Ulta Beauty Review: Is It Worth the Hype?
Ulta Beauty is a new beauty superstore that is sweeping the nation. The store has been open for less than two years, but it has over 250 locations and continues to expand at breakneck speed. There are currently over 500 Ulta locations nationwide, with new stores opening on a monthly basis. Ulta Beauty is different from other beauty retailers in many ways. For starters, it’s not branded as either an “upscale” department store or luxury retailer like Sephora or an “everyday” drugstore like Target or Walgreens. It’s also unlike Target or Walmart in that it doesn’t carry any private label beauty products of its own brand; all of its merchandise comes from partners such as Revlon, Olay, Smashbox, and so forth. And lastly it’s different from other department store beauty counters in that it does not just sell cosmetics and skincare products but also hair care products and accessories such as false eyelashes, brow pencils, hair extensions, hair dryers and curling irons. In this article we will be reviewing the pros and cons of shopping at Ulta Beauty so that you can make an informed decision on whether this chain is right for you.
Ulta Beauty: The Basics
While every retail chain carries a wide variety of beauty products, Ulta Beauty is unique in that it carries a selection from over 1,000 brands. This means that there is something for everyone, whether you are looking for high-end luxury products or drugstore bargains. Like other retailer websites, Ultra’s features a wide range of product categories including skincare, haircare, makeup, fragrances, and more. What sets the site apart is the ability to search for products by type, brand, or usage (i.e. facial cleansers, eye creams, etc.) as well as filter by ingredients, customer rating, and cost. This makes it easy to find the right products for you. Ulta Beauty also offers exclusive discounts and deals that are not always advertised or made available online. You might find that during a certain season or holiday (like Black Friday), the retailer will offer discounts on select items or even host special contests where you can win gift cards. These are just a few of the many perks of shopping at Ulta Beauty.
Free Samples at Ulta
If you’ve never shopped at an Ulta Beauty location before, you may be wondering if you can score free samples of beauty products or makeup samples like you can at Sephora. While it’s true that many retailers offer free samples of their products, Ulta is one of the few that does not. This is because the company sells mostly used samples, which are actually sanitized and reset to ensure that they are safe to use. This means that while you won’t get a free sample like at Sephora, you can rest assured that the products are clean and safe to use. The retailer uses a program called Ultamate Rewards that gives you a penny for every dollar you spend. Once you’ve earned 10,000 points, you can redeem them for a $10 gift card. If you’re wondering how many samples you get per dollar spent, you’re better off buying products at Ulta. This way, you’ll be certain to get your money’s worth.
Pros of Shopping at Ulta
If you love the convenience of shopping from home but also like the hands-on experience of shopping in a brick and mortar store, Ulta Beauty has got you covered. Unlike many other online retailers, Ulta’s website is clean, easy to navigate, and very user-friendly. You can shop by brand, product type, or even by skin concern just as easily as you would in the store. There are also several advantages to shopping at an Ulta store as opposed to online. The first is that you can actually see and try the products you are interested in purchasing. This makes it easy to select the right shades and find products that are the right fit for your skin type. The second advantage of shopping at an Ulta store is that you can often try samples of different skincare products to find the one that best suits your skin type. This is not possible if you are shopping online. The final benefit to shopping in-person at Ulta is that you can earn Ultamate Rewards points on every product you buy. These points can be traded in for either store credit or Ulta gift cards (which can be used at any Ulta location).
Cons of Shopping at Ulta
Although Ulta Beauty has managed to sweep the nation with its ever-growing chain of stores, it is not without its faults. In this section, we’ll take a look at the negative aspects of shopping at the retailer. The first shortcoming of shopping at Ulta Beauty is that, like other online retailers, they do not offer samples of their beauty products or makeup samples like you can at Sephora. If you are trying out new skincare or haircare products, you’ll have to purchase a full-size container. This means that you’ll be spending more than you would if you were able to try the product before purchasing. The second disadvantage of shopping at Ulta Beauty online is that there is no system in place for redeeming Ultamate Rewards points like there is at the brick and mortar stores. This means that you cannot save up your points for a future purchase. The final disadvantage of shopping at Ulta Beauty is that their selection of cosmetics, beauty products, and skincare lines is nowhere near as extensive as it is at Sephora. While Ulta does carry a variety of popular brands, the selection is not as robust as it is at Sephora.
Is Ulta Beauty Worth the Hype?
All in all, it would appear from this Ulta Beauty review that there are many reasons to shop at this retailer. Whether you love the convenience of shopping online or enjoy the hands-on experience of shopping at a brick and mortar store, Ulta has got you covered. Additionally, there are many advantages to shopping at Ulta Beauty as opposed to online. These include the ability to try products before buying them and a wider selection of brands than you would find at Sephora. All in all, it would appear that there are many reasons to shop at this retailer. Whether you love the convenience of shopping online or enjoy the hands-on experience of shopping at a brick and mortar store, Ulta has got you covered.