Sephora specializes exclusively in beauty and cosmetics with expert staff guidance and free samples, while Amazon offers 100+ beauty brands alongside millions of other products with lower prices but minimal beauty expertise. Sephora is better for curated beauty shopping; Amazon is better for price comparison and convenience across all categories.
Sephora vs Amazon — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Premium beauty retailer specializing in cosmetics, skincare, and fragrance with expert in-store consultation.
E-commerce and cloud services giant dominating online retail and digital advertising.
Product Category Focus. Average Beauty Product Markup. In-Store Expert Consultations. Free Samples per Transaction. Beauty Brand Exclusive Partnerships. Prime Beauty Fast Shipping. Return Window
Choose Sephora if you prioritize beauty expertise, want to try products with free samples before committing, need personalized consultations, or prefer Sephora-exclusive brands like Fenty Beauty—you'll pay full retail but get curated selection and service. Choose Amazon if you want to compare prices across beauty brands (saving 10-25% on average), need fastest shipping via Prime, value one-stop shopping across all product categories, or prefer handling returns digitally without visiting a store.
Sephora: 45 million (2025) | Amazon: N/A
Sephora: 9.7% annual growth | Amazon: N/A
Sephora: Guidance not specified | Amazon: N/A
Sephora: Luxury & prestige only | Amazon: N/A
Sephora: Standalone + Department stores | Amazon: N/A
Sephora: Birthday gifts, tiered benefits | Amazon: N/A
Sephora: Luxury consumer segment | Amazon: N/A
Sephora: 200+ brands | Amazon: 500+ brands
Average Price Difference on Beauty Products
Sephora: 0-15% markup above MSRP | Amazon: 10-25% discount below MSRP
Sephora: 500+ U.S. locations | Amazon: 0 (online only)
Sephora: Up to 3 per transaction | Amazon: 0
Sephora: 2-3 days standard | Amazon: Same-day or 1-day with Prime
Sephora: 3% (top tier) on all purchases | Amazon: Varies; typically 1-5% with Prime
Sephora: 1 (beauty only) | Amazon: 40+ categories
Average Beauty Product Price Comparison (Foundation)
Sephora: 3-5 days | Amazon: 1-2 days with Prime
Sephora: Free (Insider tier) | Amazon: $139 (Prime)
Sephora: Yes, trained advisors | Amazon: No
Customer Review Average Rating (Beauty Products)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 240+ Prime members + broader reach
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 15% base commission
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 40% US e-commerce market share
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: $2.36 trillion (July 2026)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 15-25% (FBA included)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 8-10% annual growth
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 220 million Prime members
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 500+ Amazon Go/Fresh stores
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Same-day to 1 day (Prime)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 240 million Prime members
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Competitive on items under $50
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Multi-category general retailer
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Basic category and keyword filters
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Limited home furniture brands
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 40% global e-commerce market share
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: $638B (e-commerce only)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 240M+ Prime members
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 12-15% (estimated)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: All categories (diversified)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 5-20% on Subscribe & Save
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 190+ countries and territories
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Industry average ~40-45%
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Online support only
Standard Non-Perishable Pet Delivery Time
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: ~50,000-100,000 (estimated pet section)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 500+ million SKUs across all categories
2025 Pet Supplies Market Position (GMV Rank)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Not #1 in pet supplies
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 30 days (standard Amazon)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Limited pet-specific subscriptions
Specialty Pet Food Availability (Exotic/Medical Diets)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Limited; depends on seller listings
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 8-45% + 30-50% FBA
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: $0 (pay per sale)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 300+ active customers
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 3-7 days (instant access)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 0% customer data; Amazon owns relationship
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 1 (Amazon Pay only)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Varies by category and account tier
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Amazon 380 million
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 30 days (standard)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 30+ main categories
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Strict vetting, A9 quality standards
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: $139/year (Prime)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 4.4/5 average seller rating
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 2.5 billion downloads
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: <2% handmade items
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 2 days (Prime) / 5-7 days (standard)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 150+ million customers
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: $575 billion (2025)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 200+ AWS services
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Proprietary (freemium model)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: Not offered; external pharmacy required
Average Product Price Index (baseline=100)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: GDPR/CCPA Compliant
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 0 (e-commerce only)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: $139 (Prime basic tier)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 1-2 days (Prime members in metro areas)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: $0 with Prime / $25 without
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: $88 billion (AWS)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 1-2 days (Prime members)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: $139 (Amazon Prime US)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 180 days (A-to-Z Guarantee)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: US-regulated, transparent data policies
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 350+ million items
Prime Eligible Items with Two-Day Shipping
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 100+ million items
Free Shipping Threshold (Standard Members)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: $35 (with Prime; $100 without)
Sephora: N/A | Amazon: 500+ furniture brands available
How to choose between Sephora and Amazon
Sephora vs Amazon — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Sephora vs Amazon. Contains 165 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Sephora vs Amazon — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Sephora vs Amazon.
No. Amazon typically offers 10-25% discounts on beauty products compared to MSRP, while Sephora sells at full retail price or slightly above. However, Sephora's free samples, longer return window (60 vs 30 days), and expert consultations add value that justifies higher prices for some shoppers.
Can I get free beauty consultations on Amazon?
No. Amazon offers no in-store consultations or expert advice. Sephora provides free beauty consultations and makeovers at 500+ physical locations, making it the clear choice if you want personalized recommendations.
Which has faster shipping for beauty products?
Amazon offers same-day or 1-day delivery on eligible beauty items with Prime membership, while Sephora's standard shipping takes 2-3 business days. Amazon wins significantly on speed if you have Prime.
Yes, Sephora offers up to 3 free samples with every purchase to test products before committing. Amazon does not include free samples; you must purchase full-size products. Sephora is the clear winner for sample availability.
Which return policy is better for beauty products?
Sephora's 60-day return window is superior to Amazon's 30-day window. Sephora also allows returns of opened/used products, while Amazon's policy varies by seller. Sephora is significantly more lenient if you want to try expensive beauty products risk-free.
How to Choose Between Sephora and Amazon
Product Category Focus: Sephora has Beauty, cosmetics, skincare, fragrance only, while Amazon has 100+ million products across all categories.
Average Beauty Product Markup: Sephora has Full retail MSRP (0-15% markup standard), while Amazon has 10-25% discount vs retail average.
In-Store Expert Consultations: Sephora has Free beauty consultations at 500+ stores, while Amazon has None; online only.
Free Samples per Transaction: Sephora has Up to 3 free samples with every purchase, while Amazon has None.
Consider: Beauty Brand Exclusive Partnerships
Beauty Brand Exclusive Partnerships: Sephora has Sephora-exclusive brands: Fenty Beauty, Glow Recipe, Drunk Elephant, while Amazon has Carries all brands but no exclusives.
Prime Beauty Fast Shipping: Sephora has 2-3 business days (standard), while Amazon has Same-day to 1-day with Prime (eligible items).
Return Window: Sephora has 60 days for most products; opened products eligible, while Amazon has 30 days for most items; beauty returns vary by seller.