Ulta

I just finished a hair appointment tonight and I had to write a review right away, because the service was PHEN-​OMEN-​NAAAL!!!
I walked in tonight with no appntmnt previously scheduled to cut my extensions, which I had just received in the mail before 3 days, and where neither my shade of color, nor the correct length. Not only did the hair stylist, who later I found out is the senior stylist of the salon, take me on without an appointment for a cut, but when I mentioned I was not happy with the shade of my extensions, asked me if I would like to tone them to match my head.
She spent nearly 4 hours highlighting each extension, toning, washing and rewashing the extensions. Come close time, all the other Ulta staff was just concerned with closing up and getting out, and she was still in the back, perfect my weave. She was absolutely pleasant and down to earth, definitely one of the best hairdressers I’ve experienced in a while. By the end of it all, my extensions no look amazing! They look just as if they belong and grew on my head. This senior hair stylist definitely has talent!!!

I’ve been to many Ulta locations but this is really my favorite one. The girls who work here are really nice and helpful with both purchases and returns. Shelves are usually well stocked, and the store is clean from what I have seen. You can print a $ 3.50 off $ 10 coupon to use (you just can’t use it on prestige brands) and they also accept manufacturers coupons — double steal!
The location is wonderful, many other popular stores in the plaza and some restaurants as well. Basically, you can find a store for each shopping category you can think of.

I like this Ulta, but this store lacks on many levels. There is no Benefit bar like most of the other stores, they don’t carry products that other stores do, and customer service is usually pretty bad. It’s is either non existent or so ridiculously fake that is is just plain insulting. Every time I have a questions I sort of feel like I get blown off. I feel like it’s because I don’t usually cake my face up to go shopping, so maybe they think that since I am not currently wearing a ton a make up that I will not spend a ton a money and am therefore not worth their time. Other locations have better CS and friendlier, more helpful associates.
I’ve been wanting to try the salon for a while but the prices are just do high I can’t bring myself to do it. I will shop here again but If I am near another location I go there instead, but this location is close to my house soooo…

I’m an ULTA fan. I love that I can shop drug store brands and some «prestige» brands of makeup in the same place, as well as hair product, skin care products, hair dryers and flat irons, perfume, accessories, etc. I have been a makeup fiend since I was little, so I was delighted when it opened in Westgate. I really like the convenience of everything being available in one place.
Some of the other reviewers are correct: if you don’t know what product you want or if you need help figuring it out, you’re kind of out of luck because you can’t always find an ULTA employee in the store who is (1) knowledgeable about what you’re asking about, and (2) available to help you. I usually know what I want, or have looked stuff up online beforehand (fave beauty blog:
), so I can get by on my own. I know that isn’t the case for everyone. That being said, the employees are friendly and do try to help when they’re around.
ULTA’s rewards program now provides dollars off your purchases (after it’s been earned), which I like better than freebies. You earn one point for every dollar spent, and you can apply that to in store and online purchases. If you spend more than $ 400 in a year, they offer a different level of rewards.
I’ve never used the salon. It always seems weird to me that it’s there.
I think some of the drug store brand products (makeup, skin care, hair color, etc.) are more expensive than at an actual drug store. But it’s nice to have more options in one place as opposed to drug store brands only, or MAC or Sephora type places with all higher end/​$$$ product.

