If you've never ventured into a Sephora store or perused their products online and didn't know where to start, or you do but are looking for a little insider info, here's where you should begin. This is everything you need to know before you shop at Sephora.
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00:00If you've never ventured into a Sephora, or shopped their products online,
00:04or you're a V.I.B. looking for some hot tips, we've got you covered. And you don't need to
00:09be a beauty vlogger to totally score at this makeup mecca. This is everything you need to
00:14know before you shop at Sephora. Sephora.com launched in the U.S. in 1999, giving both
00:19consumers and beauty industry insiders a platform to communicate and share information. Today,
00:25Sephora's site, and now its app, has grown into something much more, and is nearly the digital
00:30equivalent of a standalone store. Sephora executive, VP, and chief marketing and digital
00:35officer Julie Bornstein said the company's current website is constantly evolving to
00:39provide its customers with the best possible experience. She told Harvard Business Review,
00:44"[Sephora has moved to make digital as important as the physical product in our stores.
00:48There will always be a new Pinterest, a new Instagram, a new desire from your customers
00:53to connect. We're constantly evaluating new technologies and platforms."
00:58Possibly the worst thing about buying a brand new concealer or foundation is realizing once
01:02it's on your face that it's the completely wrong color. Regardless of even the most generous return
01:07policy, the hassle of having to go back and swap it out for something else can be incredibly
01:12frustrating. According to Bridget Dolan, Sephora's VP of Interactive Media, the average woman
01:17typically goes through seven shades of foundation before she lands on the right color. It's a big
01:21reason why the company created its Color IQ system to find your exact shade.
01:25"'Color IQ' works for any skin tone, whether you have pink undertones,
01:29yellow undertones, no matter how deep or light."
01:31Dolan told Forbes,
01:32"'Sephora figured out early on that if we were to get the basics right,
01:35we should ask the questions as if we were standing in the store. That's where we're
01:39heading. How do we help guide and navigate you to the right products that are the most relevant
01:43for you?"
01:44"'Here is to Color IQ and you.'"
01:48If virtual foundation matching isn't your thing, you'll be happy to know that Sephora's staff are
01:52more than capable of handling any questions you may have. Senior artist and class facilitator
01:57Kim Karpluk told Mental Floss,
01:59"'Sephora is amazing about education. I've grown so much as an artist in just three years with
02:04the company.'"
02:04"'Coming to Sephora, it's people of all different backgrounds, of all different genders,
02:08of all different sexualities, and it's just so empowering to work for such a diverse group
02:12of people."
02:13Ariel Sullivan, who worked with the company for two years, told 30 on Tap how employees
02:18are required to go through some pretty extensive ongoing training, which starts with Sephora
02:22University. She said,
02:23"'There are hundreds of brand videos, stories, how-tos, and guides on SU. You also go through
02:28separate trainings in color or skin, depending on the area in which you want to specialize.'"
02:33Rest assured that not only do the people at Sephora know what they're talking about,
02:37they also won't hesitate to give you their honest opinion about a product.
02:41That's because, on top of their extensive training, no one in the store works off-commission.
02:45"'Sephora challenges us to be the best makeup artist that we can possibly be.'"
02:50Karpluk says that's a big reason a lot of people choose to work for the company is
02:53because they won't be forced to hawk particular products to customers. She told Mental Floss,
02:58"'We just really care. We're there to support each other and make our clients feel beautiful
03:02and happy and suggest what's right for them based on their particular concerns.'"
03:07"'We're the only global prestige beauty retailer
03:10who really understands innovation for our clients.'"
03:13But just because they don't work off-commission doesn't mean there aren't incentives for
03:17high-selling employees. Those who meet hourly sales goals are often treated to free beauty
03:22products by their managers, per the outlet. And rewards are also given out to those who
03:26are rated well in customer experience surveys.
03:29Sephora's digital experience is about more than virtual foundation matching and product
03:33recommendations, and it's all about the beauty insider life. It's a community that's run
03:38similarly to Reddit, and some boards will have a certain familiarity to them if you've ever spent
03:42time on the makeup addiction subreddit.
03:45"'For Sephora in particular, social media is kind of the natural coming-to-life of a
03:50community that has always been very passionate about beauty.'"
03:54While the beauty insider community is a great resource for answers to questions regarding
03:58pretty much anything Sephora-related, it's also become a place for members to share their own
04:02Sephora product looks, participate in company-sponsored sweepstakes, or to reach out to
04:06others for specific tips and tricks.
04:09If a Sephora purchase doesn't live up to your expectations, the company will accept it as
04:13a return. The most important thing to remember, though, is to hold onto the receipt. Sephora
04:17has a pretty easygoing return policy, which does in fact include used or opened items,
04:22but employees are going to be less inclined to take something back if there isn't proof
04:26of purchase. As Redditor Lucky1289 pointed out,
04:30"[Sephora will issue a return for the price difference on a purchased item that's since
04:34gone on sale as long as it was bought within two weeks.]
04:37Sephora does, however, keep track of those product returns. According to the website,
04:40if you're flagged for abuse of the policy, it will limit your ability to make returns
04:44or exchanges in the future. So what happens to all those returned items? Don't worry,
04:49they're not repurposed as in-store samples. Instead, all of those opened mascaras,
04:53concealers, and lip glosses get sent back to their respective manufacturers."
04:57Former Sephora employee and community user Diana BT said,
05:01"[When I worked in a Sephora store, we would always set aside all returns in a
05:05separate bin that would later be sorted, damaged out, and returned to the brands.
05:09Rest assured, no used, damaged, or open items are returned to the sales floor."
05:14The experience inside a Sephora store isn't meant to end at makeup recommendations and purchases.
05:19Many locations offer in-store services and classes that you can sign up for,
05:23which range anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.
