Ulta

Honestly, I am a bigger fan of Ulta than I am of Sephora. They basically have the same items, except I feel Sephora is a little more snooty in my opinion. This location is close to Mall of GA and it’s closer to my house. It’s been around for a while and I’m afraid they’re going to close down, which i’m sure they’re not. Every time I go in, towards the back they always have packs of boxes and some isles that are completely empty.
I love the employees here. They’re always so nice and always trying to help when you have questions. Also the ones that work by the register, they always help to try and save money on whatever you purchase. Also if you’re new they give you a rewards card that is completely free and you save on what you buy. I think the prices are fairly reasonable. I love buying my face masks and face scrubs here. And also just things for my facials here!

This is the worst Ulta I have ever been to! The cashier I was dealt with yesterday was one of those «bare minimum» type helpers. I would say her customer service is not meant for retail per se, me thinks she’d make a better parole officer. I had asked her about my birthday gift and she goes sorry I can’t help you without your code, that’s your problem. So today is my birthday & just found out the birthday codes comes on the day of your birthday; why didn’t you just tell me that? This place just needs a make over. no pun intended.
I’ll just stick to Sephora. They give me my birthday gift on the month of my birthday without a code and the helpers there are way nicer & make-​up savvy and they don’t try and hustle me $ 8 for a trial sized rinky dink mascara!

Let me preface this review by saying that I have been an Ulta Rewards Platinum member since college. Not only am I a member, but through my participation, my mother and sister are now members.
I have just relocated here from Norfolk, VA. I am a traveling mentor teacher, which has afforded me to live up and down the East Cost, the South, and parts of the Midwest. Imagine my excitement when I saw that there was an Ulta less than five minutes from my new home. I was thrilled. I called right away to make an appointment. I use Ulta for about 80% of my beauty needs, and all of my salon needs. I have so many points, I am able to receive free styling tools and so forth… lets just say I spend a lot of money at Ulta.
My excitement was short-​lived.
I called Ulta to make an appointment for color and a relaxer touch up. I have highly textured multicultural/​biracial hair. I never in all of my years at Ulta had a problem having my hair styled. I also bring my daughter to Ulta. She has a courser grade of hair that reaches about 3 inches above her waist. She has a lot of hair. She get uses Ulta salon services.
On the phone I was met by the most confused salon representative. I explained the services I wanted done and she said, «I don’t know if we can do that here… I mean… we are all trained to that, but none of us really like to because its too much.» I was shocked beyond belief. I used Ulta for my styling needs in Mississippi [a state that has never been the face of welcoming diversity], so I was floored that a place as progressive as Atlanta Metro would ever have this type of problem.
I called today, Friday, after numerous attempts to schedule this appointment online, only to be denied. The store didn’t call back after two days, so I tried to circumvent the situation and give them the benefit of the doubt. I did try an experiment of entering traditional «Caucasian» styles in the appointment scheduler for their store, and to my amazement I was given a plethora of available times. I was horrified. Ulta has always advertised and marketed to women of color. I was very disappointed at this display of «selective styling.»
After speaking with the store manager «Tarah» and her equally incompetent salon manager «Scott,» I was thoroughly disgusted. The salon manager actually had the audacity to ask me what I wanted. I definitely will not patron this store, and as for Ulta, I reserve judgment until after I hear from their corporate offices. I always believed that to be a licensed cosmetologist, you have to be able and willing to service all types of textures of hair. I guess the staff at this salon missed a few courses. I wonder what the state board will think about my encounter. I am about to find out… I’ll keep you posted.

Bought an Urban Decay Basics palette and left the store open it in my car and Next I find out the palettes has been used. So I went back to ULTA to change it .This very mean big fat short hair black woman who standing next by the cashier give me this very ugly rude attitude. Bitch you should be nice and change that shit instead give me this ugly look. This ULTA should check them and address those type of behavior. Please check your product before you sale it to us also have some good customer service too have some manners. That staff should be fired. Ghetto ass hood rat.

Just poor customer service. Last visit was 3÷20÷15. Long checkout, no one called to help out. No eye contact. no conversation that was not scripted.

I was here earlier with my girlfriend as she was looking for some products and some sale items, and overall the place was ok. We were greeted by majority of the workers. But there was One worker in particular that was just standing around engaging in conversation about someone she was dating and it was just so unprofessional, the worst part of it was that she was blocking a display of products that my girlfriend wanted to took at and didn’t even bother moving and continued talking and looked at us as if he were bothering her, she should be ashamed! and needs to be fired. I thought that was absolutely absurd! We wont be going back here, i hate to say it but it only take one apple to ruin the bunch. Especially on such a busy day like black friday.

