Ulta

The only reason this is ⁴⁄₅ stars is because they always run out of the most popular items (like the Becca Ultimate Coverage foundation) and their restocking is not in sync. So, I have to make trips down to the nearest Sephora; however, besides the sell-​outs, Ulta being in a very close vicinity to IV is so dangerous. I love how Ulta is a combo if drugstore and high end beauty products with coupons here and there.

Multiple workers on the floor. One checker. Line of 15 customers in check out line. Manager just staring at the line… enough said.

there’s literally no workers around the store, and they usually only stay in the front register. Even when there’s a long line, some of the workers will just be socializing in the front without ringing up the customers. Disappointed by the service.

I love plenty of things about Ulta. They have a wide selection of both luxury brand and drugstore brand cosmetics, skincare and hair care all in one place. The staff have been helpful in recommending products and they regularly offer a coupon for $ 3.50 off most products in their mailer (if you forget yours, just google one on your smartphone and present it at checkout). The bummer is that on more than five occasions they have been out of my regular products. On most of those occasions, the staff couldn’t tell me when they would be restocked and blamed the manufacturer. I’ve finally decided to save myself the aggravation and order them online with Prime.

I love makeup and ulta does have a good a selection, whenever they are in stock! They are always out of stock on so much of their products it’s ridiculous. And if you ask a employe if they can check in the back they give you attitude, dirty looks, or just plain ignore you. witch brings me to my next point they are always understaffed there is never anybody walking around to assist customers. It’s like pulling teeth to get someone from up front to help you! The only person who is ever willing to help is the benefit eyebrow lady Natalia who is very kind by the way but she’s always busy with her own clients. I hope ULTA headquarters actually read these reviews and try and better there company, I think they can really benefit from helping educate their employes in costumer service skills.

While I generally find what I need at this store, both the customer service and the clarity of what is and isn’t in stock needs work. I have multiple times checked the availability of an item online only to find that it was in fact not in stock when I got to the store. This leads into my second complaint, the way that the workers address customers. Due to the fact that the online availability can be misleading, i called the store in addition to checking online, to see if the NYX matte liquid liner was in stock yet. The woman repeatedly cut me off while talking, and upon telling me that it wasn’t in stock, despite the fact that the website said it was, all that she had to say was ‘bye.’ She didn’t ask if I had any more questions, she just hung up the phone. Another instance of bad customer service did not come from rudeness but from ignorance. I’m not sure if the woman attempting to help me one day was new or just under-​studied, but I asked her questions about cruelty-​free products and am sure that she was making answers up. Id have rather had her refer me to someone else in the store than give me wrong answers. Had I bought something on her recommendation that was not cruelty-​free I would have been completely infuriated. While I love the company, this particular store needs to step up its game.

I went in the other day for the second time since living here. I got there early for a manicure appt I had that afternoon. I decided to browse while I wait. I noticed dirty/​gross testers, no associates acknowledged me while I browsed, no one asked if I needed assistance or anything.
Now I work in retail myself and I understand needing to get your job done with displays or whatever it may be. But really not even a «Hello» or a «Can I help you?» was said so it’s just kind of appalling to see poor customer service. I walked through aisles looking at makeup while associates glanced over while continuing their project.
I was testing makeup on the back of my hand and needed a tissue to wipe it off… I couldn’t find a single stand w clean tissues or cotton. There were plenty of used cosmetic supply strewn on displays. It was really off putting. Makeup testers out or dried up/​funky smells.
I had a great experience last year I went there to get my nails done. The girl did everything you would do for a manicure. This time on the other hand was different. When I went in the other day, my nails came out looking like I had painted them quickly before I came into the salon.
No soaking of nails to soften skin, no pushing back of cuticles. you know the regular routine of a manicure. I felt bad calling back because the the woman who did my nails was SUPER friendly and nice. We had a lovely conversation too. But I didn’t feel like she knew what she was doing all the way.
My nails look awful and I payed $ 40 total for them to look like I did It myself, which is the whole reason I go to get them done so they look nice. I don’t know if I’ll be coming back here for services.

This review is for the salon, not the store. I went in the day before Valentine’s Day to get rid of the red in my hair. I was tired of it and I needed a change. My stylist was the salon manager and my first red flag should have been that she was asking another stylist what color she should use to get the red out of my hair. She only waited 20 minutes to wash the color out and when she was done she dried a little bit of it and noticed that the color did not take. SHOCKER! Then she tried to make excuses that the color of the salon is orange so my hair is just reflecting it. Wrong! She told me to wash it a few times and see if I like it. I didn’t like it! So I made another appointment 3 weeks later and she sat me down and told me that she doesn’t feel comfortable doing my hair because she’s only been there for 2 months!!! WTF! I wasted $ 80 on the first appointment and she completely wasted my time the second time. She told me to find a different person who can do it and she even recommended that I do the color stripping myself. There’s no way I’m going to do that!!! If she didn’t know what she was doing, she shouldn’t have tried to dye my hair in the place! She should have given me my money back! Never going back to the salon again!

