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6.0

Overall Score

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: August 28th, 2021

ULTA Beauty is a chain of beauty retailer located in the United States. ULTA, through its stores and website, offers a combination of over 20,000 beauty products. This includes makeup products, fragrances, haircare, skincare, bath & body products, and styling tools. ULTA also offers a full-service salon and makeup artist in each store location.

Founded in 1990, ULTA Beauty currently employs more than 19,000 associates at over 125 locations across the United States. Its headquarters is located in Bolingbrook, Illinois.

Top Ranked Companies

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The Good

  • Ulta Beauty Makeup Brands
  • Rewards Program
  • Tips and Video Tutorials
  • Customer Service

Ulta Beauty Makeup Brands

ULTA customers can choose from hundreds of brands, including the ULTA Collection. Their featured brands include bareMinerals, Urban Decay, It Cosmetics, Thrive, O.P.I., Dose of Colors, Meaningful Beauty, Skyn, NYX Professional Makeup, and Benefit Cosmetics - though they sell many more brands in addition to these.

This beauty hub supplies almost everything you could possibly need to perfect your routine from basic skincare products to amazonian clay. Obviously, the essential products you can find are: 

  • face primer
  • makeup remover
  • makeup bag
  • brow kit
  • waterproof concealer
  • blush palette
  • makeup brushes

Rewards Program

The ULTAmate Rewards Program is free to all customers. Members earn one point for every dollar they spend and can redeem earned points on skincare, mascara, fragrances, cosmetics, and other ULTA products. By signing up for ULTA emails, customers will be notified of any Ulta Beauty sale as well as receive a free gift from ULTA during the month of their birthday plus earn double points during that month.

ULTA also has a Platinum rewards program, which members have access to once they have spent at least $400.00 in a calendar year. When members are upgraded to Platinum status, they earn points 25% faster and receive an additional birthday gift - plus, their points never expire. Plus, all ULTA customers get free shipping on orders of $50.00 or more.

Tips and Video Tutorials

Online users have access to ULTA's tips, video tutorials, Beauty Buzz, photo galleries, and new product arrivals through the Get Inspired, Beauty Consultation, and Share & Play sections of the site. Mobile users can access all these features and their account information through ULTA's mobile app. These videos allow everyone the chance to learn from professional makeup artists and reinvent their makeup routine. Whether it's perfecting your eye shadow skills or learning how to use a highlighter palette these professionals can do it all.

Customer Service

ULTA also has a Guest Services Center, which features links to information about your online purchase, gift cards, the rewards program, the return policy, and other frequently asked questions. There is also an online form and an 866-number for contacting customer service. ULTA's customer service department is available 6am-12am CST, seven days a week.

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The Bad

  • No Free Samples
  • No Wish List Feature

No Free Samples

While ULTA members can take advantage of online coupons and mailers, there is no mention on the website of free samples. Companies like Sephora offer customers the option to try out different beauty brands before purchasing them, so the lack of samples is a disadvantage of shopping with ULTA.

No Wish List Feature

ULTA also doesn't offer an online wishlist feature for customers to save future purchases. Customers who want to remember items to buy later will need to create a separate list on their own and then search for each of them when ready to make a purchase.

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The Bottom Line

ULTA carries over 20,000 beauty products and offers customers the added convenience of being able to shop, return items, and the use of salon services at its many store locations. Customers who are on the go can also use the mobile app. Overall, ULTA provides an extensive selection of makeup brands to fit your beauty needs conveniently placed in one location. 

Also, take a look at the other makeup stores listed on our website to see how ULTA makeup compares.

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Star Rating

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4.3

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358 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

60%

4 grade

25%

3 grade

5%

2 grade

1%

1 grade

8%

Sentiment Criteria

Value

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Quality

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Service

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Trustworthiness

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Jennifer Jones Modesto, CA

Overall my experience with Ulta has been positive every time I visited the store. I am a platinum member so I have been there many times . They always ask me if I need any help,. I rather shop at Ulta then Sephora because Sephora workers are rude (to my daughters) when they go there; Following them like they’re going to steal, when they have plenty of money because they work very hard . And my daughters are grown and are very classy and educated . So Ulta is awesome! Friendly staff, if they don’t have an item in stock, they give you free shipping coupon if you need to order it online.

