Sephora vs. Ulta

[315bride]

While there is a Sephora within blocks of my apartment, I just realized that there is an Ulta at the mall a few subway stops away. Any advantages of one over the other?

[Deleted]

This is a tough call I think, especially if you have both nearby. Ulta has a much better rewards program, more freebies and coupons, and a larger variety of brands with different price points, IMO. Sephora has some other brands that ULTA doesn't have, such as Korres makeup.

One thing I've found that annoys me is that they generally don't have identical selection, for example BE came out with some cute kits this summer called Wanderlust, but the stores had different versions with different prices, so when Ulta ran out, I couldn't go to Sephora to get it.

Ultimately, I shop at both, but generally more at Sephora. Wherever you choose, make sure you sign up with Beauty Insider (Sephora) or the Ulta Rewards program.

[thatgirl]

I despise Ulta.
There customer service and salespeople are an embarrassment. :N:

Sales at Sephora are truly sales, at Ulta their sales and coupons come with an exclusion fine print that reads like the Constitution.

I have an Ulta less than 1 mile from my house but I will still drive an hour to shop in a Sephora or shop online before I shop Ulta.

[FormerCityGirl]

I like Sephora a lot better. Ulta SAs seem to have little to no knowledge of products that they carry unless they are employed by the label and those employees are biased towards the label since they want commission. The hair people at Ulta know very little beyond what the sell in the salon and even then it's iffy. I typically end up finding almost nothing I'm looking for un Ulta when I make the trip, even when I ask for help. I usually end up schooling their SAs on products when I'm looking for expertise.

Sephora SAs try most of their products and know what is good for what you are looking for in the product. I've only had one bad Sephora experience to my numerous bad Ulta ones.

[futurepivko]

Jul 7, 2012 19:42:54 GMT -5 thatgirl said:

I despise Ulta.
There customer service and salespeople are an embarrassment.

Sales at Sephora are truly sales, at Ulta their sales and coupons come with an exclusion fine print that reads like the Constitution.

I have an Ulta less than 1 mile from my house but I will still drive an hour to shop in a Sephora or shop online before I shop Ulta.

Me too. I miss having Sephora nearby and and will shop online, even though I have 2 Ultas within 10 minutes.

Ulta to me is a lower class, I would never expect the same products as a Sephora.

[ralphlauren]

I dislike Ulta generally. I LOVE LOVE LOVE sephora so much. Better selection and customer service IMO

[jackie011]

I don't even put them in the same category. I view Ulta as a more upscale version of a drug store cosmetic department. I like that they carry the same brands as Target, etc. and between their sales & coupons they are cheaper. I also like that you can return/exchange items. But, I always do my research here or on the internet before I buy anything there b/c I know the sales people are not going to be much help.

[mrst2]

Almost every time I go to shop at Ulta the products I'm looking at say they are excluded from coupons so I rarely shop there.

[Deleted]

I adore Sephora. I will always go there first if I have a choice, if the options are the same. However, Ulta has some items and products that Sephora doesn't have (hair stuff, etc) so if I'm looking for a certain hair toy or product, I'll either go there or to Target - to me, they're pretty much equivalent in the "stuff Sephora doesn't carry" department.

[xokell2]

Jul 7, 2012 18:17:52 GMT -5 @juliash said:

This is a tough call I think, especially if you have both nearby. Ulta has a much better rewards program, more freebies and coupons, and a larger variety of brands with different price points, IMO. Sephora has some other brands that ULTA doesn't have, such as Korres makeup.

One thing I've found that annoys me is that they generally don't have identical selection, for example BE came out with some cute kits this summer called Wanderlust, but the stores had different versions with different prices, so when Ulta ran out, I couldn't go to Sephora to get it.

Ultimately, I shop at both, but generally more at Sephora. Wherever you choose, make sure you sign up with Beauty Insider (Sephora) or the Ulta Rewards program.

I just saw this wanderlust set on markdown at my local Ulta! Gah, I can't remember the price though

I like them both equally but for different reasons (those of which I think every previous post touched on)

If someone took both of them away from me, I think I'd miss Ulta more though.

[bonquiqui]

Sephora hands down, but that being said, I have multiple Ulta's closer to me than a Sephora. If there was a Sephora nearby, I wouldn't go to Ulta at all, except for Hair products. I get my redken shampoo and conditioner, aveno smoothing cream, pureology boost, and moraccan oil hairspray.