I’m just now getting on board with these beauty super-​stores. Why? Having too many options gives me anxiety. The thought of a huge, self-​serve makeup and beauty shop honestly sounds like hell on wheels to me. It already takes me longer than your average human to make a decision, but wandering around a place like Ulta or Sephora – walls lined with shades of make-​up only slightly different than the ones around it, eyes glazed over… no thank you.
I grew up visiting beauty counters at the department stores with my Mom. She’d always take me along with her and let me get my makeup done at Clinique or Chanel. But these days I wouldn’t dream about buying anything other than eye shadows and longer-​lasting makeup items from those places. It’s just too expensive. But I still crave that 1-​on-​1 service of a professional who knows his/​her craft and can help me help myself. Because even if you’re buying cheaper makeup, you can waste your time and money on the wrong purchases.
You’re still not going to get that 1:1 experience with the expertise I’m talking about at stores like Ulta, but at this particular location I got great service. I was asked if I needed help and she even checked the back for me! She also got me involved in the rewards program. I loved that I didn’t have to drive out of my way to come here or go inside a mall like I’ve had to with Sephora. I also appreciated their vast selection of NYX products that are super-​reasonably priced. Like I said, I don’t mind investing in some lasting products from more expensive stores, but for my everyday makeup, Chanel and likewise really isn’t in my budget. NYX is also great for trendy colors you know you won’t be sporting past this season.
One thing I really don’t like about huge makeup places like this quality control. Because Ulta is so huge with so many nooks and crannies, I found myself unable to buy over 6 items I wanted because they had been opened already. They checked the back, too. But someone felt the need to open the last of 6 different kinds of products to try them. I’m not talking about testers here… I’m talking about people who just open anything they want to try and then put it back, without any regard for others. With a store this big, Ulta suffers from this problem A LOT. And it’s gross. I think if they were better staffed and made an effort to be sure testers were readily available, this wouldn’t happen as much. The last time I was there hoards of teenage girls were running around opening products and no one said a word.
Lastly, like a few other Unilocalers have eluded to, the inventory at Ulta is so vast that there’s no way every staff member can be an expert at all the lines of products. While some Unilocalers find this OK, I only find this acceptable if I’m coming for makeup I’ve already tried. This is why I do NOT come to Ulta to discover new products, but only to pick up what I know I love.

Over priced… find a hairdresser somewhere else.

I have been to Ulta Salon in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. I had very good highlight results at both places. Yesterday I went to get platinum blonde, all over highlights here. Huge mistake. It took 4 hours and 15 minutes! I thought I was going to pass out from sitting in a chair for so long. I did have hopes that the color would be awesome because she took so much time. Nope. The color was not as light as I asked for and the highlights were not evenly distributed and some were in color chunks. It’s never taken anyone in my entire life 4 hours to do my hair. It’s usually 2 to 2 and a half and I have dark blonde hair so the highlights usually turn out pretty bright. I should have been suspicious when there were no other beauticians or customers at the salon for 4 hours. It was over $ 100 and I’m so irritated!

What Ulta lacks in customer service and attentiveness they make up for in range of product. As a self proclaimed product whore, you can’t go wrong here. Ulta carries a wide variety of drugstore brand products as well as prestige brands. My issue whenever I go into an Ulta is that the displays are either poorly organized and poorly stocked, messy, out of stock, the employees look miserable or are not available to assist or are too busy talking to each other at the register. When I have received help, I have been pleased but it’s been few and far between. I’d much rather go to Sephora or MAC, both of which are located in Crocker Park which is about 15 minutes away.

I work in the center, so I’m usually here to kill time (and paychecks!) after a shift. The service is absolutely outstanding. The women are friendly, knowledgeable, and always wanting to help. They have great coupons, and a large selection of products from the affordable to the higher-​end brands. I like that they carry NYX brand products, which I love!

Q: «Why do women buy so much make-​up and perfume?»
A: «Because they’re ugly and they smell bad.»
Joke never gets old.
I love Ulta, and this is my favorite location. I love that I can get my favorite high-​end brands (they finally had UD Naked 3 in stock today!) and drugstore staples (huge selection of Rimmel products) in one place. Staff is super friendly and helpful, and they all have great eyebrows.
I still prefer Sephora’s loyalty program to Ulta’s, but it’s cool that Ulta accepts coupons.

