Best Beauty Giveaways in Winston-Salem, NC: 2026 Local Guide

Winston-Salem's most reliable beauty giveaways right now come from two national retailers with physical stores in the city: Sephora and Ulta Beauty. Both run free birthday-gift programs tied to loyalty memberships that any local shopper can join and redeem in person at Hanes Mall. Neither program is a sweepstakes — there's no entry or chance involved.

They're guaranteed free-gift perks for enrolled members, redeemable at a specific local address, which makes them the most dependable "free beauty" opportunities available to Winston-Salem residents this year.

Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on October 26, 2026.

What beauty giveaways are actually available in Winston-Salem?

Two options currently qualify as verified, redeemable-in-person beauty perks for Winston-Salem shoppers: Sephora's Beauty Insider birthday gift and Ulta's Ultamate Rewards birthday gift. Sephora operates a store inside JCPenney at Hanes Mall, and Ulta has a standalone location at 1030 Hanes Mall Blvd, per current store-directory listings. Both chains' loyalty programs are national, but the free items are claimed at these local stores.

These aren't random drawings. They're account-based rewards: join the free loyalty program, and the retailer owes you a gift during your birthday month, no purchase required to qualify for membership itself. A locally sponsored salon or supply-store giveaway specific to Winston-Salem was not found as a currently running promotion.

The closest comparable local offer was a small-business giveaway from Greater Winston-Salem Inc. that included a massage among its prizes, but that promotion ran in April 2025 and has already closed.

How does Sephora's Beauty Insider birthday gift work this year?

Sephora's Beauty Insider program is free to join, and its 2026 birthday-gift lineup was announced on January 1, 2026. Members can choose a free gift featuring items from Tower 28 Beauty, Dr. Dennis Gross, Dae, or Glossier, available in any Sephora store — including the Hanes Mall location — or online, with a $25 minimum purchase, according to Sephora Newsroom.

Members who'd rather skip the physical item can redeem 250 points instead. That option works in-store, at Sephora locations inside Kohl's, or on Kohls.com, per the same announcement reported by Businesswire. Sephora also rotates a separate tier gift through the year: Jo Malone London was the first-quarter pick for 2026, with K18, Gisou, and Innisfree scheduled for later quarters, per the Sephora Newsroom release.

Which tier gift a member sees depends on when their birthday falls and their account status at the time.

How does Ulta's birthday perk compare?

Ulta's Ultamate Rewards program is also free to join and includes a birthday-month benefit: a chosen free gift plus double points on purchases made that month, according to Ulta Beauty's rewards page. That benefit is redeemable at any Ulta store, including the Hanes Mall Blvd location in Winston-Salem. Members at the Diamond or Platinum tiers get an added $10 off during their birthday month, stacked on top of the standard free gift and double points, per the same Ulta page.

Reaching those tiers requires hitting the program's annual spending thresholds, so the extra discount isn't available to every member — only to those who qualify by tier. Between the two programs, the core mechanics are similar: free enrollment, a birthday-month window, and an in-store pickup option at a confirmed Winston-Salem address. The gift contents and point-redemption rules differ by retailer, so it's worth checking each program's own terms before the birthday month arrives.

What should you check before counting on either gift?

Both programs tie the free gift to an active loyalty account, not to a purchase, so the first step is enrollment — and enrollment should happen before the birthday month, not during it, since some systems process the gift based on the date it was triggered. Because these are account perks rather than sweepstakes, there's no entry deadline to track beyond your own birthday month, and no purchase is required to join either program.

• Confirm your birth month is correctly set in your Sephora or Ulta account profile.
• For Sephora, decide in advance whether you want the physical item or the 250-point alternative, since the redemption channel differs (in-store/online for the gift, in-store/Kohl's/Kohls.com for points).
• For Ulta, check your current tier status if you're expecting the Diamond/Platinum $10 add-on — it won't appear for Member or Platinum-ineligible accounts.
• Gift formulations and included brands can change each quarter, so what's offered in one birthday month may not match another visit later in the year.

Are there other local beauty promotions to watch for?

Winston-Salem has seen occasional small-business giveaways that included beauty or wellness items, organized by local business groups rather than beauty retailers themselves. The Greater Winston-Salem Inc. spring giveaway, reported by 6AM City WSToday, is one example — it bundled local goods including a massage, though it ran in spring 2025 and is no longer active.

That kind of promotion tends to be seasonal and organized around a specific local campaign rather than a standing program, which is why the two loyalty-based options above are the more dependable current picks for Winston-Salem shoppers looking for a free beauty item tied to a real, redeemable location.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to buy anything to get Sephora's birthday gift?

No purchase is needed to join Beauty Insider, but redeeming the physical birthday gift in-store or online requires a $25 minimum purchase; the 250-point alternative does not carry that requirement.

Is Ulta's birthday gift available at every Ulta store?

Yes — the Ultamate Rewards birthday perk is redeemable at any Ulta location, including the Hanes Mall Blvd store in Winston-Salem.

Do I need to live in Winston-Salem to use these programs?

No. Both loyalty programs are national; Winston-Salem residents simply have a confirmed local store — Sephora at Hanes Mall and Ulta on Hanes Mall Blvd — where the gifts can be picked up in person.