Best overall

Sephora

SCORE8.2STRONG

500+ brands including Glossier, exclusive to Sephora among major beauty retailers

BEST FORShoppers who want Sephora-exclusive brands like Glossier under one roof and spend enough annually to unlock Rouge-tier perks at $1,000+/year.

Reviewed by the Clientele Research Team · Last checked 9 days ago (2026-07-15)

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Scores — click any row to see our rationale

Brand Selection & Exclusivity▼10/10

Carries 500+ brands including Glossier, which remains exclusive to Sephora among the retailers in this comparison. Fenty Beauty has been sold at Ulta since March 2022, and Rare Beauty launched nationwide at Ulta stores and Ulta.com on Feb 1, 2026, so neither is a Sephora exclusive anymore.

Pricing & Loyalty Rewards▼7/10

Beauty Insider earns 1 point per $1 spent. 500 points redeem for $10 in Beauty Insider Cash — a 2¢-per-point, 2% effective cash-back rate. That's lower than Ulta's Ultamate Rewards, where 100 points redeem for $3.00, a 3% rate — roughly a 1.5x gap, not a bigger multiple.

Return Policy & Satisfaction Guarantee▼9/10

Accepts returns of opened or used products within 30 days for a full refund, and exchanges up to 60 days.

In-Store Expertise & Consultations▼7/10

340+ US stores staff trained Beauty Advisors who offer complimentary Color IQ matching and a free 15-minute Mini Makeover, but full Custom Makeovers now carry a fee — Sephora ended complimentary full-face makeovers for Rouge members in 2021.

Shipping Speed & Convenience▼8/10

Free standard shipping on orders $35+. Same-day delivery available in select cities via Instacart. 340+ standalone stores plus Kohl's shop-in-shops at 1,100+ locations.

Clean Beauty Curation▼8/10

Sephora's 'Clean at Sephora' program uses a published list of excluded ingredients (like sulfates SLES/SLS, parabens, phthalates and formaldehyde) and puts a distinct seal on qualifying product pages and shelf talkers, making it easy to filter by that standard both online and in-store.

PROS

✓Exclusive home to Glossier among major beauty retailers — not available at Ulta or Target.

✓500+ brands span skincare, makeup, hair, and fragrance across drugstore-adjacent to ultra-luxury price points.

✓Rouge members spending $1,000+/year get first access to new product launches and free custom shipping.

✓Returns accepted on used or opened products within 30 days for a full refund.

✓Free same-day delivery through Instacart in select metros.

✓In-store staff do foundation shade matching and skincare consultations at no charge.

✓Shop-in-shop presence inside 1,100+ Kohl's locations gives access without a standalone store nearby.

CONS

✕Sephora's Beauty Insider points are worth roughly $0.02 each (500 points = $10 Beauty Insider Cash), a 2% effective rate. Ulta Ultamate Rewards returns $3.00 per 100 points, a 3% rate — about 1.5x Sephora's cash value per dollar spent.

✕Free shipping requires a $35 minimum.

✕Rouge tier requires $1,000/year in spending.

✕No salon services in-store — you can't combine a haircut with your beauty shopping the way you can at Ulta.

✕Store staff quality varies by location.

✕No mass-market or drugstore brands — a $12 NYX product requires a second stop.

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