I was in there today and I was shocked by the poor customer service. I went in for a hair consultation, and not only was my stylist 20 minutes late, but none of the other employees even greeted me or acknowledged me. And I know they saw me. Then when the consultation was done I was shopping around for makeup and I was looking for a brand new lip gloss from NYX. There were none so I asked someone about it and they said that they will «go in the back» and get more. This girl bring out two colors and says that that is all they had. I said OK and asked if maybe she can order it for me. She said she doesn’t know how to do that and that I should find someone else. First of all, all employees should know how to order for a customer, or even if its possible. Second, don’t just tell me to go find someone. You should get someone for your customer. Not to mention, she was very rude and looked at me like I was dumb. And then don’t even get me started at the young girl at the cash register, Celeste. Rudest young lady I’ve ever met. I saw her two times rolling her eyes at a customer and giving them major attitude, myself included. Awful experience. NEVER going back.

I love the coupons that Ulta sends in the mail and the products they have, but I have to say this place is a a complete mess. Their products seem to always be out of stock or out of place. Not to mention, it’s completely dirty and unorganized. You’ll see unwrapped and used products everywhere in the store. I haven’t had a bad experience with the people that work there, but I think that management needs to get more organized, keep the place cleaner and keep track of their inventory

I loooove Ulta but this is probably the worst location I have ever been to. The employees here are really useless and there’s always only 1 person at check out even though there’s 5+ customers waiting in line. I went to return something, a job that should be quite simple turned into a 45-​minute transaction. They kept me waiting and kept blaming the computers.

I’m addicted to makeup, hair care and beauty supplies in general. Ulta usually has what I’m looking for in stock. Only twice was what I wanted out of stock. Service is just okay. Not always available but generally knowledgeable. This is my go to for high end makeup in Goleta

I guess you could say I am glutton for punishment… Every single experience I have had in this store has been Bad-​Horrific-​Horrible. The lack of customer service that these employees have is unbelievable. I keep trying to give them another chance because I literally live 10mins away. The employees either are gossiping with one another or hate each other and make it very apparent with the attitude that they give each other. I have four sisters and we have bought thousands of dollars worth of make-​up/​skin/​hair items at this store and that is how much this Ulta store will be losing from us. I literally am at the point to stand in front of this Ulta and have all potential customers that are about to come in know the lack of customer service that they have so they’ll turn right around and not give them any business!

I went into this Ulta because I was in the city for work. I really needed a new face sunblock and Clinique powder.
When I walked in, I was greeted very fast. The lady that helped me (I forgot here name, ugh) was very knowledgeable and not pushy at all. I told her what I wanted and she knew right away what I wanted.
Store was very clean and stocked. I’m glad I went in here instead of going all the way to Santa Barbara. This location is very convinient and has lots of parking!

I got a shampoo and conditioner that was not working for my hair whatsoever and so after 3 washes, I called and asked what the return policy was. The girl said «as long as it’s not empty, you can return it. I’d say about 50%» considering I had only used it 3 times I was like okay, it’s still at the top. It’s at least 75% if not 85% full. I have long hair so I do have to use more but that’s besides the case. I came in and tried to return them and they said I couldn’t because the product usually goes to the top, even though it definitely doesn’t. After a little bit of talking, Celeste honored my return and I really appreciated that because I absolutely hated the product I got and it was too expensive to just throw away. So I’m really thankful she was there. I now know and just for everyone on Unilocal,there is a return policy of 10% used.

This place is sort of hit and miss.
Some employees are super helpful. And others are so lazy that I want to leave and buy items online.
The items they sell are sort of a collection of CVS brands/​prices to spa-​worthy products, with a bit of Macy’s and Sephora-​type inventory mixed in.
They have a lot of items. Basically any item to care for your hair (shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo, oils, treatments, clips, scrunchies, bla bla bla), face (many cleansers, treatments, creams, masques, make up, mascara, etc etc) and body (nail polish, body wash, waxing items, TBC) .
Get the point? :) but why do I shop here? They have a pretty good return policy. If you purchase an item that ultimately fails, just take the item and the RECEIPT and get your $$$ back. Yep.
(Resist the urge to leave if you get a lazy associate. There IS someone who will be nice and help you.)

