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Sephora vs Ulta Beauty

Head-to-head across 6 dimensions — speed, privacy, value, and more. Scores are independent and not influenced by affiliate relationships.

Reviewed by the Clientele Research Team · Last checked 9 days ago (2026-07-15)
Sephora
500+ brands including Glossier, exclusive to Sephora among major beauty retailers
8.2/10WINNER
vs
Ulta Beauty
Prestige and drugstore brands plus in-store salon services
8.0/10
SCORE BREAKDOWN
DIMENSION
Sephora
Ulta Beauty
EDGE
brand selection
How many brands are carried, whether they include exclusives unavailab…
10.0
8.0
Sephora ↑
pricing
What the rewards program pays back in real dollars, whether there are …
7.0
9.0
Ulta ↑
return policy
How easy it is to return something that didn't work — time limits, whe…
9.0
8.0
Sephora ↑
in-store expertise
Whether trained staff or estheticians can help you figure out what you…
7.0
7.0
Tie
shipping speed
Free shipping thresholds, delivery speed, physical store count, and wh…
8.0
9.0
Ulta ↑
clean beauty curation
Whether the retailer runs an active clean/curated-ingredient program, …
8.0
7.0
Sephora ↑
Overall Score
8.2
8.0
Sephora wins
OUR VERDICT
Sephora

Best for: Shoppers who want Sephora-exclusive brands like Glossier under one roof and spend enough annually to unlock Rouge-tier perks at $1,000+/year.

Shop Sephora
Ulta Beauty

Best for: Shoppers who want to buy a $10 NYX eyeliner and a $60 Urban Decay palette in the same trip, or who want to combine beauty shopping with a haircut at the in-store salon.

Shop Ulta Beauty
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