Ulta Cosmetics

People=5-star. They’re so helpful and nice, and they treat you like you’re a human. Gee, being treated like a human is sure hard to come by these days! I also like that I see some faces that have been there YEARS. That makes me think Ulta is at least treating the employees well, and that makes me more inclined to support the company.
Inventory and displays=2-star. Always out of things. And, it’s not like they’re sold out… just out. I’ve tested my theory by showing up right after their shipments to witness no new products added where there were previously empty displays.
Also, some of the displays, ironically in the «premier» sections, will give you a full-​on migraine if you look at them too long. I think some evil marketing genius is trying to hypnotize us all into a buying frenzy with those eerie flickering lights. Maybe he’s not such a genius after all – I run the other direction to get away from those displays.
Now, what I’m about to say is not a deal-​breaker, but I think it would be smart: Ulta should learn from Sephora and Nordstrom and provide the sample squirt vials for folks to kind of «live in» perfume samples for a while. We all know we can like the scent of a perfume on a paper tester and hate it on ourselves. Sometimes, I’ll initially like a scent and grow to dislike it. Scents are such a personal thing, too, and that’s why being able to sample the perfume over several days (or weeks) is imperative prior to making purchase.
Overall, the people are great, but I have amazing friends already. What I want is a stocked makeup store, and I want it NOW! Sure, I may sound like Veruca Salt, but I’m just so over the situation at this Ulta. Please, Ulta executives, earn your probably ridiculous salaries and fix this store.
Stop me if you’ve ever heard this one: How many Ulta executives does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

My review is going to be Basic:
I get greeted as I enter (I love that) lol. It’s slightly organize, but I always find what I want/​need. Just the NYX liquid lipsticks or lip liners are always short supplied? Other than that, I always loved this ULTA compared to Silver Spring.

This location has an issue with inventory. The stuff just isn’t in stock. I’m not sure if it’s because they’re servicing such a large area, and the closest full-​service Sephora is at Montgomery Mall so they don’t have any competition — but you just can’t find what you’re looking for, and it’s frustrating. I haven’t encountered the surly attitude here that others have experienced — most of the employees are professional.

This place has the potential to be great but I am not sure if they are able to keep up with demand. Their nail polish section looks like a haunted ghost town. They never have anything in stock other than what’s on floor. Their nyx section is very similar.

I dread coming to this place because a flock of Regina Georges work here… The plastics who in their little worlds think they are some sort of celebrity and we are just someone in the peanut gallery asking for peanuts to be thrown or something. Last time, I checked you work for me, Im the consumer. Ugh, my niece birthday is coming up, and I had to come here since they carry IT. The make up samples are just disgusting. The employees are still rude, especially this one male employee who thinks he is some sort of A list celebrity that just scoffs when you ask for help. So I was looking for some lipsticks but they were out of stock. Almost everything that I wanted was not in stock. One clerk was like I should work here since my make up was on fleek, i was like um no I couldnt work with plastics. The manager could care less about complaints or concerns as long as the register is going ring ring ring. One thing I strongly recommend is to pay with cash. Some how, I got billed into some trashy girly mag that I did not authorize but my bank told me that it stemmed from Ulta. Honestly, all Makeup stores I dont get why the employees have to act so stuck up. My first job was at MAC and we didnt act like that. Oh well. Avoid this dump. Shop online if possible.

Emili did an awesome job on my blonde highlights and style today! I highly recommend her!

My standards are not high. I don’t care about the salon services. I don’t care about how friendly or knowledgeable the salespeople are. I just want to walk into the store, find the things that I’m looking for, give Ulta my money, and walk out of the store with my new shit. This Ulta flat out fails at Step 1 of this sequence.
I’ve been here around 10 times or so. Every single time I’m lucky if I find ONE thing from my shopping list. I promise you I’m not looking for obscure stuff or things that Ulta doesn’t even carry, the stock is just… not there. Maybelline Full & Soft waterproof mascara? Empty shelf. NYX matte lipstick? Fuck you. I have actually had more luck getting my drugstore makeup from CVS or Giant for chrissakes. It doesn’t matter if you have a better selection of shades if NONE OF THE SHADES are actually there.
In the interests of fairness, the $$prestige$$ cosmetics side of the store is generally reasonably stocked, but by the time I wander over there I’m so irritated by not finding the cheap staples on my list that I’m no longer in the mood to be spending $ 18 on UD eyeshadow singles.
So done with this location.
This other Ulta (
), despite seemingly worse overall reviews, manages to have way better stock replenishment. Too bad that it’s kind of out of the way for me.

Very dissatisfied with my most recent experience here, they are always hit or miss. I came here to use my 20% off coupon which included all Prestige. I spend ALOT of $$$ at Ulta I usually by online but, now I will only be doing that. First of all, they have absolutely NOTHING in stock. I was very upset that nothing I had on my list was there. If things are bestsellers, you should always have them in stock, I’m sorry. This is the 3^rd time this same item was out of stock. I told the manager how dissatisfied I was and she kind of didn’t care until she heard me talking to my friend about my irritations, then she said she’d extend my coupon until the end of January. Pacified, I continued shopping, found other things, and actually had a great experience with the Fragrance girl. She was great. But then I went to the register, and when my coupon wasn’t applied to everything it was supposed to, and they kept challenging me like I didn’t know what my coupon said, I got upset. Trust me, I KNOW what my coupon works on, I shop here a lot, I waited for this coupon for months to get these specific items, and I’m a top tier member. Don’t tell me what the fine print says on my coupon when you are wrong. I said, «you know what, I can get all these things AND the ones you didn’t have online, AND get my coupon applied without question. I’m not getting any of these. I went home, bought all the things, coupon applied to everything no problem.
Never shopping there again.

