The Differences between Ulta and Sephora

 

Sephora vs. Ulta: Which One is Better?

by Michelle Danilczuk

    Sephora and Ulta are some of the largest retailers in the cosmetic industry. Both provide a variety of beauty products, ranging from makeup products and skincare to body care and perfume. Ulta has stores nationwide, while Sephora has stores worldwide and in the United States. In addition, both stores can be found in many other major stores. For example, many Target stores have Ulta stores in their building as well. Recently, Sephora partnered with Kohls to have their stores in Kohls. Many Sephora products can be found in Kohls and Ulta products can be found in Target locations. 

    While I am a fan of both stores, Ulta and Sephora have their pros and cons. There are a variety of factors that may influence a person's decision to shop at either store. These include price, quality, the type of brand that they are interested in, and shipping costs. Both Ulta and Sephora have e-commerce websites as well; these websites often have exclusive offers such as free shipping or online only products. They also have mobile apps for customers who wish to shop on their phone. If you are a beauty fan, you have definitely heard of Ulta or Sephora. If you are having trouble deciding which one you want to shop at, have no fear! I will outline the differences between the two stores to make the decision clearer for you. 

Price points: 

    Because Ulta has both high-end and inexpensive options, Ulta tends to be a better fit for someone who is shopping on a budget. This store sells luxury brands such as Chanel and Estee Lauder, but also sells products that can be found in a drugstore. Some drugstore brands include NYX, LA Girls, E.L.F, and many others; all of these can be found in any Ulta store nationwide. Drugstore brands tend to be within a price range of $2-$20. The price point depends on the drugstore brand and product. Ulta also offers travel-sized or mini sized products, which range from $5-$20. 

    Sephora, on the other hand, sells high-end, luxurious products. They offer brands such as Fenty Beauty, Hourglass, NARS, Peter Thomas Roth, and Glossier to name a few. Sephora also offers products from their Sephora Collection, which includes makeup, skincare, and haircare. When I shop at Sephora, I find that I pay over a hundred dollars for two or three items. Depending on the product, customers can expect to pay at least thirty dollars when shopping at Sephora. Travel-sized items tend to be anywhere from $5-$30. 

Loyalty programs: 

    Sephora uses a Beauty Inside Program as a loyalty system to attract and retain customers. It is a free rewards program in which people earn points on their purchases. Customers can redeem those points for rewards and for every dollar that someone spends, they receive 1 Beauty Insider point. Those who shop often at Sephora locations may achieve VIB status, which comes with more benefits and rewards. The highest level a loyal Sephora customer could achieve is Rouge status. They must spend at least a thousand dollars in a calendar year to achieve this status. 

Comparing the exterior of Sephora and Ulta stores

    Depending on the number of points a customer has, he or she can redeem those points for rewards. Rewards can be product samples, bundles, or experiences that can be redeeemed. When shopping online, there are codes that customers can type in to see their rewards on their order. Sephora's loyalty program includes three levels: Insider, VIB, and Rouge. Each level has certain benefits depending on how much a customer spends. For example, those who spend a thousand dollars or more during the year receive a hundred dollars off their order when they redeem two-thousand five-hundred points. Moreover, during seasonal savings events, Rouge members receive 20% off, compared to Insiders who receive only 10% off. Rouge members also receive first access to producst, where VIB and Insiders do not have such privileges. 

    Like Sephora, Ulta's loyalty program is completely free to join. Every dollar that is spent on products or services turn into points. Ulta offers exclusive bonus point offers when customers choose to receive emails or app notifications. Points can then be used on products and services. The more often a customer shops, the more points that he or she will receive. There are three levels in Ulta's loyalty program: member, platinum, and diamond. Every level has different benefits; for example, a customer with a Diamond membership (me!!) receivs free shipping on orders when someone spends twenty-five dollars or more. Diamond members receive free gifts, points never expire, and they receive free birthday gifts. Regular members do not receive free shipping and their points do expire at a certain point during the year. 

Makeup Services:

   In addition to selling products, both Sephora and Ulta provide services to their customers. These services include hair, makeup, skincare, and waxing services. Sephora’s makeup services include beauty lessons, full face, ultimate glam, feature focus, and lash application. These services vary in price; for example, lash application is fifteen dollars for fifteen minutes. A full face service is sixty dollars for an hour. On the other hand, Ulta has services for hair, waxing & brows, makeup & lashes, skin, and ear piercing as well. Hair services include balayage, hair cuts, express hair color, hair styling, hair extensions, and many more. Ulta.com does not provide pricing on their services.  

Both stores provide a variety of services for customers

    Personally, I have received beauty services from Ulta, but not from Sephora. I had makeup and hair services done prior to an event. Unfortunately, my experience at Ulta was not the best that it could be. The woman that did my hair and makeup took too long to do both services, which caused me to be late to my event. Not only that, but her services were mediocre at best. After I received the service, I felt that I could have done a better job at home for free. I had higher expectations when I booked the two services. On the other hand, Sephora provides better services for their customers. Because Sephora has more high-end products, people can expect to have a luxurious, exceptional experience at this store. Beauty representatives talk with clients throughout their makeup session, describing every step and which products they are using.