If I am already going in to Ulta, I might pick up a few things like Urban Decay, which they have. If I am not going there I will make a big trip to Sephora for Nars, Laura Mercier, and the like. I also have to hit up the MAC store, which is right by Sephora, because I buy a lot of MAC too.

All in all, I love Sephora, and tolerate Ulta. Ulta is for my hair, and Sephora for my face

[letsbeawkward]

I have always been a Sephora girl but since moving to a city with no Sephora, my love of Ulta has grown.
I like the mix of high and low end. I can get my Revlon lip butters and my Urban Decay eyeshadow all in one trip. Plus Ulta has a bigger selection of hair products.
I would definitely not consider Ulta a "lower class." my Ulta carries a lot of the same brands as Sephora. Not as many of course but a good amount.

I love them both a lot for different reasons.

[MrsAxilla]

Hmmm.... I've never run into any coupon exclusions at Ulta. Maybe I'm just buying different brands. I prefer Ulta because I can also buy drugstore stuff and get points - you know, like deodorant, toothpaste, nail polish remover, q-tips, my kid's shampoo, etc. I'm going to spend that money spmewhere, might as well get points. The prices are comparable with Sephora, although Sephora does have a few higher-end brands. I usually earn enough points to get $20 off every four months or so, in addition to the monthly coupons. I can't really say who is more knowledgable because I usually don't need or want any help.

[mrspost08]

I love Ulta! The reward program, coupons and the Ulta brand eyeliners. I don't see much difference between the Sephora brand and Ulta brand of make up.
I do like Sephora. Sephora is just much pricer to me for some the same things you can get at Ulta.

[amandasw]

Jul 7, 2012 19:41:16 GMT -5 carrotsmakemefat said:

I like ULTA better....coupons, choice between high and lower end products, and they carry better hair care, especially my DEVA stuff. Sephora is good when they have a fun beauty insider gift.

ditto. Sephora doesn't have anything I couldn't get at Ulta or Nordstroms, so I don't really 'get' it - all three are in the same mall for me so it's not like distance is a factor.

[Deleted]

I like Ulta for hair stuff and Mario Badescu products, and that's about it. My Ulta is inconvenient for me to get to and doesn't stock much prestige cosmetic inventory. However, I am moving soon to an area with a newer, larger Ulta so maybe I'll start shopping there more.

I like Sephora more for makeup and fragrance, and I usually shop online to restock things I consistently use. I compare eBates % and promotions at Sephora and Nordstrom before I purchase to make sure I'm getting the best deal.

[veruca5839]

In general I like both, with Sephora a bit more. I like Ulta for being a nicer drugstore type place. The Ulta by me has more in stock for drugstore items than does my local Target or CVS. It's also good for hair and nail products. I don't typically buy prestige items at Ulta (unless I happen to be there and need something and/or they're having a good promotion) because my Ulta is routinely out of stock of prestige items I like/want to purchase. It's very frustrating. They just revamped their rewards program, and it's nice IMO. Easy to accumulate rewards. I prefer buying prestige items at Sephora. I also tend to buy more from Sephora.com than in store.

[starlily]

I go to Ulta for hair products as they have a wider selection, but that's it.

Sephora rocks for everything else.

[kris356]

We must have the most horrid Sephora SA. At both of the locations by me, it is like chinese water torture to get anyone to help you, it is as if you are an annoyance to their conversations. The Sephora in Sears has nicer SA. I also never have any issues with exclusion on my Ulta coupons.

I like Ulta for hair products and nail polish. I really don't compare the two, some things I get at Ulta others at Sephora, mainly my foundation. Everything else I get at Nordstrom or Macy's.

[karebear304]

I think it totally depends on the store (for each).

I've been to amazing Sephora's, but the ones here are just okay. The sales reps aren't overly helpful and both stores are fairly small so the selection isn't that great.

I've also been to an Ulta that was really cool (TONS of hair care products and I want to say it had a salon in it), however the only Ulta I've ever lived closed to was pretty junky and I'd agree with the "glorified drugstore" comment for that one.

I think overall I tend to get more from Sephora, so I'd have to learn their way, but both can be great stores (...and both can be just meh).

[hbomdiggity]

I tend to get what I need between ulta (UD, hair, nail polish, supplies) and nordies (bobbi brown) and rarely make it to sephora.