When this Ulta first opened, I only went occasionally. Now I’m a fan! I love the salon, and also enjoy that I can pick up my Urban Decay eye liner, stila lip stain, and some Burt’s Bees lip balm for my sweetie all in one swoop. The customer service really can vary based on who you interact with, but in the past year, I feel like the customer service has gotten so much better and the majority of the time, I’ve had a terrific experience.
I had never tried using the salon, but in November I had a flyer that had a good deal on a cut and color. I figured why not. I didn’t love my (then) current salon, and needed a cut pretty bad — I had a conference coming up and I couldn’t remember the last time I had a trim (whoops). They were able to get me in that week, and were very friendly when making the appointment. I booked with the salon manager, who does cost a little bit more (I did appreciate that they told me that when I made my appointment, otherwise I would have been a little annoyed). I have to say, well worth the slightly more expensive cut and have one of my best hair cuts ever. Emily, the salon manager, is friendly and bubbly — without having that too syrup-​y sweetness that gets on my nerves. She is fun, and the type of girl I can see myself bitching about work or relationship problems over some beers. I appreciate that Emily listened to my concerns, asked plenty of questions, and then offered suggestions. In the end, I tried something a bit different because she seemed to know what she is talking about (and hey, hair grows back).
One of the signs of an excellent hair cut in my book is a cut that looks good but also looks good while it grows out. This is probably what has impressed me the most about Emily’s skills — when it gets closer to my next cut, I can tell I need a trim but it still looks pretty good! My mom (who is a wonderful lady, but rarely compliments my hair) even has gone on and on about how good my hair looks. Further, I never once felt like Emily was trying to up-​sell me or add anything on. When I asked about manicure stuff, she answered my questions without being pushy at all (and I went for a gel or Shellac manicure — I can’t tell the difference between them).
Enough about how in love with my hair cut I am. I like Ulta because they have good sales. I’m not rich, so where I can save a few bucks, I’m all about it. Some of Ulta’s sales are really fantastic, especially if you pair it with a coupon. that’s when I stock up on stuff (they sell a body scrub that I absolutely adore). Now, you can’t always use the coupons on all products (such as the higher end «prestige» brands), but I buy enough other stuff that it’s not a big deal. Plus, it’s not like Sephora mails out coupons any more frequently and offers $ 3.50 off at least once a month (sure, $ 3.50 off $ 10 isn’t a lot, but it’s worth it to me!), and I’ve never received a coupon for cosmetics at any department store.
Sometimes certain brands (especially the drug store stuff) aren’t very well stocked. I recently wanted to purchase some bath goodies and One (I think that’s the brand) had three bath bombs total — I bought two. But really? THREE? I would have happily bought nine of them. Also, I once purchased a lipstick that came packaged in a box, got home, and went to try it on only to find that it had already been sampled by someone else. YUCK. Luckily they were very nice about exchanging it. As I mentioned that the customer service has improved, so has the cleanliness of teh store. That said, some displays tend to just be cluttered no matter what and that can make it tricky to find what you want. If you like nail polish though, Ulta is one of the best stores to shop at, plus they tend to have a good selection of Zoya polish.

Overall, I really like having this store so close to home. However, it’s no Sephora. It is nice to use coupons and get their deals but they don’t have nearly the selection of designer makeup that Sephora does.
My only issue with this store is that 9 times out of 10, it is cluttered and disorganized. This makes it really frustrating to shop here.

I used to be a die-​hard Sephora fan until they jacked me around with my Sephora Insider points. I must have updated my customer profile 2 or 3 times and they could never locate it in their system so I gave up and started going to ULTA. I dig this location. Every brand of makeup, fragrance and hair care from drugstore to designer. It’s easy to lose track of time in here trying all the products. I like the big selection of Tweezerman products. God knows I am a Tweezer freak and they’ve got all the limited edition ones. Last time I was there they had Paula Dorf cosmetics on sale 75% off because they were discontinuing them. Great shopping experience with a helpful staff.

