Ulta

First visit ever to an Ulta (I know, I know!). I don’t keep up with the latest skin, hair, and beauty products and was 100% overwhelmed by the option overload in this mega store. You could easily drop several hundred dollars if you don’t know what you need and an informed sales person assists you ;) My mom found a great sales gal (can’t remember her name — boo) and she was so wonderful that I even asked for makeup assistance and bought some products. Prices on the few products I was familiar with seemed higher than drugstore/​amazon prices but they also have products not available anyplace else so you’re paying for the convenience and exclusivity.

I love getting my brows tinted and waxed here.

As far as selection is concerned, Ulta pales in comparison to Sephora. Many of the skincare and makeup brands I use are not available at Ulta, but you can’t beat them for nails/​hair. I think they must have every OPI and Essie color ever made, and a ton of hair tools. The brush variety specifically impresses me. That said, $ 30+ for a hair brush?! No. Ulta is over priced, probably due in part to the availability of coupons. I swing by twice/​year or so for nail polish or a hair brush, but I always leave thinking I could probably find it cheaper online.

Friendly people working there. I love that whole foods and pier one are right next door. They answered all my questions and even offered me a different gift because the one was out of stock.

I am baffled why anybody shops at this store. My mailbox is constantly filled with their coupons, but when you actually go there to use one it is not valid on barely anything. All of their «Prestige» items are available online for 30% less, shipped free to your door, from a number of internet sites. Their average drugstore stuff, the only stuff you can actually use their Promos for, is priced double what it would be on sale at your grocery store! Last time I went there, there was a sign by the Opi nailpolish stating that they would no longer accept coupons for it-​sorry for any inconvience. Ooh, nail polish, so special, so fancy, so prestigeous-​what a joke. In my opinion, this store is an inconveince.

this is not a compliment. it is a complaint and a very big disappoint. i had a 2:00 salon appt. i arrived on time and went to check in. i stood there for about five minutes waiting for someone to acknowledge my existence. the two girls working saw me and did nothing. one of them (blond in a pony tail) said very snippy do you have an appointment. i did not feel the love. she said i would have to wait and i could shop around. so i did well it was 2:30 so i went to the salon to see if they were ready for me and they were still not so i left. i do not mind waiting five or ten minutes but it still would have been another twenty. wont go back again to the salon. ilove your store and will continue to shop there.

I had no idea Ulta was a store/​salon, but this is a very convenient combination!
Cara did my hair and makeup for my wedding, and I was so happy with it! She listens to what you don’t like and takes the time to make sure you love your look. If you’re going to get your hair did, go see Cara, she is very good at what she does, and will make you laugh while she does it!

I could spend my entire paycheck here! The ladies are very helpful and willing and able to help. I feel as though I’ve always received great recommendations and advice. They carry everything – from things you’re able to buy at Walmart to high end cosmetics and skin care.

Chelsea Slick and her team of coworkers were fabulous in doing the makeup and hair for our bridal party of eight. They were friendly and fun and skilled in their results. Even the ladies at the checkout were helpful. They let us in early, and had us out with plenty of time to meet our schedule. Chelsea did my color and cut two weeks before and the color still looks great.
Thank you all,
Mother of the bride.

I love this store… everything you could possibly want to maintain one’s hair, nails, skin — and oodles of drugstore-​to-​high-​end makeup and skincare products to boot. This store is HUGE, there are so many products it can be rather overwhelming.
I was happy to see that most of the beauty items I buy at the drugstore (lotion, razors, etc.) were stocked here as well, and not any more expensive than Rite Aid, so I could get my Bare Minerals, shampoo, etc. at the same time/​save myself a trip.
What I consistently don’t like: the snooty workers…
Ah well, I’ve learned to ignore it — and just have fun pawing through the goodies… even my husband likes an occasional visit (tho he also tolerates TJMAXX homegoods, which is very unusual we’ve been told on more than one occasion).

