Becoming A SEPHORA VIB Beauty Insider

Having been a SEPHORA Beauty Insider for the last two years, I've always wondered how the SEPHORA VIB Beauty Insider Program worked. Just two weeks ago I finally qualified to become a SEPHORA VIB Beauty Insider. The VIB program works differently than the simple Beauty Insider program, in which VIB's receive more access to beauty deals and gifts while non VIBs do not. I'm writing this post in hopes that it will answer some of the questions that SEPHORA customers have. 

*Disclaimer: I have not received any monetary compensation for this post.*

How to become a Sephora VIB Beauty Insider Member:

From the SEPHORA Website: "EARN VIB STATUS BY SPENDING $350 AT A SEPHORA STORE, SEPHORA.COM, SEPHORA.CA, OR IN A SEPHORA INSIDE JCPENNEY WITHIN A CALENDAR YEAR (JANUARY-DECEMBER). VIB STATUS IS GOOD FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR IN WHICH THE BI MEMBER QUALIFIES AND THE FOLLOWING CALENDAR YEAR; ANNUAL REQUALIFICATION IS REQUIRED."

What this means:

• If you spend $350 at any SEPHORA location or online website within one calendar year (from January-December of the same year), you will qualify to become a SEPHORA VIB Beauty Insider. This status will begin the second you have met the qualifications and will last until the end of the following calendar year. For example: If you've placed a mixture of online and in store purchases (also just online or just in store purchases) that total $350 at March 5, 2012 from January 1, 2012, you will be a VIB Beauty Insider at that date that all your purchases from January 1, 2012 add up to $350, (March 5, 2012) and your status as a VIB Beauty Insider will last until the end of the following calendar year, December 31, 2013.
• To continue with the above example, in order to keep your VIB Beauty Insider status in 2014, you must then make sure that you spend another $350 (total of all SEPHORA purchases) throughout the following calendar year (January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013). This is the annual requalification requirement by SEPHORA.
• *IMPORTANT* The $350 excludes the purchase of gift cards.

What do you get as a SEPHORA VIB Beauty Insider:

All SEPHORA VIB Beauty Insiders will receive a Welcome Kit that includes the following three items:

• A 10% off in-store coupon
• A new VIB Beauty Insider SEPHORA member card which transfers your points so that you can continue to accumulate them for 100 or 500 point gifts (same as being a regular Beauty Insider)
• An appointment with a beauty in-store specialist 

Other benefits include:

• Access to private in-store events
• Special VIB Beauty Insiders promotions on SEPHORA best sellers at certain times of the year
• Special deluxe samples with online purchases exclusive to VIB Beauty Insiders 
• VIB Beauty Insiders receive a special discount for their annual Holiday In-Store Shopping event (generally around 20%)

My Overall Impressions of the VIB Beauty Insider Program:

In only two weeks of becoming a VIB Beauty Insider, I've received access to quite a few beauty deals already, including in-store discounts and exclusive samples. (SEPHORA haul posts to come). I definitely think that becoming a VIB Beauty Insider is worth it because of the great deals being offered to VIBs only. So, if you're shopping at your local drug store for Smashbox or Benefit items, why not shop for them at SEPHORA and accumulate points to become a VIB Beauty Insider? I think it's also important to mention that just because you forget your regular or VIB Beauty Insider card at home when you're shopping at SEPHORA, you can always tell the cashier the email associated to your card so that you can still receive your points! Also, just because you may have more than 350 points on your card, doesn't mean that you qualify for the VIB Beauty Insider program as you must have spent the money on purchases (non gift card related) within one calendar year.

I hope this post will help answer some of your SEPHORA VIB Beauty Insider related questions! If you have any more questions, or know more details about the program, please feel free to post in the comments below!