Best Beauty Referral Programs

One of my favourite things is learning about other people’s beauty routines. What products do they use? What brands have they tried? Do they have any holy grail products? A lot of times I learn about new beauty products through friends and some of my favourite items today are a result of their recommendations. Well, did you know that you can get discounts on beauty products just by referring a friend or being referred? The answer is in beauty referral programs!

A referral program is marketing tactic that aims to encourage existing customers to recommend a brand to their friends with the use of referral incentives. Research has shown that customers acquired through paid customer referral programs have a higher retention rate and higher initial sales than other customers. A lot of beauty companies have jumped on this tactic and have created a “Refer a Friend” program which incentivizes both individuals once the person being referred makes their first purchase. The incentive could be a discount, reward points, or even a free gift. Here is a list of beauty companies that have gotten it right with their referral programs and are worth nudging your friends to try.

*Check out Part 2: Best Beauty Referral Programs for a continuation of this list!

Pat McGrath

A 15% discount is pretty generous as most of the beauty referral programs I have seen offer 10% or less. At first glance I wasn’t a fan of this program as the person doing the referring needs to spend $135+ to get their 15% off. Then I quickly remembered we are talking Pat McGrath here and the dollars add up fast!

Vasanti Cosmetics

Offering a set discount versus a percentage off is usually more enticing when most of the products fall in the $20-$30 range. Depending on what you are buying, you could be getting anywhere from 20-50% off with this $10 referral coupon. The best part is both parties get the same discount in this program.

MAC Cosmetics

I don’t think anyone can complain about MAC’s referral program. Even though it requires both parties to spend $50 to get $10 off, it is a lucrative program. You can save as much as 20% off depending on how much you spend.

Charlotte Tilbury

I was a bit weary about the need to spend $150 to capitalize on the Charlotte Tilbury referral incentive, but if you do the math you are getting a 20% discount. This is great not only because of the discount amount but because Charlotte Tilbury very rarely runs any sitewide sales. If you are a dedicated Charlotte Tilbury consumer than this is a lucrative deal!

The Body Shop

The Body Shop has a great referral program which provides both parties with $10 off their next purchase of $40+. It is enticing and generous, offering the opportunity to save as much as 25% off your order. The Body Shop has been around for a long time and they got it right with their referral program.

Glossier

I have used the Glossier referral program quite a bit and I definitely think it favours the Referrer. I have been on both sides of the program but getting $10 off an order is a bit more enticing for me unless I am spending over $100. Nonetheless, it is a great way to try the brand especially when they very rarely run promotions on their site.

Let me know what your favourite beauty referral programs are and don’t forget to check out the Beauty Checklist for more ways to save!