Best for pricing

Ulta Beauty

SCORE8.0STRONG

Prestige and drugstore brands plus in-store salon services

BEST FORShoppers 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.

Reviewed by the Clientele Research Team · Last checked 9 days ago (2026-07-15)

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Scores — click any row to see our rationale

Brand Selection & Exclusivity▼8/10

600+ brands across mass and prestige — the only major retailer where you can buy both L'Oréal and Lancôme in the same basket. Now also carries Fenty Beauty (since March 2022) and Rare Beauty (nationwide at all 1,500+ Ulta stores and Ulta.com since Feb 1, 2026), closing much of the gap with Sephora's exclusives. Glossier remains Sephora-only.

Pricing & Loyalty Rewards▼9/10

Ultamate Rewards earns 1 point per $1 spent. 100 points redeem for $3.00 in Ulta cash — a 3% cash-back rate, higher than Sephora's Beauty Insider on a dollar-in to dollar-out basis.

Return Policy & Satisfaction Guarantee▼8/10

Accepts returns of opened products within 60 days with receipt, and within 60 days without a receipt for store credit — a longer window than Sephora's 30-day full-refund policy.

In-Store Expertise & Consultations▼7/10

1,350+ stores include licensed salon professionals for hair services and trained beauty advisors. In-depth skincare consultations are less formalized than at Bluemercury or Space NK.

Shipping Speed & Convenience▼9/10

Free shipping on orders $35+. 1,350+ US stores, most within 15 minutes in populated markets. Ulta Beauty shop-in-shop inside 800+ Target locations adds further access.

Clean Beauty Curation▼7/10

Ulta's 'Conscious Beauty' badge program flags products that meet at least one of several standards (clean ingredients, cruelty-free, sustainable packaging, vegan, etc.), but because a product can qualify for the badge without actually being 'clean,' the label is less precise as an ingredient-screening tool than Sephora's single clean standard.

PROS

✓Ultamate Rewards earns 1 point per $1, with 100 points redeeming for $3.00 — a 3% cash-back rate.

✓600+ brands span every price point from $3 e.l.f. products to $300 La Mer cream.

✓1,350+ US stores make it the most physically accessible prestige-adjacent beauty retailer in the country.

✓Licensed salon inside most locations — haircut, color service, or blowout available while shopping.

✓Ulta Beauty shop-in-shop inside 800+ Target locations.

✓60-day return window on opened products is longer than Sephora's 30-day full-refund cutoff.

✓Platinum and Diamond loyalty tiers unlock free shipping on all orders regardless of cart size.

✓Now carries Fenty Beauty (since March 2022) and Rare Beauty (nationwide since Feb 1, 2026) — two former Sephora exclusives are now available at Ulta and Ulta.com.

CONS

✕No Glossier — it remains a Sephora exclusive.

✕Store layout mixes drugstore aisles with prestige counters in a way that can feel less curated than Sephora.

✕Prestige brand selection is narrower than Sephora's 500+ — some niche brands launch at Sephora first.

✕Salon quality varies by location — the in-store salon is a franchise model.

✕Free shipping requires a $35 minimum for standard members.

✕No spa services or professional skincare treatments.

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