With the Sephora Insider Sale happening next week, I want to make sure everyone is ready! Below I’m sharing my three favorite Sephora hacks so you can make sure you’re fully prepared before you start shopping!

Number One: Join Beauty Insider

The only way to get access to the sale next week is to join the Sephora rewards program: Beauty Insider. To join you just need to sign up with your email address and there is no cost to join. From there, depending on how much you spend over the course of a calendar year, you can move up to other tiers. Insiders will get 10% off during the sale, VIB gets 15% and Rogue gets 20%. But in addition to the sales, Insiders also get birthday gifts and points earned on each purchase. Those points can then be redeemed for a variety of rewards. I’ve been a part of the program for years and I love it! At any level you get great perks for simply signing up with your email! You can learn more about the tiers and sign up here.

Number Two: Ask for Samples

This is probably the number one thing I tell people about shopping in Sephora. Always ask for samples! I didn’t know you could do this for the longest time and it is such a game changer! You can ask for samples of almost everything in the store. The only exceptions being pencils, mascaras, and pressed powders – I think the reasons are pretty obvious. But if you are going to try a new product, why not ask for a sample first? Try the product out and see if you love it before you spend the money. They give you decent sizes too! I recently sampled a sleeping mask and had enough to try it out 4-5 times. I’ve heard the limitation is that you’re only supposed to get three per store section (fragrance, skin care, etc) per trip but I’m not 100% positive. I’ve never asked for that many in one trip before. But still, that’s a lot of samples! And Sephora employees like helping you find new things to love – I’ve never had an issue asking for a sample. They encourage it! If there’s something you’re interested in buying during the sale, go get a sample now and try it out first!

Bonus Hack! If you’re looking to try a certain brand, ask if they have a brand rep in the store and/or ask when they will be in the store next. If you talk to a brand rep and ask them questions about their products, there’s a good chance you’ll get a plethora of samples. I even got some free product one time! Don’t go into expecting anything – this is a great chance to learn more about a brand and how the products work. But you may get some goodies out of it too!

Number Three: Returns, Returns, Returns

Did you know that you can return product to Sephora? Even if it is gently used? And get a full refund or exchange? Crazy right? I was shocked when I learned this but it’s amazing. Do it within 60 days with a receipt and you can get a full refund or after 60 days for store credit. I actually had to do this recently because I purchased a foundation that ended up being too light for me. I explained it to the employee who then agreed it was too light and helped me try out a bunch of new shades until we found the right one. Then she helped me pick out new bronzer and exchanged my used foundation for full price. Now that is customer service! It’s a definitely a nice safety net when buying new product, especially something a bit more pricy. So if you try something new during the sale and hate it, it’s nice to know you have this option! I do have to mention this though – abuse this policy and you can get banned from returning things. I imagine you would have to return a lot of items for this to happen but still something to be aware of. (And a great reason to ask for a free sample before buying!)

Hope you enjoyed my favorite Sephora hacks! Did I miss any? Share below!