Sephora vs. Thirteen Lune: Where to Shop

With the holidays on the horizon, savings season is upon us! And that means one thing: My Sephora cart is currently housing a top-to-bottom restock of all my staples. It’s full of repeat offenders, especially my mascara. We’ve been through a lot together, and I’ll never move her out of the starting lineup.

But that’s the thing with Sephora; they’re so good at selling you what you already love. Where they lack is in pushing you to explore new options and names you’ve never heard of. Lately, that’s exactly what I’m looking for.

Cue Thirteen Lune, an online shopping destination that curates beauty products from all over the globe. From Seoul to Nairobi, Panama City to Los Angeles, they feature brands using regional ingredients creating formulations you’ve never seen. There’s something for everyone in their inclusive portfolio.

I’ve been splitting my beauty budget between Sephora and Thirteen Lune for the past year, and I’m going to give you an honest side-by-side comparison so you can consider doing the same.

Quick Split View

Sephora is a beauty conglomerate, and most boutiques can’t compete on their convenience, shipping, and rewards. But where the smaller-scale businesses like Thirteen Lune can beat them is discovering the next big thing. So, how do they stack up next to each other?

	Sephora	Thirteen Lune
What It Is	Prestige beauty shop; 1,800+ stores in the U.S.	Online destination (with one physical store) for discovering culturally diverse beauty brands
Assortment	Large lineup of popular, big-name brands and in-house products covering cosmetics, skincare, haircare, and wellness	Curated global, founder-led brands spanning cosmetics, skincare, haircare, and wellness
Brand Discovery	Sort by bestsellers, new arrivals, trending, categories	Sort by bestsellers, new arrivals, categories, featured products; check out Shop Talk blog posts
Shipping	Free standard one- to three-day shipping for Beauty Insiders; guests free on $50+; otherwise $6.95; global	Free ground shipping on $50+; otherwise $7.95; express $20; U.S. only
Returns	New or gently used products within 30-day window for full refund; free returns by mail or in store	Unused, unopened within 21 days; $7.95 return fee; no exchanges
Rewards	Beauty Insider: Free VIB: Spend $350+ Rouge: Spend $1,000+ 1 point per dollar for all tiers 500 points = $10 off	VIP: Free Tastemaker: Spend $300+ Icon: Spend $600+ 1 point per dollar for VIP; 1.5 for Tastemaker; 2 for Icon 100 points = $5 off

Assortment: Mega Mall vs. Boutique Shopping

If you’ve seen a product trending on a TikTok “Get Ready with Me,” it’s probably on the shelves at Sephora. Sephora is your mega mall that carries the buzzing celebrity’s beauty line, all of the big brands, and their very own collection. If you’re shopping for the popular items you know and love, Sephora is where you’re going to find them.

Thirteen Lune, on the other hand, takes a completely different approach. Shopping online with Thirteen Lune is a curated experience. You’ll see some names you know and some names you don’t, and that’s the beauty of it (pun intended). The excitement of exploring new with a sprinkle of familiarity is something you’ll likely feel fairly quickly.

I view Sephora as the Top 10 section of Netflix. It’s there because people like it and it’s popular, but it’s not always new . . . and sometimes that’s exactly what you’re looking for. Thirteen Lune is like an indie film festival. You may not recognize all the titles, but each film was hand-picked to be there, and the people who made it are standing right there to tell you why.

Brand Discovery

When you search for “blush” at Sephora online, you’re served with 277+ results. I don’t know about you, but with an overwhelming list to comb through, my instinct is to sort by bestsellers, and that’s where the problem lies. I’m on autopilot most of the time and will just repurchase one I’ve used in the past, even though it just got the job done but didn’t change my life. That isn’t a Sephora problem, though: It’s a tired-mom-at-10-p.m.-who-doesn’t-want-to-make-one-more-decision-for-the-day kind of problem.

These days, my Sephora cart doesn’t get checked out on autopilot. My skin has outgrown the Gen Z faves I used to stock up on, so before I hit “buy” on my usuals, I run to Thirteen Lune to check if there’s something better. I often compare products side by side until I find what actually works for my skin now.

