Ranking Sephora Birthday Gifts By Year – 5 Year Deep Dive

I’ve been picking Sephora birthday gifts for almost 10 years now! 

Although I love the free gift each year, the gift options are hit and miss depending on the year.

So here’s my ranking of the worst to best year of Sephora Birthday Gift.

This is based on absolutely no research, not based on amount of product, product value ($), or anything other than which product selection I thought was better.

Tell me what you think, which Sephora Birthday Gift year was YOUR favorite?

 

2021 – Worst Birthday Gift Year

Ok worst is a bit of an exaggeration.

This is just my least favorite year of the last 5 years of Sephora birthday gifts.

I chose the NARS gift that year, not because I really wanted a mini bronzer (that I knew wouldn’t work for my skin tone) and lip balm but because the Rare beauty gift was always out of stock.

The Rare Beauty gift (the most exciting option for me) wasn’t even introduced until mid-2021.

Many beauties never got a chance to get the gift, and winter babies like me simple had no chance.

2021 was the worst year because they really had just 1 option that everyone was excited about and they released it mid year.

Also, all the other gifts were products that beauty lovers had likely tried as free sample gifts from the brand, or Sephora or Ulta Beauty.

Even NARS was a repeat brand option…who asked for that?!

 

2021 Sephora Birthday Gifts

NARS Birthday Gift included:

• Bronzing Powder in Laguna (0.08oz) $10.86 value
• Afterglow Lip Balm in Laguna (0.03 oz) $8.40 value

Laneige Birthday Gift included:

• Lip Sleeping Mask (3g) $3.30 value
• Water Sleeping Mask (15 ml) $5.36 value
• Water Bank Moisture Cream (20 ml) $15.20 value

MoroccanOil Birthday Gift included:

• Hydrating Styling Cream (0.67 oz) $2.23 value
• Moroccanoil Treatment (0.5 oz) $10 value
• Night Body Serum (0.34 oz) $6.20 value

Kerastase Birthday Gift (online only) included:

• Nutritive Shampoo (1.7 oz) $6.20 value
• Nutritive Conditioner (1.7 oz) $9 value

Rare Beauty Birthday Gift included:

• Lip Souffle Matte Lip Cresm in Confident (0.10 oz.)
• Soft Pinch Dewy Liquid Blush in Adore (0.11 oz.)

 

2022 – More options, but not exciting options

Sephora must have learned from their mistakes in 2021 and decided to give us more birthday gift options in 2022 (on a rotating schedule). 

But, of course we cant have it all, and the birthday options in 2022 were kinda boring.

I think Sephora should always have at least 1 makeup, 1 skincare, 1 haircare, 1 bodycare, and 1 fragrance gift option. 

They got close in 2022, but even the fragrance gift (which is usually the most popular gift of all) stayed in stock.

Sephora has so many amazing fragrance brands, partnering with Nest was kinda of mid.

Also partnering with Amika was kinda boring too.

There wasn’t a standout gift in 2022.

But don’t mistake my criticism for anything other than an unsolicited cold take…I still chose a gift! lol

I grabbed the Laura Mercier option (also boring) so I could have a travel size setting powder!

Read: Get Excited for Sephora’s Beauty Insider Birthday Gifts 2022

 

2022 Sephora Birthday Gifts

Laura Mercier gift set:

• Included the Translucent Loose Setting Powder (5g/0.17oz)
• Caviar Stick Eye Shadow in Sephora exclusive shade ‘Strapless’ (1g/0.03oz)

Tatcha gift set:

• Included The Rice Wash Skin – Softening Cleanser (15ml/0.5oz)
• The Dewy Skin Cream Plumping & Hydrating Moisturizer (10ml/0.34oz)
• Mini Liquid Silk Canvas: Featherweight Protective Primer Sample Packet (1g/0.03oz)

Amika gift set:

• Included the Perk Up Talc-Free Dry Shampoo (1oz.)
• Soulfood Nourishing Mask (30ml)
• Flash Instant Shine Hair Gloss Mask (20ml)