WHEW ! What was THAT all about? Scary.
Let me begin by saying that 1.) I don’t have an attitude, 2.) I’m not angry with the world, and 3.) I’ve never felt I was better than anyone else — except for those who are cruel, bully or intimidate others, murder, torture, molest, or spread hate and discord. Other than those few dark spots on our planet — but even one is too many — the rest of us are pretty much in the same boat together, making the best of life and each other.
With that said, I’ll continue.
These ULTA employees are great — always willing to help, they’re friendly, likeable, courteous, professional, and knowledgeable. My brain would have to be missing and the void filled with mousse — to think the staff should have answers to every question they’re posed, and that this store — selling FUN stuff — not medical supplies or funeral needs — would take itself so seriously. Maybe they should wear lab coats? Carry clipboards? (For all those who feel there SHOULD be an answer for every question, I’ve got a little secret I can’t wait to share. Read ***** at the end.)
If you haven’t yet visited — and you’re not one of those «dark spots” — I’m sure you’re not expecting to be greeted by scientists and technicians poised to answer all of your questions. That’s for places like NASA and the Kennedy Space Center when you’re on one of their tours. ULTA is a more laid-​back, relaxed destination — one where you can buy hair & body products, and try & buy makeup. They also have a hair salon, and waxxing.
And, if you’re not ready to make any purchases just stop in for the fun of it. Sightsee. Get to know the place. Spray yourself with the newest scent or two or three — they probably have every one you’ve ever heard of or read about. Check out the latest mascaras, shampoo’s, sunglasses — nearly anything you can think of is here. Just come in and have a good time. Be an ULTA tourista the first time around, at this informal «Girlie Shrine».
I’m a nail polish hoarder. I have so many I could use them to paint my entire bedroom ceiling, and still have enough left over to paint cute little fish all over my bathroom walls. Okay — I lied. I have a lot, but not THAT much. That was a segue into my ULTA sales pitch:
Check out ULTA’s own brand of polish. It’s THE BEST. I’ve tried most mid to high-​end, and theirs is the smoothest to apply, longest-​wearing, and doesn’t get thick after just a few uses. Colors? You’ll find all the latest, trendiest right here. In fact, ULTA has had shades way before you’d see them featured in print ads from copy-​cats showing similar ones. I’ve had 2 fabulous gray-​greens forever. Watch for Buy2 Get2 and other great deals. You can end up paying as little as $ 3 each.

* Sign up for their Club Card and you’ll get credit for your purchases towards FREE products, plus receive sale fliers with coupons. Stop in. You’ll be greeted, be smiled at, and you’ll feel welcome.
***** SECRET REVEALED *****
** GET ALL YOUR ANSWERS **
FOR THOSE WHO EXPECT THEM: Ulta probably has 3000 – 4000 different products. Even at just 2 facts per product, that’s 6000 – 8000 bits of information. Vast, yet possible to learn, but a complete waste of valuable time and resources, since only a fraction will ever be asked about. Should they learn about every product, or 500 or 200 or even 50? What then? Memorize 1 bit or 4 bits per product? Would knowing 10 or 15 bits be better? If yes, known product count must drop. Which questions are likely to be asked? Which products chosen? How is that determined? By whom? See where I’m going? I doubt it. It would be senseless for this type of business with this amount of inventory to ever consider complying to meet such unrealistic expectations. It defies logic. They’d go bust.
What all of you expect is frightening — right out of a Kafka novel. And to mock or denigrate someone for not knowing something, is reprehensible. Expecting answers to YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS only confirms your illogical — and scary
—thought process.
* NOW. . Secret Revealed !. Answers to ALL Your Questions Step by Step !
1. Before passing through the doors into this pleasant destination please leave
your cynicism in the dumpster behind the building.
2. While there, toss in your glaring stupidity, too.
3. Locate a product that you have a question about.
4. While holding that box, bottle, jar, tube, card, or label, READ IT. That’s what
smart adults do.
5. And if THAT won’t answer your question, the magical object you used to proffer your searing comments here, can also be used to obtain information on that product. Your local library (it’s a building where they keep lots of books and other stuff ?) can show you how. Just tell the nice person behind the desk that you DESPERATELY NEED HELP !
.

