How to Save at Ulta Beauty: The Ultimate Guide to Points Math New offer
You enjoy a great beauty haul, but saving money matters just as much. Ulta Beauty runs nonstop promotions, but the real magic happens when you understand the unique math behind their Rewards program. By timing your purchases with point multipliers and knowing exactly when to cash out, you can get prestige makeup and skincare for free.
💡 Quick Take: The golden rule of Ulta is "Save for 2,000." Never spend your points until you hit 2,000. At that level, they are worth $125 (6.25% return). If you spend them earlier, you lose significant value.
❌ Myth vs. ✅ Fact
Myth: "The $3.50 coupon is worthless because it excludes prestige brands."
Fact: That coupon is your secret weapon for drugstore basics (cotton pads, CeraVe, Maybelline). Use the coupon for the basics, and save your Points to pay for the expensive Prestige items (Dior, Fenty, Chanel) later.
🔍 Pro-Tip: Hunting for hidden markdowns? Use these searches: "Ulta Secret Clearance", "Ulta Beauty Break", or "Free Gift With Purchase".
ad$ense🔥 Looking for This Week's Coupons?
These strategies focus on long-term savings. For active limited-time discounts and the 21 Days of Beauty, use this dedicated deals page.
➡ See All Current ULTA Deals💡 Hack #1: Master the "Points Math"
The Ulta Beauty Rewards program is not linear. The more you save, the more each point is worth. Do not treat 100 points like $3. Treat them like an investment.
- 100 points = $3.00 off (Value: $0.03/point)
- 1,000 points = $50.00 off (Value: $0.05/point)
- 2,000 points = $125.00 off (Value: $0.06/point) ← THE SWEET SPOT
Strategy: Always wait until you have 2,000 points to cash out. You instantly gain $25 in "bonus" value compared to cashing out at the 1,000-point level twice.
💡 Hack #2: Stack with Point Multipliers
Never buy big-ticket items (like a Dyson or expensive fragrance) without a Point Multiplier. Ulta frequently runs "5X Points on Fragrance" or "10X Points on Select Brands" events.
The Math: If you buy a $100 perfume during a 5X event, you earn 500 points (worth $17.50) instead of 100 points (worth $3). This is the fastest way to hit the 2,000-point goal.
💡 Hack #3: The "Coupon Split" Strategy
Ulta sends a $3.50 off $15 coupon almost every week. However, it excludes "Prestige" brands (the expensive stuff).
The Fix: Split your shopping. Use the $3.50 coupon for your shampoo, cotton balls, and drugstore mascara. Use your accumulated points to pay for the Prestige items (like Urban Decay or Tarte) since points work on everything.
💡 Hack #4: Birthday Perks
Don't ignore the birthday email. During your birthday month, you get 2X Points on everything you buy (entire month!), plus a free gift. Combine this 2X multiplier with another multiplier (like a 5X event) to earn insane amounts of points.
💡 Hack #5: The "GWP" Stacking
Ulta is famous for Gift With Purchase (GWP). Often, these stack. You can get a "Free 25-Piece Beauty Bag with $80 purchase" AND a "Free Brand Gift with $30 Brand Purchase" in the same cart. Always check the "Gifts with Purchase" tab before checking out to see if adding one small item triggers a massive freebie bag.
ad$ense💡 Insider Trick: "Beauty Breaks" on Wednesdays
If you are planning an online order, wait until Wednesday morning (usually 10 AM - 2 PM CT). This is when Ulta typically releases "Beauty Breaks"-high-value free gift sets valid for only 4-6 hours. It is the best time of the week to shop online.
🎯 The Takeaway
The winning strategy at Ulta is patience. Activate every Multiplier in the app, hoard your points until you hit 2,000, and always shop on Wednesdays to snag the best free gifts. Do this, and you will essentially get paid to shop for beauty.
P.S. Shopping beyond Ulta? Browse our always-fresh Deals & Coupons, sharpen your strategy with Savings Tips & Hacks, and pad your budget with Earn Cash Rewards.