NARS gift set:

• Included a mini Laguna Bronzer
• Mini Laguna Lip Balm (Sephora at Kohl’s exclusive)

Olaplex gift set (VIB & Rouge only):

• Included the No. 3 Hair Perfector (30ml)
• No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Repair Mask (20ml)

Nest gift set (VIB & Rouge only):

• Included the Indigo Eau de Parfum Rollerball mini
• Seville Orange Perfume Oil Rollerball mini
• Grapefruit Mini Votive Candle mini

ILIA gift set (available April – July):

• Included a mini Fullest Volumizing Mascara
• Mini Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil in Shade Only You
• Sample size Lip Wrap Overnight Treatment

Charlotte Tilbury gift set (available August – September):

• Included a mini Pillow Talk Push-up Lashes Mascara
• Mini Pillow Talk Lipstick Original Matte Revolution
• Foil sample of the Magic Cream Moisturizer

Sephora

• Introduced the option of 250 Bonus Points in 2022 

 

2024 – Repeat brands, and foil packets

This year has been interesting, a mix of highs and lows. 

Sephora introduced a viral brand (Kosas) with products that I think will appeal to a younger audience.

But, they also brought back two brands from previous years; MoroccanOil (from 2021) and Charlotte Tilbury (2022 & 2020).

Sephora could have partnered with basically any haircare or luxury makeup brand, why go back to the same brands?

At this point, if you’re into beauty, you’ve likely tried the products from MoroccanOil and Charlotte Tilbury and probably Youth To The People too!

We will see if Sephora introduces rotating options, and a fragrance option but until then 2024 Sephora birthday gifts are just ok.

Update: A Reddit User spotted the Giorgio Armani Fragrance Gift Option. 

Review: Charlotte Tilbury Sephora Birthday Gift – Flawless Look Birthday Set Review

Review: Youth To The People Sephora Birthday Gift – Cleanse & Hydrate Skincare Set Review

Review: Kosas Sephora Birthday Gift – Lip & Brow Birthday Set Review

 

2024 Sephora Birthday Gifts

Kosas – Lip & Brow Birthday Set (2 items) total value = $19.80 USD

• Wet Lip Oil Plumping Treatment Gloss in shade Unbuttoned (0.06 oz / 2 ml) – $8.80 value
• Air Brow Clear + Clean Lifting Treatment Eyebrow Gel (0.06 oz / 1.77 g) – $11 value

Youth To The People – Cleanse & Hydrate Skincare Birthday Set (3 items) total value = $19.48 USD

• Kale + Green Tear Spinach Vitamins Superfood Cleanser (1.0 oz / 30 ml) – $4.88 value
• Superfood Air-whip Moisturize Cream (0.5 oz / 15 ml) – $12 value
• Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dreammask (0.1 oz / 3 ml) [foil packet] – $2.60 value

MoroccanOil – Ultimate Hydration Birthday Set (4 items) total value = $19.20 USD

• Hydrating Shampoo (1.35 oz / 40 ml) – $10.29 value
• Hydrating Conditioner (1.35 oz / 40 ml) – $4.13 value
• Treatment Hair Oil (0.5 oz / 15 ml) – $4.13 value
• Hand Cream (0.1 oz / 3 ml) [foil packet] – $0.65 value

Charlotte Tilbury – Flawless Look Birthday Set (3 items) total value = $22.29 USD [VIB/Rouge Only]

• Matte Revolution Lipstick in shade Pillow Talk (0.05 oz / 1.5 g) – $14.58 value
• Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray (0.5 oz / 15 ml) – $5.76 value
• Magic Cream Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid (0.03 oz / 1 ml) – $1.95 value

Sephora – 250 Bonus Points birthday gift

 

2020 – Exciting brands and Fragrance

Here’s where it started to get good. 

2020 was such a tough year, but Sephora really came to the table with popular brands, a fragrance option, and products that really made beauties consider which gift they should choose. 

They were all pretty good options.

I chose the Sol De Janeiro gift that year, and since then I’ve kept one of their creams in my collection at all times.