8 years ago

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Kimberly LeBaron Delta, UT

I’m by no means a makeup guru, but Ulta suits all my needs. I have been there to grab random things and they are well stocked with many good makeup brands. I also took my sister their to get her tones matched, and we were very happy with the recommend color and product. I will say though that the store can be hard to navigate, and one time the staff were been impatient and unhelpful. But this has only been my experience once.

7 years ago

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Lesa Burgess Pleasant Grove, UT

Great products. Highly recommend ULTA for your makeup store. The mascara wand is fantastic. Love the feature where you can twist the tube to change the shape of the wand from straight to coiled. So cool! I only use a couple other products such as their lipstick & their blush... So I you're looking for those 2 products, I can guarantee you will be happy with them!

8 years ago

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Cristella La Habra, CA

My experience with ulta ONLINE vs IN STORE is very different. Online nothing but great things, shipping is easy and fast, never damaged. In store, the one in my local shopping center, the manager was very rude when I asked about a brand. She rudely stated HER store doesn’t carry “that brand” but other ulta stores do. Then when I went to check out she didn’t even ask for my # for loyalty points! I had to ask to give it to her. Also when I opened my eyeshadow palette I realized it has been used (definitely swatched) never had this problem from online shopping.

8 years ago

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Tyler Strieby Lehi, UT

I love love love their eyeshadow! I am not a person who wears a lot of make-up, just wear the basics. I also do not like to spend a lot of money on make-up. But I do use it everyday...so I like to get a lot of bang for my buck when I do need to purchase make-up. Ulta's eyeshadow palates have an amazing range of colors! And, they seem to never run out! I decided to purchase one and I have been using it for a long time...Will be going back to them for eyeshadow. Even though it was a little more expensive than I usually spend, it lasted so long that the paying more was definitely worth it.

6 years ago

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Phebe Rowland Fayetteville, AR

My experience with ULTA has been wonderful. Upon entering the store, I am always greeted with a smile by the workers. They ask me how I am doing and if I need help with anything. ULTA also has a wide variety of beauty supplies, and the store is extremely organized.

5 years ago

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Nancy Jones Alpine, UT

Ulta has a good selection of makeup brands and a knowledgable sales staff to assist in color matching, etc. They also have an excellent return policy if one isn’t satisfied with their purchase. Generally I’ve found their products to be priced higher than larger on-line suppliers.

7 years ago

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Sierra Dixon Gilbert, AZ

I love Ulta. I get all of my makeup there. They have a great variety of brands and colors. Great quality makeup that lasts a long time. All of the employees are super helpful. Only thing is it’s a bit expensive for a high schooler like me, but it’s high quality makeup so it should be that way.

7 years ago

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Deirdre Rockville, MD

One stop shop for most things cosmetic. The sales staff are very friendly, knowledgeable of their products and happy to help with suggestions, makeovers, etc. Never used their salon but have seen some gorgeous folks walk out of it. My only sadness is that while they keep Chanel they don't keep Coco Noir!

8 years ago

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Nichole Davidson Sandy, UT

I like their rewards program and they have a great selection of high end brands along with more affordable brands. I shop more often at Ulta due to proximity, however, I rely on my own research as Ulta employees haven't been very helpful in the past.

8 years ago

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Jonny Hancock Draper, UT

I've been to this store more than i'd like to admit, because my wife loves ULTA. All of the ULTA locations I have been to are clean and organized. We have never been to any of their store locations and not been able to find what we were looking for. My only complaint with their store is not having a better rewards program for repeat customers.