If I’m waiting in line at the grocery store, bored during a meeting, or have a few minutes while my son’s soccer practice is wrapping up, I’ll hop on Thirteen Lune’s site to see if I can find a better alternative to my habitual beauty buys. It’s easy to sort by category or concern, new arrivals, or deep dive into their Shop Talk blog, which includes founder Q&As, how-to guides, and spotlights on specific brands. I might find an ingredient list at Sephora, but I’m definitely not finding articles about where they sourced those ingredients and why they’re in the product in the first place.

Shipping and Returns

I have to give credit where it’s due, and Sephora has policies that make them the indisputable winner here. Beauty Insiders get standard one- to three-day shipping for free with no minimum. And if you aren’t signed up for their free rewards program, you can still get free shipping as a guest if you meet the $50 minimum threshold. They even have same-day delivery and in-store pickup, where available.

The return and exchange policy is next level, too. New or gently used items can be returned or exchanged in store or by mail within 30 days of purchase for a full refund. That foundation that ended up being two shades too light? No problem.

Thirteen Lune is obviously a smaller operation, and their policies reflect that. Returns are accepted only on unopened products within 21 days, and there’s a $7.95 return fee tacked on. Honestly, it’s made me a better shopper. I let things sit in my cart until I’m sure they’re right for me, then check out once I’ve hit $50 so shipping is free (orders under $50 have a $7.95 shipping charge).

One reason I can’t part ways with Sephora is the convenience. Sephora is where I’m running the morning of a wedding because I forgot I was low on foundation, and I can get something quickly. I’m going to Thirteen Lune for when I’m planning ahead. I’m building a cart over a week, reading up on what’s in there, and hitting a $50 threshold without really trying. The shift has made me a much more conscious shopper, and I’m no longer prone to falling victim to the cute travel-sized items in the checkout line at Sephora.

Rewards

Sephora’s reward system is long established and ever-evolving. It consists of three tiers, which are awarded by how much you spend annually: Insider, VIB, and Rouge. It’s free to join as an Insider, $350+ puts you at the VIB level, and $1,000+ gets you the coveted Rouge title. Their rewards are not what they used to be, though. I held a Rouge badge a lifetime ago, and I was once able to book free beauty services at their stores, which was elite as a 22-year-old living in Manhattan (ahh, the glory days). Once that perk disappeared, I realized I was chasing status instead of products. Now, Rouge gets you perks like point multipliers, first access to product launches and in-store events, and 20% off during their sales.

Don’t fret, though: Thirteen Lune has a free rewards program, too. So, if you’re a rewards gal or pal, you won’t have to sacrifice your point system for your potentially newfound loyalty. $1 spent equates to 1 point, which is equivalent to Sephora’s point system, but the points work more to your advantage at Thirteen Lune. You can easily redeem 100 points for $5 off, whereas it’ll cost you 500 points to get $10 off at Sephora.

As I’ve grown up from the 22-year-old Rouge-chaser I once was, I’ve learned that the tier math doesn’t really mean as much to me anymore. I’m spending less on what I buy and using more of what I have. I’d rather see my points turn into real dollars off than climb toward a status I’ll never use. Sephora still has the bigger perks for big spenders, but Thirteen Lune makes my modest cart work harder.

So, Where Should You Shop?

TBH, both. Sure, they’re both beauty shops, but they have different jobs.

Shop Sephora if you:

• Know what you need to purchase and need it fast
• Want free shipping with small orders and easy returns and exchanges
• Want rewards status, promotions, and seasonal sales
• Like to swatch and sample in store before you buy

Shop Thirteen Lune if you:

• Are ready to explore new products
• Want to know the story behind the label
• Want to discover brands from founders around the world
• Plan your purchases ahead of time

My vanity restock is done through both shops. I will continue to shop Sephora for the products I really can’t live without (my beloved mascara) and use the accrued points for my minis that I travel with. But when I have space on my shelf for something new, I’ve been rewired to check Thirteen Lune first. All of my new favorites are a result from taking a chance on a lesser-known, founder-led brand.

Before this year’s big savings events start, do yourself a favor and search for one product you need on Thirteen Lune instead of Sephora. Spend a few minutes getting the lay of the land on the site and reading about a brand you’ve never heard of.

Worst-case scenario, you don’t hit purchase.

Best-case scenario, you just found your new holy grail.