchase. Even if the product is used, you may return it. That means you can actually use up most of a product and still return it for store credit for the full value of the product.^{[6]XResearch source}
- You may only return products purchased online via the mail. You cannot return them to a retail location.
- You don’t need a receipt to return something to Sephora. Even if you paid in cash at a retail store, you can still return the item. However, they will scan your ID and save your personal information to prevent fraud and theft.
You now have store credit to spend on a new product. Even if you actually liked the product you returned, don’t purchase a new one now. The salespeople will question why you returned it in the first place.^{[7]XResearch source}
4
Return items sparingly. Sephora keeps a record of what people buy and return. If they notice that you are purchasing and returning products often, they will eventually stop letting you return products.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Remember: their return policy is meant to be a part of great customer service, not simply a way to give away free products.

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Question
Why does it say that it's free to join? For VIB, you have to be a Beauty Insider first, then spend $350 in a year. For VIB Rouge, you have to be a Beauty Insider first, and then spend $1,000 in a year.
Community Answer
Because you don’t have to pay an annual fee or pay to be a Beauty Insider. That's basically all they're saying, that you don't have to pay a membership fee to get started.
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Is it illegal to return products this way?
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No, it is not illegal, but it is pretty rude if you do it repeatedly.
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What do I do if the salespeople find out I only want free samples?
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You just need to not be annoying, and be thankful for your products. Then they will appreciate you being respectful. Remember, they are people too! They want free stuff sometimes!
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Tips

If you have the time, you can always try out as many of the in-store testers as you like. You can even give yourself a full manicure in the store!
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Always be friendly to the people working in the store. They get to decide how much free stuff you’ll get.
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Salespeople at Sephora don’t work on commission. That means they don’t need to sell you something to make extra money themselves. So there’s no need to feel bad when someone offers you something but you don’t purchase it.
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Warnings

If you notice that the salespeople are becoming unfriendly or impatient with you, back off a little bit. You may be asking too much, or bothering them when they’re busy. Or, they may have figured out that you are only interested in free products, not in actually buying anything.
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