05:25The class selection, made up mostly of quick tutorials and a few longer how-tos,
05:30covers pretty much anything, from how to achieve a perfect winged liner to how to
05:34rebuild brows and lashes after cancer treatment.
05:38The fight is on, and I'm here to fight."
05:42The best part about a lot of the services that Sephora offers is that they're available at
05:46little to no cost. The makeup mini services are all free and are limited to one per customer per day.
05:52Even the more extensive services, like the Skincare Deluxe Revitalizing Facial,
05:56are complimentary with a $75 purchase.
05:59"...Don't touch your face."
05:59"...Oh no!"
06:00"...Your hands are dirty."
06:01"...I was like, I want to feel how smooth it is."
06:04Sephora prides itself on its continuously growing product availability,
06:08and the company wants their customers to take part in that. So naturally,
06:11the best way to gain new holy grail fans, especially when it comes to some pretty
06:16pricey beauty brands, is to allow customers to try them out for free.
06:19Sephora is more than willing to give away samples of its products, and all you have to do is ask.
06:24According to Beauty Insider community member Olivia BT, there are three ways to get free
06:29samples when you're checking out online. The first is to simply choose three freebies from a list of
06:3412. Beauty Insiders can also use at least 100 of their points toward the addition of one deluxe
06:39sample. And if you're spending over $25, Sephora's Beauty Offers page has a list of promo codes for
06:45even more free stuff to score. In-store, all you have to do is ask an employee,
06:49and according to Insider, they'll be happy to give you up to three samples,
06:52with the exception of mascara and eyeliner.
06:56"...Boom. It's one of my new favorite products."
06:59Every week, Sephora puts together a list of discounted items and beauty offers.
07:03While the discount products, which can be around 50 percent off high-end brands,
07:08can be found both on the app and in-store, the best deals are going to be found online.
07:12Sephora's Beauty Offers page is a virtual treasure trove of add-ons,
07:16from free-with-purchase trial-size foundations to clutches and face masks.
07:20The company also has two big sales per year during the spring and the fall.
07:25According to the Beauty Insider community, Rouge and VIB members can get an extra 15 percent off
07:31their purchases during the spring sale, and an extra 20 percent off during the fall.
07:35For regular Beauty Insiders, it's 10 percent for spring and 15 percent in the fall.
07:40Sephora has gotten in on the beauty box trend and put together its own version called Play
07:45by Sephora, which is comprised of trial-sized samples that can be found in its stores and
07:50online. So if you happen to find something you totally love, it's easy to upgrade to the full
07:55size. The box can be completely tailored as well, just by answering a few questions about
08:00your beauty preferences once you've signed up.
08:02No joke, these are things we use every day, love, and that's why we put them all together
08:08in a box for you to enjoy.
08:10As far as cost goes, Play lands on the lower end of the subscription box spectrum with a $10
08:15per month price tag. And it isn't limited to just beauty samples, either. In addition to skincare,
08:20makeup, and hair products, Play subscribers also get extra Beauty Insider points, tutorials,
08:26and how-tos for their new samples.
08:28The best way to take advantage of Sephora's deals is by signing up to be a Beauty Insider.
08:33It's completely free and essentially works on a points system. The more you spend,
08:38the more points you earn, which can be used for anything in the company's Rewards Bazaar.
08:42Individual sample sizes start at 100 points, but if you're disciplined enough to save them,
08:47you can eventually score something pretty spectacular,
08:50like a Benefit Cosmetics Beauty Party for you and eight of your closest friends.
08:54But beyond being just a rewards system, Sephora's Beauty Insider program allows
08:58for a completely customizable shopping experience. Dolan told Forbes it's about
09:03learning who Sephora's customer is and then making recommendations tailored specifically for them.
09:09I am Sephora.
09:10I am Sephora.
09:11I am Sephora.
09:12I am Sephora.
09:12I am Sephora.
09:13I am Sephora.
09:14I am Sephora.
09:15I am Sephora.
09:17Dolan says,
09:18"...if our customer tells us that she has dry skin,
09:20then the product that she's going to receive in an email will have that attribute.
09:24It's not like we just want to know things about our customer and there's nothing in it for her.
09:29Providing some information will actually help you as a client to get to that product faster."
09:34There's nothing worse than walking into a store with a particular product in mind,
09:38only to find that it's out of stock. While Sephora's website is updated on a daily basis,
09:43its brick-and-mortar locations are not. So there's a chance that your local Sephora
09:47might be out of what you want. According to community member Diana BT,
09:51new items arrive in stores on Fridays, which means that if there's a specific item you're
09:56dying to get your hands on, the best time to snap it up is over the weekend.
10:00In a 2018 interview with Forbes, Sephora's senior VP of marketing and brand, Deborah Yeh,
10:06discussed the company's tagline change to, quote,
10:09"...lets beauty together," saying,
10:11"...beauty is diverse and has many voices and faces.
10:14We believe it's for our clients to define and for us to celebrate."
10:18I wish the world would recognize beauty that doesn't fit into binary ideals."
10:26Sephora's dedication to reaching out to all kinds of beauty fans can be seen across their
10:31social channels, each of which Yeh says aims to, quote,
10:34"...serve a different communal purpose."
10:36Yet while the company seemed to be celebrating diversity, a racial incident in early 2019
10:42involving R&B star SZA had Sephora re-examining its in-store approach to inclusivity. In June 2019,
10:50Sephora closed the doors to all of its retail locations for an hour for a staff inclusivity
10:55workshop. The company has said the training didn't come about as a result of the SZA incident,
11:00but did admit that it, quote,
11:02"...does reinforce why belonging is now more important than ever."
11:06Makeup is transformative, and in transforming, it grants you the permission to do what you want to do.