[blinx]

"Ulta to me is a lower class, I would never expect the same products as a Sephora."

: I'm not sure I understand this... They carry many of the same products. Or is it only the plebeians can shop at Ulta so you don't have to watch us purchase our Revlon products. I didn't realize that there was a class system when buying cosmetics. Gasp **i bought my UD Naked 2 palette at Ulta**

[auntie]

It's a wash.

Ulta is better for hair care, fragrance and mass market HABA items. I can buy my DH's Head and Shoulders, DS's Stridex pads and my Goldwell stuff in one place.

Sephora in the free standing stores, is more fun for high end cosmetics. But it's not much better than Bloomingdale's or Macy's. The staff is geberally the same commission-based crowd the work the department stores. It can be hard to find an independent Sephora employee. I find the staff at the JCPenney Sephora to be pretty mediocre, like they are from bedding and relieving someone for break. I do love the access to samples.

[Deleted]

Jul 8, 2012 9:57:23 GMT -5 @amandasw said:

Jul 7, 2012 19:41:16 GMT -5 carrotsmakemefat said:

I like ULTA better....coupons, choice between high and lower end products, and they carry better hair care, especially my DEVA stuff. Sephora is good when they have a fun beauty insider gift.

ditto. Sephora doesn't have anything I couldn't get at Ulta or Nordstroms, so I don't really 'get' it - all three are in the same mall for me so it's not like distance is a factor.

Agreed. I don't get Ulta hate. Sephora feels nicer and higher end, but when it comes to which store meets my needs best, it's Ulta. Ulta carries almost all the same high end brands, and any time there is a popular item/palette, I'm able to find it at both Ulta and Sephora. Ulta typically has at least a $10 off coupon for an online purchase (I do more online shopping than in person), and the original pricing is the same as at Sephora, so Ulta is usually cheaper for the same product. Also, while it may make the store feel not as high end as Sephora, I like that Ulta carries drug store items in addition to the high end products. I love that I can pick up a cheap bottle of Cutex nail polish remover along with my bottle of OPI, and I really love NYX products, which Ulta carries.

[Deleted]

Oh, Ulta also sells Dermablend, which I use for tattoo cover up, and Sephora does not. So, Ulta actually does carry some high end products that Sephora doesn't carry. If the Ulta down the street didn't carry it, I'd have to drive 20 minutes to Macy's.

[315bride]

Jul 9, 2012 9:25:03 GMT -5 @esquirefish said:

I shop at both (and now I wonder if you live near me because there are virtually no Ultas near subway stops except the one near me, and I live within walking distance to a Sephora too).

Sephora for the higher-end stuff, but I like Ulta a lot too because I can buy regular drugstore stuff there as well, like hair dye and Jergens body lotion, plus they sell Mario Badescu products. They also have coupons ALL the time, like $3.50 off a $10 purchase, or 20% off, and frequently offer great sales (like I bought my Chi straightener, and it was during a promo where I got a free Chi curler PLUS I used my 20% off coupon and it was already on sale too).

I don't really need sales associates to show me things, but if I did then Sephora is better for that.

I live in Forest Hills. The Ulta is apparently by the Costco in Rego Park.

[Deleted]

We don't have an Ulta nearby so I voted Sephora.

I'd shop low class if it meant I was saving money. Nothing wrong with that.

[315bride]

Ha! Esquirefish, YGPM back.

[vampsterdam]

Jul 9, 2012 10:12:38 GMT -5 @esquirefish said:

Jul 9, 2012 9:28:42 GMT -5 @315bride said:

I live in Forest Hills. The Ulta is apparently by the Costco in Rego Park.

yup :-) I am going to message you.

While you are at that Ulta, get yourself some red mango :-)

Just butting in to say I love Red Mango, too! Mmm with added mochi and fruit boba!

I love Sephora. However, I love going in to Ulta as well. The sales associates are either overly pushy or non-exisistent. However, this doesn't bother me as I usually like finding things on my own.

I wish their coupons included Tarte/Urban Decay/Clarisonic at least a few times as year (like Sephora).

I also like that some of the brands do special promotion/unique palettes that aren't at Sephora.

[natablue]

Vamp, Ulta does to 20% off coupons a couple times of year with minimal exclusions. The last time I was able to pick up the UD Naked 2 palette that way, plus a Hope in a Jar. The only exclusions were fragrance, salon services and Lancome products.