9 years ago

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Denise H. Mona, UT

One of my favorite things about Ulta is that they occasionally offer a 20% off site-wide discount. This adds up to a lot of money if you regularly use a lot of prestige brands of beauty products. My only complaint is that they used to offer this twice per year, but now only offer in once per year:(

9 years ago

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Christina Lockett Frederick, MD

ULTA was a very lit up makeup store showcasing each and every makeup product on its own case. They had every shades of lip stick that fits different people. They also have different bronzers and contours that fits people skin tones. The only reason that they don't get a full five stars from me is because of how long their lines are. They should have multiple workers there helping check out people and not just one women checking people out as fast as she could.

5 years ago

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Jessica Chen Rockville, MD

I bought a serum for skincare called The Ordinary recommended by many famous Youtubers, a tarte shape tape concealer, and an eyelash serum. The concealer does help conceal any blemishes, and the eyelash serum did help grow my eyelashes. The serum helped my skin at first, but they started to irritate. ULTA did have a good shipping and products came in good condition.

5 years ago

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Eliza Jane Arledge Smithfield, UT

ULTA has always been my go to cosmetic store, not just for the amazing products that they sell there. I love them for multiple reasons, they're in store customer service is always great and I feel like their employees are all well trained and all know what they're talking about. I have also have enjoyed using their online website for shopping as well and have always been pleased with my outcome.

5 years ago

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Irinna Danielson Riverton, UT

What I love about ULTA is that you can get designer brand makeup without the high mark ups that you see in other cosmetic stores. I like it because it's not intimidating, but there are still make up experts to help me find what I'm looking for. I've had good experiences getting good foundation and eyeliner and I just like that it's a good experience, without the pressure of being in a super fancy make-up story.

6 years ago

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Lindsey American Fork, UT

Ulta is a great one-stop store where you can find tons of brands you love. The pricing is great, but since I'm not super fancy about makeup, I only go here when I want to find super special things on occasion!

8 years ago

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Katelyn Empey Logan, UT

ULTA has a very friendly staff and is a one stop shop for most of your needs. I like that I can get high end beauty products, but still get the more drugstore brands. The prices are comparable to most other places.

8 years ago

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Lindsay H. Draper, UT

Ulta has a wide selection of a variety of products and I like to shop there. However, I've found that some drug-store makeup is very overpriced there and can be found cheaper elsewhere.

9 years ago

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Rachael Berhan Salt Lake City, UT

They have a great selection of products and really good customer service! I wish they had more makeup products that are "clean" and good for your skin. Their version of "clean beauty" (good for your skin) is vegan beauty or hypoallergenic.

5 years ago

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Valerie Beus Richland, WA

Staff is always very helpful and there are a lot of options. It costs more than grocery store type makeup that I usually use, but I will purchase select items from here when quality is more important to me than price (my foundation, for example).

5 years ago

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brindle's corner ,

Great costumer service, love that they have lower end prices too for when I’m not looking for crazyyy expensive makeup. Only thing is, sometimes they don’t always have what I’m looking for. They are sometimes sold out of something and don’t have it then or whatever. Usually my go to makeup store though!

5 years ago

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Tara Bindrup Smithfield, UT

I love Ulta because they carry most on my favorite makeup brands and offer promotions throughout the year for many of their brands. I also love the return policy that you can return items even if used if you are not satisfied for any reason.

5 years ago

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Phabie Mobile, AL

The stores are pretty organized and clean. My only issue is that they don't provide a rewards point system. It would be nice to accumulate points for free goodies.

5 years ago

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Thomas Hullinger Pleasant Grove, UT

Ulta has a great selection of everything one needs to make them beautiful. I have the Ulta credit card and use it to shop there and it makes it easy to get what I need.

8 years ago

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Hayley Lambdin Orem, UT

I have gotten a few lipsticks and nail supplies here and they were high quality! I just don't go there that often because the location is kind of difficult.

8 years ago

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Sarah Marfo Tallahassee, FL

So many options at the Walmart of makeup. They have everything and are working on getting more. Once they get their cultural client/associate aspect down then they will be set.

5 years ago

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Christi Gilbert Gettysburg, PA

When I was looking for a particular product that was sold out everywhere, I found it at Ulta. My daughters and I love to shop their clearance section, and the credit card helps me earn points towards other purchases.

