Ulta Beauty shoppers can stack coupons, rewards points, sales, and free gifts to avoid paying full price for makeup and skincare.
The biggest savings come from saving points for large redemptions and shopping during major sales events like 21 Days of Beauty.
Smart shoppers also watch for bonus-point promotions and prestige-brand deals instead of relying only on basic coupons.
Ulta Beauty is one of the last major retailers where shoppers can still combine coupons, rewards points, sales, free gifts, and loyalty perks into some impressive savings.
And unlike a lot of stores that have seemingly made their rewards programs worse, Ulta’s system still has real value built into it if you know how it actually works.
In some cases, Ulta shoppers can turn a $125 beauty haul into a $30 or $40 out-of-pocket purchase simply by understanding timing and stacking strategies.
Here’s how to save some serious money at Ulta Beauty.
Join the Ulta Rewards immediately (this is key)
If you shop at Ulta even a few times a year, joining the free Ulta Beauty Rewards program is a must-join and the first thing you should do.
Without it, you’ll miss out on the following:
- Reward points
- Birthday rewards
- Personalized coupons
- Bonus point events
- Early sale access
- Exclusive app promotions
And Ulta points are not just some symbolic reward to make you feel good; they function more like store cash.
Here’s how redemption works (you earn one point for every dollar spent):
- 100 points = $3 off
- 250 points = $8 off
- 500 points = $17.50 off
- 1,000 points = $50 off
- 2,000 points = $125 off
- 4,000 points = $250 off
If you notice, the value of the points increases dramatically at higher redemption levels, which is why your more experienced Ulta shoppers rarely redeem points at those smaller amounts.
Instead, it’s super smart to save those points until you hit at least 2,000 points because that delivers the best overall value per point.
Some shoppers will essentially use Ulta like a “beauty savings account,” slowly accumulating rewards over months before cashing out during a major sales event.
Pro tip: Treat Ulta points more like airline miles. One of the biggest mistakes shoppers make is redeeming points the second they earn them. The smartest approach is to be patient and you’ll eventually be able to redeem those points for very large beauty hauls at a fraction of the normal cost.
Understand how Ulta separates prestige and non-prestige brands
This is probably the biggest thing new Ulta shoppers misunderstand.
Ulta divides their products into two major categories:
- Prestige brands
- Non-prestige brands (these are your drugstore brands like Maybelline, L’Oreal, and NYX)
Prestige brands include many of the higher-end names shoppers actually want, including:
- Tarte
- Urban Decay
- MAC
- Clinique
- Olaplex
- Too Faced
- IT Cosmetics
- Dyson
- Chanel
- Dior
- Gucci
And here’s the catch: Many of Ulta’s regular coupons specifically exclude prestige products.
That means shoppers often get frustrated when they try using coupons like 20% off, $10 off $40, or $3.50 off $15, only to discover their expensive products are excluded from the coupon.
But this is where experienced Ulta shoppers think differently. Instead of assuming prestige products never go on sale, they learn to wait for the right type of promotion.
Specifically, Ulta regularly offers:
- Prestige-specific coupons
- Reward point multiplier events
- Brand promotions
- Beauty Steals
- Gift-with-purchase offers
- Seasonal markdowns
You’ll find these promotions on their website, in their app, and plastered all over their stores. The savings they produce is typically better than one of their coupons.
For example, getting 5x points on a $100 prestige purchase may create far more long-term value than getting an immediate 10% coupon discount.
Understanding that difference is the foundation of shopping at Ulta strategically.
The $3.50 off $15 coupon is more powerful than it looks
A lot of shoppers ignore this coupon because it sounds small, and while it’s not always available, it comes back frequently. You’ll find it regularly on the Ulta coupon page.
But the $3.50 off becomes surprisingly effective when paired with Ulta’s already discounted drugstore section.
The coupon frequently applies to “drugstore” brands like:
- NYX
- e.l.f.
- Maybelline
- L’Oréal
- Essence
- Makeup Revolution
- Wet n Wild
And Ulta often runs simultaneous promotions like:
- Buy one, get one 50% off
- Buy two, get one free
- Sale pricing
- Bonus points
That means shoppers can layer multiple savings together.
For example, you can buy a sale-priced mascara, add discounted skincare to your cart, stack the coupon, and of course earn rewards points simultaneously.
In many cases, this can beat the pricing at Target, Walmart, and even Amazon. This is especially true when you factor in the rewards points earned on top.
Pro tip: Look for those yellow clearance stickers at Ulta, but realize they are often not the final markdown price. Ulta clearance products will continue dropping in price over time. So, if an item is heavily stocked, waiting another week or two will often get you an even better deal.
Learn to time Ulta’s major sales events
Ulta operates on a fairly predictable promotional calendar. And shoppers who learn that cycle stop paying full price almost entirely.
Here are the events to remember:
21 Days of Beauty
Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty is their biggest prestige beauty event and it takes place twice a year — in March, and then again in September.
For three weeks, many of their high-end products receive:
- 50% discounts
- Flash deals
- Limited-time markdowns
And we are not talking about random leftovers either — these are some of their best brands.
Popular prestige products often appear in this event, including:
- Luxury serums
- Expensive foundations
- Eyeshadow palettes
- Hair tools
- Premium skincare
Many shoppers wait months specifically for this event before restocking expensive beauty items.
Gorgeous Hair Event
Haircare shoppers should pay close attention here. Their Gorgeous Hair Event also takes place twice a year, in May and then again in October.
These is when salon-quality products get rare discounts, up to 50% off. This includes brands like Redken, Matrix, Pureology, Biolage, Joico, and Kenra.
This event is the only time when professional haircare products can become surprisingly affordable.
Jumbo Love Event
This event is an annual three-week event and typically starts right after Christmas every year.
The deals focus on those “Jumbo” oversized shampoo and conditioner bottles from top brands. And while the upfront cost can feel high, the per-ounce savings are often excellent.
Buying jumbo salon products during this sale can easily save shoppers hundreds of dollars annually compared to repeatedly buying regular-sized bottles throughout the year.
Stack point multipliers with planned purchases
Ulta constantly runs reward point multiplier promotions like 2x points, 3x points, or even 5x points.
Keep a close eye out for these and take advantage when you can. They’re often tied to haircare, fragrances, app orders, and specific brands.
For example:
- A $150 purchase during a 5x point event can generate a huge amount of future rewards value.
- Add a coupon on top of it and the savings becomes substantial.
This strategy works especially well for products you were already planning to buy.
Never ignore Ulta’s free gifts
Lastly, Ulta constantly offers free gift bundles tied to certain spending thresholds.
These can include:
- Makeup bags
- Deluxe skincare samples
- Travel-size products
- Mini fragrances
- Haircare kits
Sometimes the free gifts are worth nearly as much as the original purchase.
And unlike many retailers, Ulta often allows these gifts to stack with:
- Coupons
- Sale pricing
- Point earnings
I’ve been told that many savvy shoppers will sometimes intentionally structure their purchases around qualifying for the best gift bundles.