The foundation for any successful shopping trip is planning. Whenever I need to run out, whether it’s for groceries, toiletries, clothes, or school supplies, I make a list. I know exactly what I need and how many. I also try to plan out if I need to make any stops along the way and combine as many errands as I can into one trip.
There is, however, one exception to the rule where I throw my structured schedule and planning out the window and just savor it. I’m talking about my trips to the store for beauty products and supplies.
I am absolutely addicted to browsing through beauty product aisles. It really doesn’t matter how much time I have, how big the store is, or whether or not I have some place to be because once I’m surrounded by lotions and lipsticks, there’s no telling how long I’ll be there, reading labels, trying samples, and sniffing bottles.
Taking the time to choose the right beauty product fit for your skin and hair has its own rewards—namely, great looking skin and hair! But what most of my friends don’t seem to know is that there are beauty rewards programs out there that can make it even more fun to shop for all the best skincare, haircare, makeup, and more.
Just in case this is also news to you, I’ve put together my list of the best beauty product rewards programs—most of which you can join for free and conveniently use on a mobile app. You’re definitely going to need to leave your schedule open next time you head out to browse the beauty aisles once you realize how much you can earn on your next shopping trip!
The Best Store Specific Beauty Rewards Programs
Maybelline has what may be the perfect slogan: Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline. It perfectly speaks to what I love about beauty products. There’s glamor, there’s the idea that she has a secret, and, of course, there’s a mention of one of the many beauty products I love, Maybelline. What shouldn’t be a secret, though, is how great it is to join a beauty rewards program.
If you love makeup as much as I do, you must make sure you’re shopping at a store that has a great beauty rewards program. Luckily, it’s not hard to do. You know how stores like Target have programs to earn gift cards? Well, so do most of your favorite beauty supply shops!
Here are some of the store specific beauty rewards programs that I love more than my nail polish collection:
- Sally Beauty Supply: Sally Beauty Supply was my gateway, so to speak, into the world of beautification back when I was a teenager. I used to beg, beg, beg my mom to take me there every Saturday. I still stop in every so often to take advantage of the Sally Beauty Club, which thankfully links up with the old Sally Beauty Card I’ve had for years, letting me ditch the days when I needed multiple rewards programs cards. This one is simple to use. You pay an annual fee of $5, but you save 15% on every item you buy in-store or online so most shoppers can very quickly make that money back—and more!
- The Body Shop: The Body Shop holds a special place in my heart because of its dedication to cruelty-free products that are also eco-conscious. That stuff is important to me, but what’s equally important is that the products are high quality. The Body Shop checks off both of those boxes. Oh, and they also have a great beauty rewards program. It’s kind of like the Sally Beauty Club in that you pay $10 to join and then you get 10% off on all qualifying purchases. You also get advanced notice of sales and events. You definitely don’t have to worry about getting your money’s worth here, though, because another club perk is that you get a $10 voucher every year on your birthday!
- MAC Cosmetics: What keeps me coming back to MAC Cosmetics is one word: lipstick. I just love MAC’s lipstick, which is why its beauty rewards program is made for me. Basically, you get a free MAC lipstick every time you bring back six empty packages of any combination of MAC products. Finally, a company paying lip service to its loyal customers—in a good way!
Beauty Rewards Programs That Work at Retailers
Who loves shopping beauty products all day at specialty stores? This girl! Who has kids and sometimes can only dream about an afternoon at MAC? Also this girl. Enter beauty rewards programs on mobile apps that work at the same stores where I grab all my household must-haves for my family, like Target and Walmart.
- Ebates: Ebates is a great place to start if you’re looking for a beauty rewards program that actually works at multiple stores because with it you can save as much as 25% cash back (though, fair warning, it’s usually less) at more than 1,200 online retailers. As soon as you earn $5 in beauty rewards, you simply cash it in.
- Checkout 51: To be honest, Checkout 51 is actually a lot like Ebates, but it does have one cool feature I love that Ebates doesn’t: all of its eligible cash back offers go live every week on Thursday at midnight, giving you a special date and time to focus on what you’re going to be saving in the week ahead.
- Shopkick: My favorite mobile shopping rewards app, though, is by far Shopkick. It’s so much fun to use, making beauty shopping even better, which is something I would have thought was impossible. How Shopkick works is that it gives you points (which it calls kicks) for so many different parts of the shopping process, from walking into many popular stores to scanning the barcodes on featured products to snapping a quick pic of your receipt when you’re finished. Oh, and here’s some great news: Ulta is now on Shopkick! And I don’t have to tell you beauty aficionados out there that there is no better name in beauty!
Take it from me, who’s loved shopping for beauty products for most of my life, that using these savings programs together takes the rewards experience to a whole new level. The savings are great (obviously), but the beauty of these rewards programs (get it?) comes when you combine as many as you can together!
Shopping for lipstick, hair products, or anything else for that matter, becomes a game where everyone’s a winner. Oh, and with all the savings you’ll start to find on beauty products, it’s also a game that you’ll look good playing!
Ready to combine beauty rewards programs into an addictive savings system? Download Shopkick for free and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the rewards of shopping with us.
And, if you love social media as much as you love your local Target, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.
Image courtesy Ariwasabi
