These days, it’s Ulta. I used to be a die-hard Sephora gal, but lately I haven’t really been feeling it, especially when I go into the store (so gross). At Ulta, I can get hair, skin care and makeup in one place, and I feel like the brands they carry are a better fit for me right now in this stage of my beauty journey. Also, I like that the Ulta points system seems to give you more bang for your buck. Case in point: the time I used my Ulta points and a beauty deal of the day to get an $83 Murad serum for a mere $5.97.
How about you? Where do you do the majority of your beauty shopping?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I do a combination of Ulta, Sephora, and Target. Most of the time I shop online because Ulta has so many good gifts with purchase, with good sales on top of it.
Ooh, I’ll have to take advantage of the Ulta gifts with purchase one of these days. 😀
Ulta. I’m all about the rewards. Sephora pales in comparison.
Yes! The Ulta rewards at so good!
Usually Ulta…with a few things from Sephora. The Ulta rewards programs and free gifts are way better than Sephora. I also love the variety of brands from Ulta.
Agreed about the variety of brands at Ulta!
Ulta, because of their rewards, and also because their stores are more conveniently located for me. I used to shop at CVS and Walgreens, especially when CVS was new to town and they were competing pretty fiercely. But you can’t get good deals from them now, for the most part.
I definitely shop more at Ulta than Sephora. Although I just made a purchase at Sephora, and I realized afterwards that the sale is coming up. It seems like the 20%, 15%, and 10% with the Sephora sale really only covers the tax. I like Ulta’s rewards program better and the mix of high end and budget friendly products.
I’m in Canada so I shop mostly at Shoppers Drug Mart, the rewards are so much better and I usually get about $500-$600 a year in free products & groceries (my credit card is connected to their points; they are the big grocery barons in Canada). Or Walmart. Ulta stopped shipping to Canada during the pandemic so I only get to shop there when we travel across the border.
If it’s a beauty brand I’m loyal to, I buy directly from their website. Body products, nail polish, hair care and that sort of thing, I buy online from Target or Ulta. Most of my skincare I get from Dermstore. I hardly ever find the need to shop in person now.
MAC store (not online) or Sephora online (not store)!
I guess mostly online! Typology, Byredo, even on eBay. Shopping for beauty is such a different experience now. Things are too readily available, which kind of de-glamorizes the whole pursuit.
I was fascinated by my mom’s stash of Guerlain, Ultima(?? was that a makeup brand??), Chanel, and Maybelline. 😊
This post is so on point. Sephora has lost the charm it used to have.
Totally unrelated but did you try the new Mac matte lipstick. I saw one of your post though but I am hoping to see a detailed one 😊
Of course whenever your get enough time to do it . Thanks !
Really, it’s all online now. The local Ultas have completely disgusting displays and the local Sephora is overrun by tweens and the displays are just a step ahead of Ulta. I gave one of the Ultas a second chance recently – never again.
Maybe I’ll try Bluemercury and Dermstore?
I’ve been buying less and less at Sephora. If Nordstrom has what I want I get it there (right now they’re having a beauty event with discounts on many, but not all lines). Otherwise I shop on Amazon or directly from the brand websites.
We’ve been spending more and more time in Tokyo too so I’ve been buying skincare and makeup there. It helps that my holy grail foundation happens to be Shiseido.
I was an Ulta shopper because of their rewards program and then they did me dirty. I had an Ulta credit card that got hacked. The bank that issued the card said it was fraud and issued me a new card. Ulta on the other hand banned me from online shopping, even if I used a different card. They wouldn’t even give me an explanation. Customer service just kept giving me the runaround. So I no longer shop at Ulta. Mostly Sephora and some Target.
Primarily Sephora-they seem to have more of the colors and finishes I like, and all the employees I’ve encountered, both on the phone and in person, have been extremely kind and helpful.