Ulta

I recently moved to SA and have been looking for a new stylist. I’m so thankful I found Melonie Pyle at Ulta. Melonie was so pleasant and easy to work with. She listened attentively and looked at pics I brought in. Melonie explained she had a couple ideas that that would achieve my hair goal and advised of the cost before we got started. I am very pleased with the results and if I could give her 6 stars I would.

I have always FEARED to meet new hair stylist because I have always had bad hair experiences in the past. Hair cuts, styles, color, you name it. but I became a new customer at Ulta Beauty & the manager stylist named Melonie Pyle took GREAT care of me. She is amazing… I went through a drastic transformation. my hair was halfway down my back & she cut my hair into a really cute short hair cut. She also colored it & I absolutely loved the way it turned out. I would recommend her to ANYONE AND EVERYONE. I am moving out of state in a couple of days & I have to say she is so good I would fly back to San Antonio just to get my hair done by her. Her personality is amazing which makes you feel much more comfortable and less nervous. So ladies if you are picky about who touches your hair and have trust issues due to bad experiences in the past like I did, I definitely recommend going to Melonie.

I have got to just brag about a sales associate that I met the other day her name was Jennifer she was so knowledgeable about the makeup I should be using I have never been so happy with my purchases, not to mention her makeup was nearly perfection thank you Jennifer for all your advice!!!

Knowledgeable staff and willing to color match and answer questions. Returns are easy even without a receipt if you use your rewards card. Never had a problem here and I’ve come in numerous times.

I would like to say my review is primarily based on the prices in the store. I recently went in to do some gift shopping. I was looking at brushes and saw done I liked. I checked reviews of these hair brushes and found that they were almost $ 20 cheaper online. Okay I get it the internet always has better prices but the advantage of a retail store is in the customer service, which I found lacking. The associates were nice and well meaning but not very knowledgeable in regards to some of their products. I find the one on one at comparable stores, like one that begins with a «S» and rhymes with «Amphora» to be a more satisfying experience. On the other hand the store is well stocked with goodies and clean.

Just a word of advice for management. Implying that a customer is using a previously purchased product incorrectly during a return is not a great way to save said customer from returning the product.

very horrible customer service. I called today to schedule an appointment with the salon as i found out last minute that i had the day off of work. The only appointment they had for for 6:00 pm with Holly which was fine. I had dinner plans at 8:30 near by so that should have left plenty of time to get a hair cut/​color. I get there at 5:50 and was told she is running behind and maybe we could start at 6:30 at the earliest but more like 6:45. I explained I had plans at 8:30 and she was very rude and said well i’m good but not that good. Um… well apparently not if you can’t even bother to pick up the phone to let me know your running 45 minutes behind. So I drove down there 40 minutes in rush hour traffic for nothing. This is the second time something like this has happened at this specific location, the first was about a year ago and I can see communication and customer service have not improved. Very dissatisfied client.

I made an online appt for a hair wash/​style and makeup as my other salon was closed on Sundays. I was assigned to Alyssa and she asked what I wanted to do. I mentioned I wanted to wet my hair then blowdry to end up with large barrel size curls. She immediately got the straightener out and started curling my hair. In the end I got finger sized ringlet curls all over. It wasn’t what I asked for, but I was on a deadline to get to my photoshoot, so I pressed on with a style I did not prefer. In the end, it was ok as her style actually came out really well in the photos.
The makeup portion was fantastic, especially with a dream of every cosmetic you could need at hand in the store. Alyssa started my application out and was able to accommodate all my requests. Later on, the esthetician, Rachel, came over for my brows and lashes. She also put on other finishing touches that made my experience better.
For makeup, Ulta all the way. For hair, I would make sure they are keen to exactly what you want.

HORRIBLE customer service. Wanted to buy cologne and couldn’t get anyone to help. Go somewhere, anywhere else.

I really enjoy coming to this location for my eyebrows. Kelsey does an amazing job and rehabbed them for about a year to get them looking great again. The place is clean and the attendants are always friendly and helpful. They sometimes don’t have the answers because they aren’t MUA’s, but they are nice with good customer service. I give this place 4 stars because I recently had my hair cut here. The stylist was very nice and also had great customer service, but i feel like she might have still been new out of school because she kept pulling my hair out by the roots when she dried and straightened it. She could have been a little more gentle but everyone’s hands are different and that is okay. What really takes a star away is that their salon faces the store, so if there isn’t someone handling the register, expect for your cut to be continuously interrupted by other customers having questions or wanting to book appointments. I won’t come back for a cut, I wasn’t satisfied with the over all experience but I will continue to go to Kelsey for my eye brows.

A nice store when you walk inside. They have a men’s side for grooming and cologne which is good. The salon is great. Ashley Bellitt would be the best recommendation. Very nice and friendly. Cuts men’s hair with delicacy and precision. She fixed my messed up fade and looked twice as good. Her deep conditions are also great. She’s got the hands of a pro masseuse that can make you feel like you’re in a spa. Great customer service that makes you want to come back regularly. Overall great hair stylist and great salon.

I agree with the other comment. Need nicer staff! I’ve been coming here for about 6 years and always thought that no one was really friendly. Recently the manager was rude so now I’ll take my business elsewhere like Sephora!!!

