I've done some diffing online and found out what those changes are and will outline them for you so keep reading.
(This post includes some affiliate links. Should you click an affiliate link and make a purchase I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
What's changed with The Semi-Annual Beauty Event
Well, it used to be called the 21 Days of Beauty Event to start. Ulta decided to change the name of the sale to The Semi-Annual Beauty Event. Not only has the name changed but so has how the event or sale works.
Daily Beauty Steals
Each day of the sale has what is called Daily Beauty Steals. These are products that are 50% off but only for that one day. The main difference about the Daily Beauty Steals is that they won't all be released at once. Ulta will now release the steals week by week. Every Wednesday they will drop the next week of steals. The week of steals will start on Friday so we'll get a two-day heads up.
This does make it hard to plan ahead. From what some people who have the inside track on this sale have said Ulta's reasoning for this is it makes it less overwhelming.
My two cents is this change benefits them and not the shoppers for a few reasons. Releasing the deals one week at a time allows them to change their mind throughout the sale about what's on sale and what's not.
Releasing the deals week by week keeps you more "engaged" and visiting Ulta's site and app weekly because you have to check and see what's on sale versus seeing everything up front and marking your calendar for the days you want to shop.
Lastly, this could make you end up spending more because you can't plan ahead and budget for what you want to buy.
Related read: 10 Top Hair & Beauty Picks To Buy At Ulta
Diamond and Platinum members
Starting March 3rd, Diamond and Platnum members will get exclusive access to shop a selection of the sale first. I'm not sure if those of us who haven't achieved that status will be able to see the products on sale even if we can't get the deal.
It's not yet clear to me if Diamond and Platinum members will be able to get additional perks like free shipping or deals exclusive to them like with the 21 Days Of Beauty Event.
Other changes
Ulta has shared that other changes include more deals available, deals now in every category, and some new deals on shampoo and conditioner pairs.What's stayed the same with The Semi-Annual Beauty Event
How to shop the event
As with the previous iteration of this event, you can shop online or in the store. You will need to pay attention to what's available online only as there are some beauty steals you can only get online.
Ulta encourages those interested in the sale to sign up for texts and emails for sale updates.
There is free shipping for everyone on orders $35+. There's free shipping for those with Diamond and Platinum status with a Beauty Steal purchase.
The brands
Since Ulta isn't releasing all of the products ahead of time it's hard to know what brands will be on sale. There do seem to be some hints on the sale page with pictures of Olaplex, Clinique, IT Cosmetics, Peach & Lilly, and Babyliss.
Related read: My Favorite Beauty Products For My Oily Skin
My thoughts
I'm curious about how this event will unfold and apprehensively excited. The reason is the 21 Days Of Beauty Event had gotten stale over the last few years. The product selection was weak and uninteresting to me.
I think I'll be more interested in the Semi-Annual Beauty Event if there are good hair deals. I do wonder what this means for the Gorgeous Hair Event. Will that go away as well? Only time will tell.
Typically I would list out the daily beauty steals that caught my attention or I thought you all would be interested in but since those haven't and won't be released before the sale I can't do that.
I encourage you to follow me on Instagram and my LTK Store because I will share the beauty steals there once they drop.
Shop the daily steals
Shop the hair duo deals