Ulta is definitely my favorite store on this planet. My heart is filled with delight every time I step through the door. I am always welcomed with beautifully designed products and well-lit displays. The maze of a floor design they have going on makes me feel as though I’m discovering a new treasure every time I turn the corner.
Ulta is a one-stop shop destination for all beauty lovers and today we will talk about the Ulta shopping hacks you NEED to know before spending another dime.
Tip #1: Join Ulta’s reward program
My absolute favorite thing about shopping at Ulta is the reward program. It is seriously the best loyalty program I have ever participated in. Unlike Sephora’s program where you have to redeem points towards pre-decided products, Ulta lets you use the points you accumulate by shopping with them as cash.
I repeat… points=cash.
You can join Ulta’s rewards program by signing up in store or sign up online here.
Ulta representatives will ask for your phone number when shopping in store to keep tie your points to your account so be sure to provide your phone number when you sign up.
Much easier than keeping track of yet another loyalty card or having to remember your rewards number.
You will also need to provide an email address which will allow you to login online to place orders and to view the status of your account. Once you are signed up, you are ready for step 2…
Tip #2: If you are not already subscribed to Ulta’s email notifications, do it NOW!
Ulta is the one and only store that can email me every single morning with ads and enticing sales banners and I am never upset over it. In fact, I eagerly check my email every morning as I roll over and it feels like Christmas.
These emails often include items that are on sale or point accelerators tailored to my shopping habits. Learn more about point accelerators here.
Ulta often times will run promotions that are exclusive to rewards members and are available through email. Most of my coupons come through my email also, so if you are not receiving their emails, you are really missing out. I also receive offers via email for free products if I bring the coupon in store. Sometimes these offers require a purchase to receive the free item and sometimes they do not, but honestly, we can always find something to buy at Ulta. I mean, come on. 🙂
Tip #3: Let your points build until you reach 2000. Then cash them in.
Speaking of hoarding points, we will now learn a huge lesson here. HUGE! This tip is very important to really get the most out of this reward system. I know seeing the cash conversion next to your point total is tempting to spend. Let’s face it, we all have a burning hole in our pocket to spend, spend, spend. I recommend that you don’t. At least not right away. Let’s consult this point chart for more detail…
The more points you accumulate, the better the reward. Here are the cash equivalents in percentages. *Conversions based on $1.00/ 1 Point*
100 POINTS = 3%
250 POINTS = 3.2%
500 POINTS = 3.5%
750 POINTS = 4%
1000 POINTS = 5%
2000 POINTS = 6.25%
I don’t recommend saving past the 2000 mark because the they won’t accelerate past this point. Cash them in and let them build again! I know it seems like 2000 points is a lot to save up, but remember that this is only if you are counting 1 point per dollar spent. I will explain how to get the most points out of each purchase here.
Tip #4: Use points towards high-end makeup to reduce the cost, or even get it FREE
Ulta doesn’t limit what you can spend your points on or force you to cash them in on tiny travel sized products you may or may not ever use. This means you can use your points on literally anything in the store. Want that new Too Faced palette? Yup, you can use your points on that. What about that NYX liquid lippie? Yep, that too. Drugstore, prestige, sale items, all the time.
This allows us to hoard points and then cash them in on high-end items we maybe wouldn’t usually splurge on. I think this is definitely the best perk of the program. I have never experienced a rewards program that allows me to walk in, buy $125.00 worth of high-end makeup, cash in my points, and walk out without spending a dollar. It blows my mind, really.
I hope these Ulta shopping hacks help you make the most out of your beauty hauls from now on. Sign up for the rewards program, subscribe to their email list, let your points build up, and cash them in once you hit 2000 on anything in the store your heart desires. Make the most out of your love for makeup. After all, we spend a lot of our hard-earned money on beauty products and it’s time we shop somewhere who appreciates our loyalty!
Happy shopping and saving guys!
#TeamUlta
