Sephora VIB Rouge In-Store Event

It's no secret that the Sephora VIB Rouge program has had some hiccups. (My faves are the inconsistent treatment and non-existent or irrelevant perks - really, does anyone jump at the chance for free makeovers with germ-laden testers?) Whether you think people had overly high expectations or Sephora just under-delivered on its promises, the grumblings on the interwebs made it clear - this is a program that needs to be revamped, ASAP, or risk alienating those high spenders they were courting.

I've generally been pleased with what is the biggest (and arguably, only) perk for me - the unlimited free shipping. When few US companies and even fewer Canadian companies offer free shipping to Canada, being able to make a 20$ order on a whim is deliriously freeing. (I had no trouble making the 75$ minimum before, but it's SO nice not to have to - especially in conjunction with those 25$ minimum purchase promo codes. As a side benefit, orders under 20$ also ship duty and tax free! Win on all sides.)

That said, there's always room for improvement. If this weekend's Spring Social Rouge events are anything to go by, it might be a case of one step forward, one step back. Early access to chic week and an exclusive event is nice, but there's still a fair bit of dismay on chat forums about the discount amount (same as what BIs and VIBs will presumably get during Chic Week) and the stinginess of foil samples in the free bag.

I'm a cheap wily shopper, so when it comes to Sephora I tend to shop online, where I can combine the free shipping, promo codes and Ebates cash backs to the best advantage. Knowing the discount would barely account for the taxes and having heard about the minimal samples in the goodie bag, I went to this event with a small list and low expectations.

I was pleasantly surprised.

I should mention that I had to drive 30 minutes through a snowstorm, so being greeted personally by the Store Director was nice (she knew my name without asking) and I very much enjoyed the good coffee, chocolate croissants and the deluxe sample bar (3 samples per Rouge, from a great selection).

The service was spot-on - all the SAs were friendly and cheerful, and they had a nice selection of reps across makeup and skincare. I wandered idly by Caudalie, where the fabulous rep took me in hand and somehow convinced me to buy that 100$ eye cream that I had been contemplating not at all. Seriously, she used sorcery of some kind. She then placed some amazing GWPs into my bag, which amounted to a 70$ value!

I also got two sets that are not available on-line (the Fresh Skin Superstars), or at least not on Canadian orders (the Sephora X system), as well as a staple I didn't want to wait for (Josie Maran Cleansing Oil) and the lone Hourglass Ambiant blush missing from my collection and out of stock online (Dim Infusion). No worries about sacrificing my Ebates cash back, and then I still received my deluxe samples and the Rouge bag o' samples.

Overall, I was very happy with this event and felt like it was well-organized and fun, and a good value for the amount of money I dropped.

But it appears like that experience was uneven across the stores in the Montreal area, and that is perhaps the biggest issue with Rouge at the moment - the lack of consistency. Some people get to experience awesome events because they're in NYC or SF (I would have enjoyed meeting Marc Jacobs and receiving a free MJ palette as well, not gonna lie). Others get full-sized products included in orders. (Only a handful of people, it seems, but this one has fostered whale-sized resentment.)

What do you guys think about the program and/or this event in particular? If you're Rouge, are you feeling it? If you're not Rouge, are you enticed to try to qualify?