Ulta 101

[twotrue]

An Ulta store just opened up in my area.  It's been about 10 years since I've stepped foot in one.  So give me the quick run down.  What should I buy at Ulta vs Sephora?  Are there certain items that are consistently cheaper at Ulta?

ETA: And is their return policy as generous as Sephora?  Because I'm likely to pay a bit more if I know I can return it if needed.

[sitnspin]

We have one up here too (at the mall)!  I like it because it is right around the corner, as opposed to Sephora which takes me 40 minutes to get to.

They do have a good return policy and I seem to get better rewards.  I like that they also carry drugstore brand makeup, etc. because I don't always buy the "fancy" stuff.

I also love the Ulta brand eyeliners and stuff.

[kirby]

I did not love Ulta in the beginning, but we are straight up lovers now. I like the mix of hair/drugstore/high end products. I have never been hassled about returns and they have the best rewards program around. I buy everything I can at Ulta so that I can build up rewards points.



ETA: Pricing for prestige brands should generally be the same between Ulta and Sephora.  Some drugstore brands may be a bit more expensive, but they frequently run buy one get one 50% off deals.  They also usually have several 20% off everything coupons through the year, but the timing is not always predictable. 

[MauMau]

The rewards system is better. Points add up to a $ equivalent. Save them up for better rewards. Ex: 1000 is $50 but 2000 is $125

2x points for your birthday month.
Platinum when you spend $400 in a year means you get 1.5x points on your purchase instead of 1x.
When you are platinum you get better rewards too. I often get a 20% off prestige every 6-8 weeks. And they special emails for discounts on certain products. Like one day there was 50% off UD single shadows.

Returns are fine. You can return open and used product. I've never had an issue making a return.

Download the app. So you always have what ever prestige coupon they have. Usually $3.50 off $10 that can be used on the drugstore brands and most nail polish.

[stephm0188]

I tend to shop more often at Ulta because they carry a couple of brands that Sephora does not. I even like to shop Ulta for drugstore stuff over Target because of the rewards. I hit 2000 points a couple of times last year. That was an extra $250 I had to spend just because I shopped at Ulta.

I like to wait for point promotions before buying something. They'll offer anywhere from 2x-10x points throughout the year. I also like to bank my points and save up til I hit 2000. Better value that way.

[wawa]

ULTA has the drugstore brands obvs, including NYX with testers(!), which Sephora does not. Of the prestige brands they have LORAC and...I forget who else that isn't at Sephora. Mally? and Laura Geller? There are also prestige brands at Sephora which are not at Ulta - Bite is the biggy for me. And hourglass. Plus all the Tom Ford and other too rich for my blood stuff.

Of the brands that both stores have, there are occasionally LE items that either one or the other will have. This is usually a thing around the holidays where Ulta will have a certain holiday set from say UD, and Sephora will have a similar but slightly different set.

Of the brands they both carry, prices are similar. If you are an online shopper (and don't have mysterious ulta website issues) get on the email list and stalk the Wednesday beauty breaks - they have some pretty killer GWP deals on a regular basis. Though for the most part the good GWP stuff is online only. The exception being the giant bags of assorted stuff they have a few times a year - they usually have those in store. But the Wednesday deals and some of the brand specific stuff - not so much.

I prefer ulta because I like natural light and wide aisles and my mall with the good Sephora has insufficient parking. My ulta is in a giant strip mall between the Costco and the Lowes, so I basically live there.

ETA: and yes - returns are no problem.  though the girls at my local store are SO FUCKING SLOW at checkout processing anything at all besides just ringing things up and processing a credit swipe.  Even using a coupon is like a 10 minute ordeal as they squint at it and then squint at their screen.  I think mine are just dumb though.  They're always nice enough, and they take back everything.

[lyssbobiss, Command, B613]

Ulta carries lots of drug store brands and fewer prestige BUT they have MORE of the prestige brands they do carry. The UD counter is bigger, the Clinique section, ABH - those are ones I can think of off the top of my head that are bigger. Also, I like the layout better. Every Sephora I've been in has been a little too cramped and dark-ish. Ulta is bright and a little more spacious. Lots more hair supplies, and they carry better nail products.

[twotrue]

Apr 22, 2015 12:10:28 GMT -5 sitnspin said:

We have one up here too (at the mall)!  I like it because it is right around the corner, as opposed to Sephora which takes me 40 minutes to get to.

They do have a good return policy and I seem to get better rewards.  I like that they also carry drugstore brand makeup, etc. because I don't always buy the "fancy" stuff.

I also love the Ulta brand eyeliners and stuff.

See, we're reversed.  I had heard there was one up there but I don't need makeup bad enough to drive 40 minutes that way. lol!

[racegrrl714]

Ulta let me return an item that I had bought almost six months earlier, just because I live about 90 minutes away from the closest one. They only gave me partial credit, but it was around 75% of the original value, which isn't too bad considering I'd had it for six months. LOL