 

2020 Sephora Birthday Gifts

MILK Makeup gift set:

• KUSH High Volume Mascara (3ml/0.10 fl.oz)
• Lip + Cheek in Werk (6g/0.21 oz)
• Hydro Grip Primer – Foil Packet (1.5ml/0.05 oz)

Sol de Janeiro gift set:

• Brazilian Bum Bum Cream (0.84 fl oz/25ml)
• Coco Cabana Cream (0.84 fl oz./25 ml)

Briogeo gift set:

• Scalp Revival Charcoal & Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo
• Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask

NARS gift set:

• Nars Laguna Bronzing Powder (2.5g/0.88 oz)
• Nars Laguna Afterglow Lip Balm (1.1g/0.39 oz)

Jo Malone – Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne (0.3 fl.oz/9 ml)

Charlotte Tilbury gift set:

• Jewel Lips Lip Gloss – Pillow Talk (discontinued – $32 – full size 4 ml) – 1.4ml (0.04 fl oz)
• Magic Cream (7 ml/0.2 fl oz)

 

2023 – Hot Brands, Great Options, but 1 Luxury Fail

Welp here we are. 

I think the 2023 Sephora birthday gift options were the best. 

So many great brands to choose from and a viral fragrance option that had beauties in a tizzy.

If only Sephora could have kept the Dior gift option in stock, or supplied a similar alternative…a girl can dream right?!

Also, this was the first year Sephora offered a mystery bundle as an option. 

It was kinda fun to see what beauties got in their mystery trio (basically samples from the 100 point level products Rewards Bazaar) on social media.

I almost chose the mystery gift myself, but I wanted to try more Patrick Ta products so, I went with that.

Read: Final List of Sephora Birthday Gifts 2023

 

2023 Sephora birthday gifts

Mystery Birthday gift set (just 1 example):

• Charlotte Tilbury – Walk of No Shame Matte Lipstick
• Peter Thomas Roth – Water Drench Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer
• Tatcha – The Water Cream Moisturizer

Dior Fragrance gift set:

• Miss Dior eau de parfum mini: 5 mL/0.17 fl. oz.
• Sauvage eau de parfum mini: 10 mL/0.34 fl. oz.

Glow Recipe gift set:

• Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops mini: 0.5 fl. oz./15 mL
• Watermelon Glow Pore Tight Toner mini: 0.84 fl. oz./ 25 mL

Ilia gift set:

• Limitless Lash Mascara in shade After Midnight (Black): 0.1 oz./ 3g
• Multi-Stick in shade At Last (Mauve Rose): 0.08 oz/ 2.5g

Ouai gift set:

• Detox Shampoo mini: 1 fl. oz./ 30 mL
• Leave-in Travel Conditioner mini: 1.5 fl. oz./ 45 mL
• St. Bart’s Body Cleanser mini: 1 fl. oz./ 30 mL
• Melrose Place eau de parfum mini: 0.05 fl. oz./ 1.5 mL

Patrick Ta gift set:

• The Major Brow Lamination Gel is a clear gel (0.08 fl. oz./ 2.5 mL)
• The Major Glow Lip Shine (0.1 fl. oz./ 3 mL)

Kerastase gift set (online only – VIB/Rouge):

• The Curl Manifesto Sulfate-free Shampoo for Curly Hair (1 fl. oz./ 30 mL)
• The Curl Manifesto Light-weight Conditioner for Curly Hair (1 fl. oz./ 30 mL)
• The Curl Manifesto Hydrating Leave-in Cream for Curly Hair (0.33 fl. oz./ 10 mL)

Farmacy gift set (VIB & Rouge only):

• Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm mini: 0.7 fl. oz./20 mL
• Honey Halo Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer mini: 0.5 fl. oz./15 mL
• Honey Potion Plus Ceramide Hydration Mask mini: 0.32 oz./ 9g

Sephora – 250 Bonus Points birthday gift

 

This post was a deep dive into the last 5 years of Sephora Birthday Gift Options. 

Check out check out more awesome beauty posts below!