Glow Recipe is coming to Ulta’s TikTok in November, but waiting until it hits the shelves in December might be the smartest move. The Korean-inspired brand will launch in 1,000 Ulta Beauty stores and its website in early December. It will be Glow Recipe’s first major retail expansion since 2017. The brand’s upcoming Ulta kits will be priced at $18, $35, and $48.
Those Glow Recipe Ulta kits have a close match at Sephora, and the two stores’ loyalty programs pay out differently. We ran the numbers on both to see where you save more.
Glow Recipe announced the Ulta launch on Instagram, and its caption gives the date the brand hits Ulta’s shelves and website.
Glow Recipe Says Ulta Is Its Next Glow Destination
Why Glow Recipe’s Ulta Launch Matters
A Glow Recipe release calls Ulta the nation’s largest beauty retailer, and Ulta’s chief merchandising and digital officer says it uses data from more than 46 million loyalty members to pick brands. Glow Recipe says shoppers have asked for it at Ulta for years.
Sephora shoppers don’t need to worry, though. Glow Recipe will stay at Sephora. Co-founder and co-CEO Christine Chang has said the two retailers reach different shoppers, so the brand wants both.
Glow Recipe’s Ulta rollout starts on Nov. 17, 2026, when the new $36 Fresh Slices eye mask debuts on Ulta’s TikTok Shop. Ulta’s rewards FAQ says points can’t be earned or redeemed on TikTok Shop purchases, and Sephora’s program gives none there at this time. The mask reaches Ulta stores and Ulta.com on Dec. 6, and that is when your $36 starts earning points.
Glow Recipe Ulta Kits vs Sephora: Where You Save More
Ulta lists the Glass Skin Besties Kit at $48 with a $72 value. The kit includes a full-size Dew Drops serum, a travel-size PHA+BHA toner, and a travel-size cushion cream. Glow Recipe sells the full-size Dew Drops serum in the kit for $36, and its mini toner costs $16. Those two pieces alone add up to $52, which is more than the $48 you pay for all three.
The Jelly Sheet Mask Set has its own math. Three masks cost $18, or $6 each, while Ulta and Sephora both list a single mask at $8. That is a 25% savings.
Those savings are real only for products you would buy anyway. A kit with travel sizes that you never finish is money spent on clutter, however big the listed value looks.
Glow Recipe’s Sephora Sets and Kits
Sephora’s closest match to the Ulta kit is the Watermelon Glow Essentials Gift Set, a limited edition sold only at Sephora. It costs $49 with a listed $78 value. The set holds the same full-size Dew Drops, mini toner, and 25 mL cushion cream as Ulta’s kit, plus a sachet of toner pads. That makes Ulta’s kit $1 cheaper with one item fewer. By each store’s own numbers, Sephora’s set takes about 37% off and Ulta’s about 33%. Those are the retailers’ claims, so the shelf prices above are the better check.
Points tip the balance toward Ulta. Say a shopper saves up and redeems as many points as each store allows on its kit. These are the prices left to pay before tax and shipping, going by each store’s rewards chart:
- Ulta’s Glass Skin Besties Kit ($48), using 1,000 points for a $50 reward: $0 left to pay
- Sephora’s Watermelon Glow Essentials Gift Set ($49), using 500 points for $10 off, the most one order allows: $39 left to pay
- Sephora’s Watermelon Glow Essentials Gift Set ($49), using 2,500 points for a Rouge Reward worth $100: $0 left to pay
Ulta’s route is the simpler one. Any member can turn 1,000 points into the kit, though earning them at one point per dollar takes about $1,000 of shopping.
Sephora’s route to $0 is harder. It needs Rouge status, which takes $1,000 in spending a year, and the Rouge Reward expires 90 days after it lands in your account. Without Rouge, Sephora’s discount stops at $10, which leaves $39 to pay.
Sephora’s set is the better pick only if you want the extra toner pads or can’t wait until Dec. 6. Ulta’s kit page also says the brand is excluded from most Ulta coupons, so points are the main way to save there.
Sources: PR Newswire, Ulta Beauty Rewards, Sephora Beauty Insider, Ulta
Money Lesson
Rent, bills, and debt payments come first. If nothing is left after bills this month, skip the extras, and that’s OK. When you do shop, let your points pile up before you spend them. Ulta’s redemption chart pays more per point as your balance grows, so 100 points is worth $3, while 1,000 points is worth $50. Check when your points expire, and cash them in on something already on your list.
Think of us as your money-savvy best friend, not your financial adviser. This story is for information and fun, not personal advice, so talk to a licensed professional before you make any big money moves.