This is for the salon at Ulta, not the store itself.
I rarely write bad reviews, but this Ulta is just not the place to get a haircut. I am new to the area and so I got two haircuts at Ulta before deciding that the convenient location and low price wasn’t worth it.
For both haircuts – with two different stylists – they told me that they «preferred cutting dry» and so didn’t wash or blow dry my hair. This doesn’t reduce the price, however, and I feel like it’s just a convenient way for the stylist to get out of the time-​consuming wash and blow dry. Also, on my first visit the stylist asked me if I wanted it straightened and since I do normally straighten my hair I said yes. When I went to pay I noticed she added a $ 10 charge to the bill! So, she didn’t give me half of the haircut (the wash and blow dry) but added extra to the total price.
For both haircuts I wanted a normal cut with long layers just to make it lay nicely, and both stylists did a crazy amount of layering in my hair that I definitely didn’t ask for. The first stylist mentioned that I had a «mom haircut» and talked about all the crazy things that happen in IV where she lives. The second stylist told me that my side part looked like «TV anchor hair.» Who are these people?
Anyway, both haircuts left me feeling deflated so I finally found a new salon (Cutting Edge Hair Salon in Goleta) and I couldn’t be happier.

Good selection, feels pretty low-​key, no intense sales pressure.
On the other hand, the customer service force is a mixed bag. I have had some pleasant interactions with some employees. But… when I called to ask about a hair cut/​color, the person on the phone was rude and did not seem very knowledgable about the salon offerings. I also once witnessed the associates at the front desk talking snarkily about a customer. That surely did not leave the best impression.

350^th review! Times flies when you’re eating well… (or shopping, or getting screwed by the worst post office in the history of the US Postal Service: Lenox Hill on the Upper East Side of Manhattan).
I visited Ulta in Orange County a few years ago, long before we got one in Santa Barbara. And no words capture the wonderfulness of this large, immaculate, shiny palace of beauty.
I don’t go much as it’s out in Goleta by Costco and I have no reason to schlep out there. But PUR is the last tinted moisturizer I will wear for the rest of my life. If they go out of business, I will buy 20 tubes to hold me for a decade until a product comes to fill the void.
It’s 34 dollars and provides all the coverage I need at this point in my life.
I bought a curling iron in the OC and it’s terrific. And they have an enormous fragrance collection, from Escada to Burberry to Coach to Dior. The only fragrance they don’t carry that I know of is Tom Ford.
And the service is unequalled. The girls are so friendly and they know their stuff intimately. I bought for 64 dollars 1.7 ounces of Burberry Brit Sheer. It was only 12 dollars more than the 1 ounce: nearly double the quantity for just a little more! The woman also showed me an atomizer (refillable and washable) you can take on the plane for just 10 dollars.
Unlike Sephora, which is rushed, cramped, and loud with often very irritating clubby music, Ulta is a joy to visit and they have all kinds of cutesy impulse buys at the counter. On your birthday month, you receive double points. And you don’t have to mess with parking in Paseo Nuevo as you do for Sephora. It’s not that the girls at Sephora aren’t nice, but they are understaffed and at Ulta, you can really explore and ask questions.
I cannot say enough for this store and do not understand the low Unilocal rating at all.
P. S. I bought a cute polka dot travel electric toothbrush for 15 last year. I lost it but I loved it and for 15, you can’t do better.

There isn’t anything exceptional about this store. They carry your typical drugstore brands like Covergirl, Revlon, etc… and have a few small sections on the other side of the store dedicated to brands like Clinique and Benefit. the rest of the store is dedicated to hair products and perfumes, a few skin care brands here and there.
The difference between this store and comparable retailers like Sephora is the selection. They sell more hair products and cheaper brands, but you get what you pay for. This store is a mess, there are misplaced cosmetics everywhere, they are out of many items, and good luck trying to find somebody to help you. I don’t really see the point of Ulta. I’d rather go to the drugstore for drugstore brands, head over a a beauty salon for hair products, and shop perfumes somewhere like Nordstrom or Saks. The girls that I did see here didn’t seem like the type to know much or care much about actual cosmetic application like you’d see in other beauty stores or counters.
When I walked up to the register to pay I was greeted by sloppy displays or discounted travel-​sized items and two girls behind the register that kept talking to each other when I walked up and then I was treated as if I had interrupted something. Not really worth it to buy a couple of L’Oreal items and a couple of eyeliners.