I have only been to 3 Ulta stores total. 2 of them were in Houston, and then this one. This one just doesn’t even compare to the Houston locations. It just feels… gross. The perfume testers have faded bottles and it all just smells like OLD perfume. The service is terrible. The store will be a disaster area with employees standing around not doing anything about it. I really think they are just lacking good management.
In my most recent experience, I was in the same general area for about 10 – 15 minutes trying to make a decision. I was really hoping I could ask a questions or two, but all 6 employees in the same general area as me were just chatting their lives away (I really hope they don’t get commission) When one girl finally came over towards me (Call me crazy, but I kind of expected her to ask me if I needed anything) she stood RIGHT next to me, picked up a perfume tester, and sprayed herself with it FOURTEEN TIMES and walked away. Cover yourself in as much perfume as you want lady, but RIGHT NEXT TO ME? Gross. I finally made it to the checkout with no help from these girls, and I received a free robe for my purchase. When I got to my car I realized that all that was in my bag was my free robe… and nothing that I had actually paid for! I know it was probably just a dumb mistake on the register girls part, but on top of everything else. I would rather go to Target than this place.

The service is awful! You would expect them to know a little bit about what department they are in. I ask a question and they just look at me with a blank stare and then say they don’t know. I’ve been taking my business to sephora (which I thought I would never do).

I always find what I need here. I hope they can get nicer staff.
Sometimes, the girls don’t seem to know their products.

General– Ulta is like CVS and a department store’s lovechild. Expect to see typical drugstore finds (Neutrogena, Maybelline, NYX, etc.) as well as some cosmetic brands (Stila, Benefit, Too Faced, etc.) carried at department stores. Without a promotion/​sale, drugstore brands at Ulta are usually more expensive than Target. However, more «premier» cosmetic brands are priced competitively with Sephora, etc. Also, while Ulta does not carry designer brand cosmetics (YSL, Dior, Chanel, etc.), they do carry popular designer fragrances. In addition, hair care products and tools as well as skincare products and tools (Philosophy, Bliss, Clarisonic, etc.) are available for purchase. Lastly, some Ulta locations offer several services from the Benefit Brow Bar to salon-​specific services to facials and manicures.
Specific to this location– Of the three locations in SA (Northwoods, La Cantera, and the Quarry), the Northwoods Ulta location is the one that I most like to visit. To begin, the space is well-​organized and open. While it can get a bit cramped near the line for the registers, the rest of the space has well-​defined sections and plenty of room to navigate the various areas of the store. Perhaps my favorite perks about this location are that not only does it have a Benefit Brow Bar and carry Lancome cosmetics but also that representatives specific to those brands are present to share information, provide samples, and work their magic on you. While other brands may not always have reps stationed there, I have gone in at random times to find Philosophy, Phyto, and BareMinerals reps helping out and giving samples. Also, there always seems to be plenty of staff working the floor and wanting to help. My one qualm with this location is wait time on the phone. Whether making an appointment for the Benefit Brow Bar or the salon, 1) there inevitably is always a long wait for someone to answer the phone; and 2) once transferred, there is an additional long wait time to make an appointment because of the difficulty to get someone on the phone for that department.
There are good deals to be had at Ulta, particularly if you become a rewards member, which is free. They can send you both e-​mail and «snail» mail coupons, promotions, etc. However, if you do wish to use an e-​mail coupon/​promo in-​store, then be prepared to have a printout of it. Showing the promo via phone will not suffice. Lastly, Benefit offers a free eyebrow wax on your birthday. I started with that promotion and am now hooked to going once a month for it.

I guess I’ve been a Sephora snob for so long it was a lil hard to admit to my love for Ulta… But I can’t hide it anymore. Sometimes I come just to ‘window shop’. Ya know, when you say you won’t actually buy something but end up on an entire shopping spree?
I love how convenient this place is. I like the one at the Quarry also but the layout of this one and the fact it’s not as crowded keeps me coming to this one instead. All the pretty girls that work here are so sweet and helpful but not annoying, stuck up or pushy which is comforting.
I do admit… I love you Ulta ;)

In my opinion, Ulta is the ‘Target-​level’ Sephora. They have a fantastic selection of a wide variety of products, ranging from makeup and perfume to style appliances. Although I have never taken advantage, they also have a full service salon.
The makeup selection is great because carry regular store brands such as Loreal, Cover Girl, etc., but also high end brands that are fun to try out. I’ve also been satisfied with the Ulta brand cosmetics which are generally affordable and flattering.
They have good sales on large size shampoos /​conditioners, and hundreds of hair care ‘must-​have’ items.
I’ve always found the staff to be friendly and competent, and have not had a complaint with the service. They also offer the ubiquitous ‘rewards’ membership, and if you spend enough (which is pretty easy to do!) you will receive coupons for money off items which off course… you *really* do need…
The best thing about Ulta is the return policy — if a product doesn’t work out, simply return it with your receipt. I had some Ulta brand eye shadow for quite a while, but it broke up and was more difficult to use. They exchanged it without any problem even though I didn’t have my receipt.
This is a great store to find many options… just be prepared to spend plenty of time browsing!