5 years ago

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Calleigh Clayton Lehi, UT

I love shopping at ULTA. They have literally any product you could ever need in hair, makeup, skin, nails, etc! They have high quality makeup as well as drugstore so there is something there for anyone!

5 years ago

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Liza Wilson ,

My experiences at ULTA have always been positive, they have just about everything you could be looking for. I tend to shop elsewhere for makeup though because it isn’t as affordable as other places.

5 years ago

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Abby Ashby Provo, UT

I get all my makeup from ulta. They often have deals going on that i love to take advantage of. They also always have the best birthday gifts and great rewards programs to save money.

5 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Picnicky82 Logan, UT

Ultra introduced me to Tarte and the best mascara ever. I don’t always shop there because if there isn’t a sale the name brand stuff can be quite pricey. They usually have some great deals and that’s when I stock u.

5 years ago

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Danica David Los Angeles, CA

I definitely reccomend shopping from ultra. I am always greeted by workers with smiles on their faces. The customer service is exceptional. And when I can't find something the workers are always helpful.

5 years ago

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Gracee Putnam Los Angeles, CA

I really like the whole experience of the store. The makeup is organized into brands so you can find your favorite brands easily. They also have almost any type of makeup you could ask for!

5 years ago

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Tiauna Anderson Salt Lake City, UT

I love how many new brands ULTA is adding to their makeup department. The stores are easy to shop and the staff is knowledgeable and help me match the right foundation to my skin color. I recommend!

6 years ago

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Kenzie Comstock Woods Cross, UT

ULTA has a great selection of beauty products! I like that they carry high-end products and products you would find at Target/Walmart or a pharmacy. I have bought several products from ULTA.

6 years ago

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Cody Linden Lehi, UT

I've purchased gifts for my wife from ULTA and she's always loved the gifts, even if I semi-randomly selected an item. There's a great selection of items that are all high quality. However, they are a little expensive.

8 years ago

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Brette Draper, UT

I spend me whole paycheck here! This place is amazing but dangerous! Customer service is always horrible, the girls that work here are total brats and don’t care one bit about their customer!

8 years ago

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Ajanaee x San Antonio, TX

Ulta has a great selection of products but they should carry more ethnic products and products that cater to deeper toned women.

5 years ago

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ChanceyParker Jackson, MS

I love the variety but the rewards points don’t give you enough of a dollar amount off of your total that is really worth it.

6 years ago

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Alyssa Boren American Fork, UT

The makeup is very high quality and lasts for a long time. The employees always are kind and willing to answer my many questions.

7 years ago

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Natasha Salt Lake City, UT

Great customer service. The people were super helpful helping me get the make up I wanted for my wedding. The prices are a bit high though.

8 years ago

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Olivia Hardy Washington, DC

Ulta has a great variety of makeup and hygiene products. Their prices are a little high for specific makeup products, but they have great customer service and discounts.

5 years ago

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ang ,

Wide variety of beauty products and mostly helpful staff. If I can’t find exactly what I came for the staff can usually make great recommendations for similar products.

5 years ago

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Mason Allen Provo, UT

Ulta has good products but they never seem to have enough stock at the stores. I like pretty much everything else about them. Their customer service, trustworthiness etc.

5 years ago

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Debora Paez Chicago, IL

There is makeup for all sorts of budgets which makes Ulta the best place for makeup. Staff is always friendly & the salon services in store are very useful

5 years ago

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mikala gneiting Ammon, ID

I love their online store. It’s easy to navigate and I love getting coupons and special 20 percent off incentives. Most of their prices are competitive with other stores.

5 years ago

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Heather Anderson Providence, UT

I love Ulta. It’s a treat to go into their store. My daughters and I love to go there for the latest beauty projects. They have a great customer service.

5 years ago

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Crystal Logan, UT

I love our ulta store. It has great products that you can't get very easily in a smaller town without a mall cosmetic store. They have great sales, staff, and selection

5 years ago

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Yolanda Briganti Riverton, UT

The mascara I bought at Ulta worked really well. It was on sale therefore the only way I would have bought it but it stayed on and didn't smear easily.

6 years ago