Makeup Sale Hacks Quietly Slashing Checkout Costs for Smart Shoppers
Mobile Apps and Browser Extensions for Shoppers
You can stack Ulta app deals with cashback browser extensions, apparently. Suddenly, a normal makeup haul is less “treat yourself” and more “whoa, that was actually smart.” I’m getting more pop-ups and random notifications than “savings inspiration” posts these days.
Using the Ulta App for App-Exclusive Deals
So, I open the Ulta app and there’s this flood of banners for deals I never see on their website. Last time, there was an app-only $5 off coupon just chilling between mascara ads. Why? No idea. It’s never on desktop. Super weird.
The Weekly Ad tab keeps throwing “Just For You” offers at me. They’re totally random, sometimes buy two get one free for NYX lipstick I’ll never finish. If I let my cart sit, push notifications start tossing promo codes at me. I DM’d Ulta about how this works, but nobody answers. Honestly, half the fun is just seeing what pops up. I even saw a phone case for a bath bomb once. Maybe there’s a secret badge for most hours wasted in the app.
Oh, and the Ulta app hides gift-with-purchase deals (like mini Benefit brow gels) in “Beauty Offers.” They’re not in my emails—just buried in the app if you scroll forever. I missed a free tote once by not checking fast enough. That still bugs me.
Leveraging Cashback Browser Extensions
Browser extensions. I’ve got, like, three going at all times—Rakuten (was Ebates, whatever), Honey, and Coupert, just sitting up there in the corner, blinking at me. Rakuten cash back appears after I buy stuff at Ulta or Sephora, but figuring out if I’m getting 2% or 4%? I have to click that little pop-up every time, which is honestly annoying. Cently’s out there, too, shoving in random codes I’ve never even heard of.
If I’m shopping at 1 a.m. (which, yeah, happens), it feels like cash back magically doubles for twenty minutes and then, poof, gone. Probably just my brain being weird. Coupert pops up with “Congrats! Cashback activated!” in a new tab, like I’m supposed to be excited, but I don’t know a single person who uses it. Maybe there’s a secret club? Nobody’s invited me.
Once in a while, I stack an Ulta app coupon, a browser extension, and suddenly there’s cash in my PayPal. No clue which extension did the work until a random email shows up a week later. I try to keep track, but here’s a table I made and immediately forgot about:
| Extension | Stores Supported | Typical Cashback | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rakuten | Ulta, Sephora, etc | 1–6% (varies) | Needs an account, yeah |
| Honey | Loads | Rare, mostly coupons | Not always the best deals |
| Coupert | 200,000+ stores | Varies, usually low | Finds codes and cash back |
Honestly, I wish these things would just yell at me not to buy more moisturizer, but apparently that’s my job.
Price Comparison Tips for Makeup Lovers
Trying to beat the checkout total on beauty stuff is a mess. I’m always refreshing, screenshotting wishlists, panicking over some lipstick at Ulta that’s gone in an hour—so much stress for something that’s supposed to be “fun” shopping.
Comparing Prices Across Retailers
I usually end up with, what, four tabs open just to compare prices on BB cream? Amazon, sometimes, don’t judge. Sephora says one price, Target throws in a coupon, Walgreens randomly has a brand exclusive nobody talks about except maybe in some dusty Reddit post.
My “system” (if you can call it that) is chaos:
- Open a bunch of sites at once (Ulta, Sephora, Target, Boots, brand’s own site, Walmart, whatever)
- Scan for banners, sales, anything that looks like a deal
- Shipping costs—the $5 “deal” is suddenly $12 after “service fees,” classic
- Think about rewards points (Ulta’s 250 points? That’s $8 off, sometimes, I think)
I’ll sometimes make a table (it’s a disaster) in my notes app with prices, shipping, loyalty stuff. Never delete it, so months later I find “BB 22.99? +4$ URGENT” and have no idea what I meant. Sometimes it helps, usually it’s just noise.
Setting Up Price Drop Alerts
I sign up for so many alert emails. Most go to spam, but occasionally one sneaks through and suddenly my favorite mascara’s $12.93, apparently because it’s National Mascara Day (is that real?). Anyway, price drop alerts are weirdly useful, even if half the time I forget I signed up.
Honey, CamelCamelCamel (for Amazon), and some browser extensions ping me at the oddest times—like, I’m microwaving oatmeal and suddenly there’s a sale. Or I get five Ulta birthday gift reminders at once, which, honestly, is just confusing.
It’s not just hitting “notify me.” I end up on beauty Discords or subreddits where people post about flash sales. I get texts, too—my spam folder is a wasteland of “24hr Only: 30% Off!” but sometimes, there’s gold in there. None of this is organized. If I see my foundation drop five bucks somewhere, I’m buying it before I remember what I actually needed.
