NEW YORK — Beauty shoppers are hunting for the Sephora Savings Event’s biggest percentage-off moment to save big — and building backup carts at Ulta Beauty to stretch every dollar, Dec. 14, 2025. The smartest hauls don’t come from “add to cart” speed; they come from knowing the discount tiers, loyalty math and coupon fine print before the timer starts.
If you’re refreshing Sephora and not seeing a banner, you’re not imagining it: the official Sephora Savings Event page currently notes the event is “over for now.” Translation: it’s a perfect moment to plan your next move — and to shop smarter across both retailers instead of impulse-buying one cart at full price.
Sephora Savings Event discount tiers: what to expect
The Sephora Savings Event is usually a tiered discount tied to Beauty Insider status. Sephora’s Beauty Insider FAQ says you reach VIB status after spending $350 in a calendar year and Rouge after $1,000 — and those tiers are often what determine how much you’ll save when the Sephora Savings Event returns. (Insider is free to join.)
Recent coverage shows the familiar playbook: A Marie Claire breakdown of the spring 2025 Sephora Savings Event reported 20% off for Rouge, 15% for VIB and 10% for Insiders, with Sephora Collection at 30% off. Even if the next Sephora Savings Event tweaks dates or promo codes, the core idea stays the same: the deeper your tier, the bigger your percentage-off window tends to be.
Ulta’s counterpunch: time the deals, then read the fine print
Ulta doesn’t mirror the Sephora Savings Event exactly — but it does run a major, predictable sale cycle. Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty page says the event happens twice a year (March and September), lasts three weeks, and features rotating “Beauty Steals” with 50% off.
Coupons can be the wild card — and the frustration. Before you count on a coupon to beat the Sephora Savings Event math, scan Ulta’s coupon exclusions list, which includes broad exclusions like fragrance and a long roster of restricted brands. If your cart is heavy on prestige, the best Ulta strategy is often “wait for the steal,” not “hope the coupon works.”
Sephora Savings Event vs. Ulta: the two-cart strategy
Put the “no substitute” items in your Sephora cart. Think exclusives, hard-to-find shades and the pricey staples you’ll rebuy anyway (foundation, SPF, signature scent). The Sephora Savings Event is built for broad, percentage-off shopping.
Put the “stackable” items in your Ulta cart. Mass brands, hair care refills and anything you can buy during a 50%-off Beauty Steal often land cheaper than a straight percentage-off discount.
Use points like cash — but don’t let points push you into extra spending. The Sephora Savings Event is a discount; Ulta points can become your discount later. Both are valuable only if you were already going to buy the item.
Sephora Savings Event prep checklist for a no-regrets haul
Build your cart early. When the Sephora Savings Event starts, your best-selling staples can go out of stock fast.
Decide what “counts” as a deal. If you won’t finish it in 6 to 12 months, don’t “stock up” — especially with skin care actives.
Split wants from needs. Use the Sephora Savings Event for replenishment; use Ulta’s rotating deals for experiments and trend tests.
A quick flashback: these sales have years of history
This isn’t a new phenomenon. In 2019, Allure documented Sephora’s spring sale with the same familiar tiered discounts (Rouge, VIB and Insider), showing how long the “membership level = savings level” formula has been in play. And Ulta’s rotating-deal approach has been around for years, too — Refinery29’s 2019 calendar spelled out the 24-hour, plan-ahead nature of 21 Days of Beauty that still defines the event today.
Bottom line: The Sephora Savings Event is your moment for a clean, percentage-off sweep — but the savviest shoppers treat Ulta as the second screen, tracking rotating deals and avoiding coupon traps. If you plan the carts now, the next Sephora Savings Event becomes less of a frenzy and more of a win.
