Ulta Fan or Sephora Squad?
These two have duked it out for years. Loyal Sephorans stick to the luxury names and curated selection, while Ulta stans reach for the more affordable prices and longer list of brands. While both have their pros and cons, which one is actually better? We’re here to break down a few reasons why we’re in love with both!
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1. More Brands to Choose From
Sephora may pride itself on luxury brands, but Ulta has the best of both worlds. It doesn’t matter what your budget is; Ulta provides a healthy mix of high-end names and drugstore options, which is exactly what appeals to such a wide clientele.
2. Affordable Prices
You need a serious stroke of luck to find affordable prices in Sephora! Ulta, on the other hand, offers a wide selection of brands, which broadens its general price point. There’s nothing better than knowing you can score Maybelline and La Roche-Posay in the same place.
3. Friendly Staff
It’s okay if Sephora’s employees scare you. They scare us a little. The customers aren’t any better sometimes. However, Ulta has a much friendlier atmosphere, which makes shopping there a less daunting experience.
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4. Better Loyalty Program
Say what you want about the Beauty Insider rewards program, Ulta’s system is way better! You can use your points to nab significant discounts on even drugstore brands. Ulta also allows you to score points on every purchase, whereas Sephora has a tiered system that dictates what you earn.
5. Superior Gifts With Purchase
Who doesn’t want an awesome freebie? Sure, Sephora might toss in the odd sample, but Ulta’s brands come with an onslaught of gifts. You can nab anything from deluxe perfumes to hairbrushes and Coach wristlets. Talk about incentives!
6. Wider Skincare Selection
We can’t deny the appeal of Sephora’s skincare line, but that doesn’t mean it beats Ulta. With both luxury and drugstore brands to its name, Ulta lets you pick and choose from a wider selection of products—let’s be honest: it’s better to have more skincare options than makeup.
7. More Haircare Options
Our hair is important to us, and luckily, both stores know that. However, Ulta has a better selection and something its competition doesn’t: salon services! That’s right, you can head into your friendly neighbourhood Ulta for haircuts, treatments, and blowouts.
8. Exclusive Brands
Compared to Sephora, Ulta isn’t one of the popular girls that gets all the attention. Despite its modest status, this chain still offers an impressive number of exclusive brands. MAC, Proactiv, ColourPop, LUSH, and Matrix are all available here.
9. Better Birthday Gifts
We’re all looking forward to birthday freebies, but Ulta delivers in ways Sephora can’t. Firstly, they offer double the points for your entire birthday month. Secondly, they just have better gifts on the big day. We appreciate Sephora’s deluxe samples, but we’ll also pass.
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10. Ulta Beauty Products
Ulta Beauty is far superior to Sephora’s in-house brand. Between their makeup tools and constant deals (like BOGO events), we gravitate towards Ulta far more often. Their cosmetics are also comparable to some of your favorite drugstore brands.
That’s not to say Sephora doesn’t have its perks. This beloved chain brings plenty to the table, so let’s dive into a few reasons people still choose it over anyone else.
1. Luxury Brands
Like it or not, Sephora carries high-end brands you won’t find elsewhere. Its whole schtick is offering customers an unbeatable collection of luxury brands, which may soar into unattainable prices, but also provides a pampering like no other.
2. Widely-Available Testers
We hate buying a new foundation only for it to be the wrong shade. Though that’s a common problem at Ulta, it’s not one in Sephora. In addition to their widely available testers, they also have a pretty accurate color-matching system that ensures you get the right product every time.
3. Tons of Samples
Sephora isn’t shy about showering you in samples. You might even score some at the register! Even if you shop online, you’ll get all sorts of deluxe sizes and freebies that let you dip a toe in different brands.
4. Exclusive Brands
If Ulta has exclusive brands, you bet Sephora does too. Jaw-dropping names like Chanel, Cartier, Dior, and Paula’s Choice are only available on Sephora’s shelves. It might not be something you buy very often, but simply treating yourself is more than worth it.
5. Curated Selection
Sephora doesn’t pretend to offer everything. Instead, it prides itself on a specially curated selection of high-end products, only providing the best for customers. They don’t carry everything from one brand either—they stick with a few choice items that offer a taste of everything.
6. Better Fragrance Options
Okay, so Ulta scores higher for skin and haircare, but it doesn’t touch Sephora’s fragrance. Given that they have so many luxury brands to choose from, you can nab just about anything from Hermes, Joe Malone, Skylar, and Henry Ford.
7. Shade Finder
It doesn’t matter if you’re in store or online—Sephora wants you to find your perfect shade. All it takes is a few minutes and some answered questions to score the closest shades to your skintone, directing you to top brands. We know it’s overwhelming to choose a product, but this gadget definitely makes it easier.
8. Free Shipping
Why don’t more stores offer free shipping? It’s the simplest way to entice us! Ulta only offers free shipping after you spend $35; Sephora, on the other hand, gives it to you right away. Their stuff is expensive enough, so it’s nice to know you can at least save in some ways.
9. More Knowledgable Staff
We love chatting with Ulta customer service. For the most part, they’re far friendlier than your average Sephora rep—but Sephora employees are also more knowledgeable. Of course, they kind of have to be. You can’t work among so many products without being in the know, and it’s nice to have someone who can bring you to the right shelf.
10. Convenient Locations
We’ll be honest: we’d shop at Ulta a lot more if they rivaled Sephora’s locations. But Sephora dominates every strip mall and street corner, making it the more convenient option. When you need to pop in for one thing, it’s just easier to go with the stripes.