To start, really 4 stars for product and inventory, and generally good regular floor associates. That being said…
The rudest «customer service» experience o my life! It’s Black Friday, so I knew most stores would be open later than normal. I walk up to the store and a lady standing outside says they’re closed… it was 9:34. I look at the posted Black Friday store hours the reads «November 23-​November 29, Friday 12:01am to 10:00pm». The manager comes over to the window and mouthed «we closed at 9», so I point to the sign that says 10:00. She shakes her head, says «nine» again. I point again to the sign, so she proceeds to peel it back and points to the salon hours, which did stop at 9. I yell through the window because she apparently lost her keys and cant even unlock the door to have a conversation, «that is for the salon.». She pulls the whole sign down, looks at it, walks to the other side of the door and peels off the other sign, then walks away, which out another word or anything.
She NEVER came back! I was in complete disbelief that she not only closed an hour early on Black Friday, but just walked away. Needless to say, I called corporate who confirmed that the holiday hours are till 10:00 as the website also says. I’m not one to really judge holiday associates because I’ve been there, but she was the rudest, most inconsiderate, and unprofessional manager I’ve ever encountered. She is NOT manager material at all, and I hope the district manager actually does some sort of reprimand besides a slap on the wrist for costing not only additional profit for the store, but a customer as well — I’ll be going to Cumming store from now on as long as that manager is there.

Some of the cashiers were super friendly and engaging. The overall shopping vibe at this location was okay. Parking was plentiful since it’s in a large shopping complex so no worries there.
Their Urban Decay area needed some love and care. I went in to stock up on foundation since I had a coupon and reward points to use. The foundation color I use was out of stock so I just choose the next color. When I came home and opened the product, I saw finger prints and foundation smudged all over. Yeah. I had to come back the next day for an exchange. The gal gave me no issues and just made the switch. But, I feel like since the display area wasn’t cared for (the samples were old looking and randomly all over without being in its proper place), I’m unsure how long the products have been sitting there or even if the associates care at all about their job.

Had a great haircut this afternoon from Ulta-​Buford! The cut Amber did took 10 years off my appearance. Was VERY impressed! I have already made my follow up appointment as I plan on having her being my stylist. No need to go anywhere else.

As always GREAT and FRIENDLY staff! Went in today for new makeup and was helped by Claire she was so helpful. After explaining what I was needing she matched me up with a great line of products. I shop here all the time it’s my go to makeup store. The girls at the check out were super nice I have never had any issues with ulta.

They have improved in both the stock and customer service department.

I had an appointment at the salon to do my hair for my Barrister’s Ball this past weekend. I am half black, half Korean, and my hair is naturally wavy but straightens easily. I arrived at the salon with my hair already straightened.
When I first approached the counter, I was just asked what I was there for. I told the female stylist at the counter that I had an appointment and she told me to come around and sit. She asked me what I wanted and I told her I wanted soft waves in my hair, with an off-​center part and then to have my hair pulled back and into an updo. I showed her a photo on my phone. She seemed very confused and stated that it wouldn’t be possible. I stared at her blankly since it’s a very simple hairstyle. She kept saying how she couldn’t do so and so because it would do this and I told her that no, it would be fine and again repeated what I wanted. She walked off and retrieved a male stylist and told him what I wanted. He told her basically what I said I wanted which was to curl sections of my hair and pin it up.
He said he had to go on break but would return to help her. She started to curl my hair and seemed very reluctant about it. She wasn’t very conversational, instead directing most of her conversation to another stylist and that stylist’s client. When the male stylist returned, he smelled of smoke but he immediately took over for my female stylist. I was a bit put off by the smell of smoke and how he would put bobby pins in his mouth before putting them in my hair. When the female stylist came back over to observe what he was doing, he made a comment about how my hair wasn’t «nice and smooth» like «hers» (a white client sitting across from me) so it had to be ironed differently or something like that. Hmm… what? My hair might have split ends, but I’m sure it is just as soft as the white girl sitting across from me. Besides that ignorant comment, the male stylist was way more friendly than the female stylist and he made my hair look great. However, due to all of the factors I’ve already listed, the salon experience left a bad taste in my mouth.
This was not my first salon visit, but it is definitely my last. Also, I do have the names of these associates, but I don’t want to put them here.

Never have anything in stock!!! Drugstore and prestige products out of stock always! If only I could give 0 stars!

