Beauty goes on sale on a surprisingly predictable calendar. Sephora runs its big Savings Event twice a year, in spring (April) and fall (late October into early November), with 10% to 20% off depending on your loyalty tier. Ulta runs 21 Days of Beauty twice a year too, in spring (typically March) and late summer into fall (typically late August through mid-September), with rotating daily steals at 50% off. If you know those four windows, you almost never need to pay full price for the products you already planned to buy. Here’s the whole calendar, plus how the two loyalty programs compare.
When is the Sephora Savings Event?
Twice a year, spring and fall. The spring 2026 event ran April 10 to 20, with Rouge members getting early access, and Forbes Vetted covered the dates and the discount tiers. The discounts follow Sephora’s loyalty ladder every time:
- Rouge: 20% off, plus the earliest access window
- VIB: 15% off, access a couple of days later
- Insider (free tier): 10% off, same later window
The fall edition typically lands late October through early November. In 2025, Rouge access opened October 31 and the event wrapped November 10, so expect a similar window for fall 2026 (dates aren’t announced as of July 2026). The discount applies across most of the store, though a few brands sit out each event, so check the fine print on your wishlist items. One honest note: 10 to 20% off is a good-not-amazing discount. Its real power is that it applies to prestige brands that almost never discount otherwise.
When is Ulta 21 Days of Beauty?
Also twice a year, in spring (typically March) and a late-summer/fall edition that has historically kicked off the last Friday of August and run about three weeks into mid-September. The Krazy Coupon Lady, which tracks the event closely, expects the fall 2026 edition to start August 28. The format is different from Sephora’s: instead of a sitewide percentage, Ulta puts a rotating set of products on 50% off “Beauty Steals” each day, in store and online, for that day only. New deals appear daily, and Ulta publishes the schedule ahead of time so you can circle your days. That means 21 Days of Beauty is amazing when your product is featured and useless when it isn’t. Check the published schedule the week deals are revealed, mark the exact day, and set a phone alarm; popular steals can sell out online.
What other beauty sales repeat every year?
A few more recurring windows worth knowing, based on how these retailers have run things in recent years (timing typically repeats, but always confirm the current year’s dates):
- Ulta Gorgeous Hair Event: typically May and October, about three weeks of 50%-off daily haircare steals.
- Ulta skincare events: a January “Love Your Skin”-style event has been a regular fixture.
- Holiday season (November and December): both stores run Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, plus gift sets that bundle full-size products for less than buying separately.
- Birthday gifts: both loyalty programs give members a small free birthday gift every year, no purchase typically required at Ulta (check current terms).
Beauty Insider vs Ulta Rewards: which program pays you back more?
Both are free to join, but they pay out very differently. Sephora’s Beauty Insider points redeem in the Rewards Bazaar, where 500 points gets you $10 off, which works out to about 2 cents per point. Ulta’s rewards points redeem straight off your total on a sliding scale that gets more generous the more you save up: per Ulta’s published redemption chart, 500 points takes $17.50 off and 2,000 points takes $125 off, up to about 6 cents per point at the top. Here’s the side-by-side as of July 2026 (program terms change, so verify before you count on them):
| Sephora Beauty Insider | Ulta Beauty Rewards | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to join | Free | Free |
| Base earn rate | 1 point per $1 | 1 point per $1 (higher tiers earn 1.25x to 1.5x) |
| What 500 points is worth | $10 off (Rewards Bazaar) | $17.50 off your purchase |
| Best redemption value | About $0.02 per point | Up to about $0.06 per point (2,000 points = $125) |
| Mid tier | VIB (roughly $350/year spend; Sephora has adjusted thresholds, so check current terms) | Platinum ($500/year spend) |
| Top tier | Rouge ($1,000/year spend) | Diamond ($1,200/year spend) |
| Big sale perk | Savings Event: 10 to 20% off by tier | 21 Days of Beauty: 50% daily steals for everyone |
The short version: Ulta’s points are worth meaningfully more per dollar spent, and points come off your bill like cash. Sephora’s program shines mostly at Rouge level, where the 20% sale discount and perks kick in. Points do expire at both programs if your account goes inactive, so don’t hoard them for years, and check each program’s current expiration terms.
What’s the smartest way to shop these sales?
Wishlist and wait. It’s boring, and it works:
- Keep a running wishlist in the Sephora and Ulta apps of things you genuinely use: your holy-grail moisturizer, the mascara you rebuy, the perfume you’re eyeing.
- Set a beauty budget for the year and tuck money aside monthly, using a classic sinking fund, so sale windows don’t hit your regular budget.
- When a sale window opens, buy only what’s already on the list. The 50%-off steal you never wanted isn’t savings; it’s spending.
- Stack cashback on top: shopping through a cashback portal or app often works during these sales. See how Rakuten works and our guide to stacking cashback apps.
- Between sales, use samples and birthday gifts to try before you buy. Here’s how to get legit free samples.
Key takeaways
- Sephora’s Savings Event runs twice a year, in April and late October or early November, at 10/15/20% off by tier.
- Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty runs twice a year, typically March and late August into September, with 50%-off daily steals.
- Ulta points are worth more: 500 points = $17.50 there vs $10 at Sephora, as of July 2026.
- Sephora’s sale discounts hit prestige brands that rarely discount anywhere else.
- Wishlist and wait: buy only pre-planned items during sale windows, funded by a sinking fund.
- Event dates shift a little each year, so confirm current dates before planning a haul.
FAQ
When is the next big beauty sale after July 2026?
Based on the usual calendar, Ulta’s fall 21 Days of Beauty typically starts the last Friday of August, and Sephora’s fall Savings Event typically opens late October. Exact 2026 dates were not announced as of this writing, so watch both retailers’ sale pages.
Do you have to pay to join Beauty Insider or Ulta Rewards?
No, both programs are free, and the free tiers get you into the sales. Sephora’s free Insider tier gets 10% off during the Savings Event. Higher tiers are earned by annual spending, not fees.
Is it worth waiting for a sale to buy skincare or makeup?
For anything you can plan ahead, yes. With four major sale windows a year plus holiday deals, a replenishment item rarely needs to be bought at full price if you keep a small buffer at home.
Does everything go on sale during these events?
Not quite. Sephora’s Savings Event covers most of the store but some brands are excluded, and Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty only discounts the specific daily steals on the published schedule. Check your exact item before the sale starts.
Want wins like this without tracking the calendar yourself? The Deal Diary email flags the beauty sales worth waiting for, and our free Cashback Starter Kit makes sure you get money back when you do buy.
Priya’s take: Never pay full price on anything you repurchase. The Sephora and Ulta sales come around like clockwork, so stock up then and coast for a while.
