Ulta and Sephora are two beauty stores that I shop at frequently. There are things at both stores that are great, some that make me choose one over the other, and others that I think could use improvement.
At Ulta, I like that they are typically less expensive than Sephora as well as that they have a more relaxed and less sophisticated atmosphere. While Sephora’s sophisticated atmosphere is something I like about them, for me it’s very mood-dependent on whether I feel like that atmosphere or not, which is why I often prefer the relaxed and less sophisticated atmosphere of Ulta. In regards to price, if both stores have the item I’m interested in for the same price then I usually go to whichever is closer, or based on my mood and schedule, might decide to purchase online which is my usual go-to. I like to reserve going in-store for when I have the time to browse around and look at other items that might pique my interest, and I know once I go in either store I’m going to get distracted by everything pretty easily. When purchasing online I typically choose Sephora for many reasons. One is that their online experience is much better than Ulta’s. Sephora will remember your cards and doesn’t make you re-enter information multiple times to check out, making the checkout process much faster at Sephora. I also have a Sephora credit card so this also makes my checkout process online and in-store much easier. While Ulta does have a credit card, I prefer Sephora because the rates, to me, were better at Sephora. I also shop online with Sephora over Ulta because their site and app load much faster. When online shopping, I use the app for both but find Sephora’s to be a smoother transaction overall. While I do like Ulta’s app and that both of them have a feature to save items you love, look at past purchases and so much more, I think Sephora’s app works better.
I also tend to go to one or the other if they carry a brand that’s only at Sephora or Ulta. A great example of this for Sephora would be Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez. I have always found other makeup brands to be about covering up insecurities or “imperfections” and about knocking yourself down instead of picking yourself up, I really didn’t bother with makeup much due to this feeling until Selena came out with Rare Beauty and its positive message of celebrating what makes you beautifully rare. I love that she’s using makeup to highlight and celebrate what makes us all different instead of using it to try to make us all blend together. I also love that 10% of the proceeds go to the Rare Beauty Foundation which raises awareness about mental health, which is something I think everyone can relate to the importance of. I also like a lot of Ulta and Sephora brand products because they’re less expensive and you get reward points for purchasing them. The rewards system at Ulta and Sephora are also something I like about both of them. I think Sephora is a little more flexible than Ulta and it’s easier to climb to a higher status faster at Sephora due to things like 250 rewards points for your birthday as a gift option, which is another great thing about the rewards, birthday gifts and options. Ulta gives everyone born in the same month the same gift, whereas at Sephora you get an option. Ulta now offers services such as professional hair and makeup and haircuts, which is something Sephora has been doing for years. While I’ve never got this service done at Ulta, but have seen it many times, and looks like something I would get done there if the option presented itself, I have gone to Sephora they’ve done an excellent job with professional makeup services. My favorite thing that is done incredibly well at both stores is the personalization of employees helping you pick out products and listening to your needs and wants of the product(s) you're looking for.
Ultimately, I love shopping at both of these stores and shop at both of them frequently. I tend to love shopping in person with Ulta and online with Sephora as I feel like this best suits my needs.
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