Ohhh yeaaaa!!! I had no idea
had physical locations! Maybe because I didn’t care enough to find out. But want to hear something fantastic? This place is AWESOME! This location is huge and placed in an area that was once a mall where people would go to contemplate suicide. Now that area is a brand new outdoor shopping center (a la Crocker Park) that has Ulta… the BETTER Sephora. I don’t know what the reviewer (S.A.) below is talking about because Ulta is not a cheap version of Sephora. They have the exact same prices, in fact, some things here were a few dollars more than what I’ve seen in Sephora (i.e. hair products).
Besides the sometimes price differences, Ulta is way better than Sephora. Why? Because it’s big without being ginormous, the staff is way friendlier and doesn’t stalk you like Sephora employees with their black smocks asking «Do you need help find something? Do ya? DO ya? DOOOO YAAAAA???» No, bitch! Back the EF up! Let me browse for 2 minutes before you start pitching the «OMG you TOTALLY NEED to try this new mascara!» Umm… for $ 35, I’m good, I’ll go to Rite Aid for that.
Employees at Ulta, however, really give you time and space to browse around. They don’t hover over you and do some kind of makeup cheer dance, artificially high on life (or mousse in the nearest isle…). The only bad thing I have to say about the employees here is that they really don’t know about the products they’re selling. Every employee I asked about brand names that EVERY makeup chick should know (i.e. Smashbox, etc), they kind of just stood there with a blank stare. I’m not saying I know about the «science of makeup» (as the airhead Sephora chicks refer to it as), but that’s the point! I walk into a store, I sometimes ask questions, be prepared to answer them. It’s kind of common sense… right? They also don’t know anything about the hair products either. Most of these employees (older women 45+) were chatting with each other the entire time we spent here. Whatevz, girls, keep on chatting, I just might jack a tester or two… not guna lie…
Overall, awesome new (?) store in the new Westgate plaza!

Major fan of Ulta right here, and this Ulta location in pretty Westgate Plaza didn’t disappoint.
I’m obsessed with dry shampoo and swear by Sexy Hair’s version of the stuff, which is fantastic for simultaneously freshening the hair and adding volume. The major downside of dry shampoo is that it’s not conducive to flying: dry shampoo is an aerosol powder, and pressure changes associated with flying in an airplane ruin the product the majority of the time. Thus, if I’m flying somewhere and staying for more than a couple days I hunt down a place to buy Big Sexy Hair Dry Shampoo.
Enter Ulta.
Stopped by this Ulta location while in town a couple weeks ago to score some dry shampoo. Was interested in a travel size version of the stuff, but an Ulta employee informed me that the only small cans of dry shampoo in the store were Oscar Blandi brand. Alright, I’m down to try new things. The employee explained that the Oscar Blandi product specifically for brunettes is great because it doesn’t create the fine white film associated with most dry shampoo brands (true) and adds serious volume (not true at all). I paid $ 11 for the little can of Oscar Blandi product but in hindsight would gladly have paid $ 16.95 for the full-​size Sexy Hair dry shampoo that I love so dearly. The Oscar Blandi dry shampoo frankly didn’t do its job, and I didn’t like its lemon Pledge-​like scent.
Though the advice I received regarding the dry shampoo was inaccurate, the service my friend and I received in this nice clean store was overall good and friendly.

I love ulta. The employees are always very friendly and informative.
I’ve had my hair cut, eye brows waxed, and bought multiple products and i’ve always been satisfied with everything.
They always send coupons in the mail, which is a plus!

Ulta is basically a cheap version of Sephora — lots of drugstore brands sold in a seemingly upscale store, and they take coupons. However… I don’t like the service here. There’s a definite difference in attitude between the young employees and older employees. Overall, they don’t seem to know their products, even when given the name of a specific product they’ll come back with something completely different (if they even help you at all). I once was told a product was discontinued, that the company wasn’t making it anymore… when it was offered for sale on Ulta’s website. However, their clearance is good, and if you have coupons the prices are decent, but don’t expect informed help.