Jump to section Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Copy URL Email The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. At TPG, I spend a lot of time writing about airline and hotel loyalty programs . Yet I never expected to earn top-tier status through my lip gloss and travel toiletries purchases.
Last year, I meticulously tracked every Premier Qualifying Point as I worked toward United Premier Silver status . I even booked a last-minute mileage run to make sure I qualified.
Earning Sephora Rouge — Sephora's highest tier in its Beauty Insider loyalty program — on the other hand, was a happy accident.
Now that I've had Rouge for a few months, I'm taking a closer look at whether the benefits are valuable enough to keep the status next year, and whether Sephora Beauty Insider is a loyalty program more shoppers should pay attention to.
Sephora Beauty Insider is Sephora's loyalty program that rewards customers for purchases with points, discounts and exclusive perks. The program has three tiers based on annual spending: Insider, VIB and Rouge.
Insider Free to join Earn 1 point per dollar spent Free birthday gift (spend $25+ to redeem online) Access to rewards Free shipping $10 Beauty Insider Cash (after redeeming 500 points at checkout) 10% off eligible purchases during the twice-yearly sale VIB $350 Insider benefits 15% off eligible purchases during the twice-yearly sale Exclusive gifts Rouge $1,000 Insider and VIB benefits Early access to select product launches 20% off eligible purchases during the twice-yearly sale Rouge Celebration Offers $20 Beauty Insider Cash (after redeeming 1,000 points at checkout) $100 Rouge Reward (exchange 2,500 points for $100 from the Rewards Bazaar online) Earn 4 points per dollar on your purchase twice a year Before I earned Rouge, I was mostly just an occasional Sephora shopper. I'd been a Beauty Insider member for years, but I rarely thought about my points or whether I was close to reaching a new tier.
That changed last year when I realized Sephora carried nearly everything I was already buying anyway, from sunscreen and skincare to travel-size toiletries. I also moved into a new apartment and now have a Sephora just a few minutes away, making shopping there more convenient than going to multiple stores or ordering directly from individual brands.
Beyond the convenience, I also just enjoy the store's shopping experience. Sephora is often one of the first retailers to stock new products from some of my favorite brands, so it's fun to browse for something new while picking up the old standbys.
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None of the purchases that helped me earn Rouge felt out of the ordinary, since they were things I was already planning to buy. But by the end…