When it comes to spending hard-won points in rewards systems, consumers want to get the best bang for their buck.
Whether it is spending the stars earned at Starbucks, points or miles from credit card purchases on a flight, or even a humble 50% off coupon, getting a good deal is often top of mind for most.
One TikToker is warning Sephora customers about the store’s annual advent calendar. The item is available only to members of its rewards program who spend around $2,500, as outlined by the program.
Beauty content creator Michaela (@michaelamakeup92 on TikTok) posted a video that has drawn over half a million views. In it, she says the advent calendar on offer is just not worth the points required to purchase it.
“Guys, do not waste your points on this,” she says in the video. “We now know what’s inside the Beauty Insider Advent Calendar. Oh my god, it’s worse than we thought.”
She continues, “The Sephora Beauty Insider Advent Calendar, someone got it and was unboxing it on Reddit and showing what they got. It’s all just crap.” It appears the post she is referring to was posted by u/Drawthecateyesharp
The Daily Dot has reached out to Michaela and Sephora via email regarding the video.
@michaelamakeup92 Replying to @Sarelia omg its worse than i feareeedddd. This Sephora Beauty Insider Advent calendar leaves much go be desired #sephora #greenscreen ♬ original sound – michaela❤️🔥 makeup reviews
What is in the Sephora Beauty Insider calendar?
She says the items included in the calendar are mostly what beauty enthusiasts would consider “tools,” and much less exciting products than customers might be looking for in such a high-value reward option.
“It is like, beauty tools, loosely,” she says. “No name-brand stuff, just a bunch of irrelevant things.”
She lists out “face gem set, brushes, a facial roller, scrunchies, a tanning mitt, it looks like, and these aren’t even name-brand items.”
Part of the issue, Michaela says, is that the calendar contains a lot of items that customers might find more appealing if they were from higher-value brands instead of being presumptively Sephora brand items—or no-name items, as she says.
“It’s not like a St. Tropez tanning mitt, or a Dennis Gross facial roller, it’s just like no brand name,” she says in the video. “Literally, microfiber scrunchie? There is a Sephora branded sleep mask, which is the only thing in here that I think is kind of cute.”
She says there is a mini eye roller, a makeup brush cover, a cleaner, and a lip exfoliator.
“I don’t know, I feel like you could get all of this on Amazon,” she concludes. “Do not waste your points on this, I wouldn’t recommend it.”
What customers have to say
This year’s advent calendar has also sparked discussion on the beauty retailer’s customer forum. In a post to the Sephora community page, several users suggested that members might be better off selecting several smaller-point value items of their choosing than the big-ticket calendar.
Several customers have also weighed in on the calendar in the comments section of Michaela’s video. They wrote that they feel the offering has gotten less appealing over the years.
“Rouge member here and Sephora rewards are becoming worse each and every year,” one commenter wrote. “I love them, but the way they play in our faces with the rewards bazaar is sad!”
“For the last 4 years I’ve witnessed the pure anarchy of the advent calendars and every year I look forward to it even more than the last,” another said.
“Go watch alexandria Ryan on YouTube,” one wrote. “She reviews all the advent calendars and sephora one’s have ALWAYS been bad.”
Other viewers shared that they had purchased the calendar in previous years, but were disappointed. Some sought a refund of their points, which have cash value at the retailer, with mixed results.
“I sent an email to customer service about how upset I was with the calendar, and they’re letting me return it to get my points back,” one commenter wrote.
“I got it,” another wrote. “They wouldn’t refund any of my points.”
“I bought it and I am so sad,” one said.
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