I only popped into this Ulta for one thing, and I didn’t stay long, but it seemed fine to me — very similar to other’s I’ve been in.
Ulta’s is a large catch-​all beauty store: it has hair products, makeup, lots of nail polishes, skin lotion, styling tools, accessories, perfumes, and many also have full service salons in the back where you can have regular salon services like cut and colors, waxing, etc. Typically, it stocks harder to find brands that you might otherwise only find at places like malls cosmetic counters, Sephora, and individual salons or professional product and tool stores — it’s quite convenient to have it all in one space. It also provides an excellent opportunity to come in for one thing and walk out with seven extra impulse buys. Be warned in that respect.
Like I said, I was in for just a short amount of time and didn’t spend a great deal of time nosing around, but I easily navigated to the hair care section, found the hair gel I needed, and went to the check out at the front of the store.
Even though I didn’t have my Ulta card, the girl helping me looked me up in the system and I got points when I checked out (God only knows what those will ever be useful for, but I got ‘em!).
So I was in, out and on my way, with no trouble. That’s ok in my book.

I go to this Ulta because it’s convenient, not because it’s my favorite store. There are a couple (and I literally mean two) of really nice ladies who work there and make me feel welcome whenever I go, but I will usually go out of my way (typically to Gainesville, Cumming, or even North Point) to avoid this store.
1. The layout is annoying. I vastly prefer the Ulta stores that still have their «drugstore» makeup sorted by brand. When I walk in, I want to see all my NYX stuff in one giant black display with testers rather than spread out through their many bars. I could even live with the bars if they had testers. I have to return so much because I buy it, swatch it, and realize it wasn’t what I wanted at all. Thank goodness for their return policy, I suppose. Still, it seems to me like testers would prevent a lot of waste since they can’t resell what I’ve used!
2. I’ve even had issue with the testers on the prestige cosmetics side of the store. I don’t know, it just seems like whomever is doing their ordering/​inventory isn’t counting well because they are consistently out of several products. Either the testers aren’t there, they’re in the wrong place, or they’re completely broken/​empty. It’s just a frustrating shopping experience!
3. MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT has to be over their customer service as a whole. A particular incident I had recently regarding my rewards points really soured this store for me. Last November, I went to this store with the intention of redeeming my 8 rewards points. I gathered a $ 40 fragrance (6 points) and a Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment in the size appropriate for 2 points. Upon reaching the register, I was told I could only exchange my points for _​one item_​, and I would not be able to mix and match to add up to my points value. I left with the fragrance feeling like I’d been cheated out of 2 points.
The next day, after checking online and seeing their website indicate members with Level 7 and above are able to redeem in any combination equal to their Reward Certificate Level, I returned to the same store to redeem my last two points. I showed the website to the ladies behind the counter, one of whom I can only assume was the store manager, and I was declined yet again. I was irritated and pretty much told myself if I needed anything other than NYX Cosmetics, I was going to Sephora from now on. (For the record, I emailed Ulta corporate and the matter was resolved with a $ 10 gift card and Corporate calling this store to correct the misunderstanding. I /​should/​have been able to combine items.)
Let’s just pretend the store was ultimately right though. If a customer brings forth contradictory information still on an ad or a website, shouldn’t the store still honor it? I don’t feel like I was asking for too much to spend the points I earned there!
I feel bad leaving this review because there are a couple of really nice girls working there, as mentioned. But overall? Not my favorite Ulta by a long shot. This whole store needs an overhaul.

Not a fan of this location. Everything is separated by product, not brand. So there is a Lip Bar, Eye Bar, Nail Bar, etc. I, personally, don’t care for all the brands to be separated. The Foundation Bar was disgustingly dirty. Will not be back unless absolutely necessary.

They have done a really good job remodeling this location. The store layout is a lot more functional and bright. Also, the staff is friendlier than before leading me to believe the company did some much needed reorganizing. I actually enjoy going here and looking at all the products they have I swear by Bare Essentuals and they have all the latest kits and single pieces in stock and displayed nicely. They also have a huge selection of fragrances, name brand shampoos and conditioners I’ve only been able to find in salon’s ie. Pureology (love!) & Biolage which usually is on buy one get one free sale a deal you won’t find at your local supermarket/​target store. The staff is friendly and helpful. I have not been to the salon inside but it seems busy whenever I go in. Stop in and see what they have!

2.5 or 3 stars? I can’t decide. Place was very dusty and dirty and cluttered when we went because they were going through major renovations, so that aspect couldn’t be helped, and maybe it was because of all the fixing, that there wasn’t much to look at. You’ll have better luck finding goodies online. Furthermore, sales girls are not very nice; actually, they’re quite snobby and act as if they’re doing you a big favor when you ask a question. I tried to be friendly, but I gave up and just found things on my own.