I love shopping for cosmetics there, the prices are fairly good and they have a variety of brands. And if you have an Ulta card they always send you coupons by mail and email. The staff is friendly and always helpful.

I like Ulta for shopping, especially since it is so close to my house. They have typical brands I like, but for high-​end make-​up, their range does not compare to Sephora.
I went to get a OPI gel manicure for a friend’s wedding, and in the long run, I wish I had not. It was hardly a nail station – tiny table in the middle of the salon. The woman was friendly, though she left me two phone messages which was fine, but in the second one she sounded a bit irritated that I did not pick up the phone (I was at work and then driving home from work).
The manicure (which is supposed to last weeks) chipped during the wedding two days later. All of them have chipped or completely peeled off by now (one week later). Not worth the time or price.

They have great freebies with certain purchases, but the customer service is horrible. I was in there the other week, on crutches, and nobody offered to help. Two employees were standing at the hair station talking to each other while I was hopping around after having surgery on both feet. Thank goodness a customer helped me out. I spoke to the manager and I told her I would’ve went to Sephora, however, I obviously can’t around well being temporarily disabled and she said she would check the tapes, that was pretty much it. If you need to make purchases from Ulta, just go online to do it. Otherwise, go to Sephora for good customer service.

I love coming here for the cosmetics and hair tools but the hair salon was terrible. They have a good selection of hair straighteners and curlers to choose from. Their makeup selection is great and I always find what I’m looking for but I went once for a hair cut and I was really upset because of the amount of time it took and how horrible it turned out.
My hair cut took almost 2 hours without shampooing and conditioning, I asked for a specific hair style and showed the girl a photo if what I wanted and I walked out with uneven bangs that were too short! I had to pin up my bangs for 2 weeks with a hair pin because they looked so bad.
The person cutting my hair was nice but I didn’t feel that she knew what she was doing. The staff at the salon bar weren’t friendly and it was very difficult to make an appointment. I was actually in hold for so long trying to make one that I decided to just make an appointment when I got there to purchase something.

I had been calling the salon for a week and no one answered the phone. Finally someone picked up and they were extremely challenging and unpleasant. I wanted to take advantage of the monthly special of $ 20 wash, blow-​dry and style. I was told that only one stylist was participating in that special and she was out the rest of the month. Keep it mind it was mid-​May but yet she was out the rest of the month. She didn’t attempt provide any alternative but rather hung up. Extremely rude. DO NOT GO HERE

They sell everything related to beauty you can imagine but it is wayyyyy over priced. The cheapest mascara I could find was $ 30 and it was on the clearance shelf

I am always here and it is amazing.
They should change the name to Ultra Beauty.
Lots of products, lots of smiles, and lots of deals.
Thumbs up to the staff.

I like the fact that Ulta carries both high end and low end products. If you get their discount card, you regularly get decent coupons and earn points that lead to money off. However they are constantly out of stuff. I’m usually guaranteed a third of what I came for is probably out of stock. I would order it online but I come to the store to test colors or see if I like a product especially if it’s pricey. Also the staff is really mixed. I’ve met some staff who are super helpful and friendly but some are plain rude. They either point blank ignore you or seem irritated when you ask for help. Honestly the only reason I come back is when I get the 20% off coupons.

This is definitely my favorite place to buy cosmetics. It’s a nice blend of high-​end, and drug store brands so you can get all of of your shopping done in one stop.
This location, in particular, has been great! The staff is always very friendly, and willing to help. I decided to do my own makeup for my wedding, and told one makeup artist what I wanted. She did my makeup, and did way better than a few other professional «trials» I’d endured. She was very knowledgeable and directed me to the right products fast. I was also able to return anything that didn’t work out — used or not.
On another occasion I was pointed quickly in the directly my new favorite skincare product. I highly recommend this store! Another plus: there’s a Starbucks next door.

High-​end & low-​end cosmetics combined into one store. Need I say more?
My sisters absolutely could spend days here just because. Me? Not so much. I come here for some basics (keep in mind that since they are mixing 2 crusts of cosmetic types, they don’t stock Everything), and my liners & Bare Minerals products.
*Do expect that you know what you are getting; there is almost no staff ever on hand to help.

I went mainly for nail polish and wasn’t tremendously impressed. I agree with other reviewers that they’re not greatly stocked. They had a large display for Essie but many of the colors were missing or low in stock. They mainly stock Essie, Orly and OPI. I find it inconvenient also that the polish is scattered around the store. There were other «drugstore» brands in another isle but why not put them all together? Also, their actual nail tools were in another area of the store as well.
I agree overall with the other reviewers that they could definitely stand to be more organized, stocked and just generally cleaner. The floors in the polish area had stains all over them. A few stains are definitely understandable for a polish area, but you could tell the store really hasn’t been thoroughly cleaned in awhile.
I don’t think I’ll be making special trips to Ulta anytime soon. I don’t really see the point, they’re no more cheaper than going to Sephora. While they may have more in variety, that’s definitely outweighed by the fact that they don’t have as much in stock! Not to mention, it seems like the variety mainly comes from the fact that they mix higher end brands with a huge variety of drugstore brands. But I could go to Target or CVS for that, and not only would it be cheaper but it’d probably be better stocked too.

Wow this is sadly the worst ulta I’ve been to. The service was actually not bad (there was one super helpful asian girl-​find her if you need something) but the nail polish section (with opi, essie, and piggy) was HALF EMPTY. This was my go-​to place for nail polish and this is ridiculous! What is the manager doing? Will not be back to this ulta as I came for the 3-​for-​2 OPI deal and there were so few OPI choices I couldn’t find 3 I liked! Disappointed.