I love Ulta. Ulta online, Ulta the store, conversations about Ulta, the smell of Ulta… it’s a product whore’s best friend and I am, most definitely, a product whore. I was tempted to give it a 4 but that wouldn’t be fair. Why knock off a star? Because some of the girls who work here walk around with a serious attitude and refuse to help people like me, who maybe aren’t as constantly polished and coiffed as they, but hey, I’m a busy woman, I work way too many hours a week and usually when I walk into Ulta it’s on a weekend morning when I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus and only a shower with a new product will do the trick.
Whatever, I don’t need your help, bitchy girls, because I know where everything is in your store.
My favorite thing about this Ulta is Chelsea, who has been doing my hair for a year now. She is friendly, funny, and willing to do whatever I ask with enthusiasm and input. I love that when I’m kind of going back and forth as to whether or not I want a change she’ll come up with something kind of middle of the road that I can try on for size for a few weeks before taking the full-​out plunge the next time. She is never in a bad mood (or if she is, I can’t tell), is fun to talk to, and does a fantastic job.
And so, while I’m tempted to knock off a star because the bitchy BareMinerals girl didn’t want to help me choose a new foundation color when I lost my tan and my old color was making me look orange, I simply can’t because my experiences at the salon have been so great. While only Chelsea has cut my hair, I find that all of the salon staff are friendly and fun.

Dear Ulta,
You are my very best friend. Not only do you have everything I need, you have nearly everything I want — all in one place, all easy to find, and all at a good price. And, then, on top of everything else, you’re constantly sending me special offers and coupons and bonuses with my nifty club card. Your employees are kind and helpful, but never obnoxious or pushy. I can go here, stay for hours, and leave with mile-​wide smile. The other beauty supply stores in town have got nothing on you, Ulta.

Although I love shopping Ulta, the store, I’m here to tell you about Brittany, the esthetician.
Brittany is the most thorough waxer I’ve ever had! Meticulous in her leg waxing, never leaving patches, Brittany is absolutely wonderful. She is nice, considerate, and goes above and beyond to make you feel comfortable. Even though I’ve only had Brittany do my waxing (leg, underarm, lip, and brow), I’ve been to her enough to know that waxing is just the beginning of the esthetic services I receive from her. Next up… facial!

I need to wear some sort of sign like *help me I am clueless* when I come into these places. It was friendlier than Sephora which I appreciated, doesn’t mean I knew what to ask to get the help I desperately need.
I think they need a come here now moron type makeover station for women as pathetic as I so I know I can just sit down and they can transform me. I promise I will buy if you do it well and help me have a start at least at how to do it.
Nice store, seriously, but not for the beyond redemption types such as me. I think if I had a clue where to start I would be in business.

How the heck do I, a gal who prides myself on being very low-​maintenance, end up walking out of this store with a giant bag full of stuff and a tab well over $ 100?!
Seriously. Is there something wrong with me? Or is it something right with Ulta? Although I’ve been to other locations of this chain, this particular one made me feel entirely *not* intimidated that I know just about nothing about my hair, and even less about makeup!
The staff was so friendly and non-​pushy that it just started to feel like fun — like I was a little kid playing around with all of these bizarre things that adult ladies use. I guess I have to admit I’m finally an adult lady, ’cause I walked out of there with new nail polish, a perfume I’d been wanting for months, and a new hairdryer. Dang. Oh and some free goodies, too.
Given that splurge, it will probably be another, or 8 months until I allow myself to buy any more «beauty supplies» (always thought that was a weird term), but for now, I’m set!

This store is amazing, and I love that no matter where you stand with makeup, this place has it for you. If you are a novice or a pro, Ulta really has anything and everything you need. They carry less expensive brands like Sally Hansen or Covergirl, and the more premium brands like Urban Decay and Pur. They also have an Ulta line of beauty products that are middle of the road, good quality items. They also carry all kinds of hair products and other random cosmetic things. There is also a salon at the back of the store where you can get a haircut.
The staff are really nice, and incredibly helpful, without being judgmental or snooty.
The only downside (upside?) is that the makeup is arranged by brand, which is great if you know what you want, but if you want to comparison shop for something like, say, eyeliner, you kind of have to stroll through the store looking at the different brands to see what you want. Which for me is a bad thing because suddenly I have a basket full of nail polish and lip gloss that I had no idea I needed.
Oh, and if you buy a lot of stuff often, they have a rewards club that gives you free stuff if you spend at least $ 50 every 3 months. Yay free!