Believe it or not, I actually get this question a lot. When people find out that I’m a makeup enthusiast, they want to know my favorite beauty retailer: Sephora or Ulta Beauty? The answer might be a little obvious, but let me say my peace.
I used to live in Sephora. It’s where I’d spend all of my allowance growing up, and where my love for makeup was born. I love Sephora for the experience it provides: testing makeup, talking to the experts in the different departments, and even getting mini makeovers. I think that it’s definitely an authority in the beauty world, and is far from losing that reputation.
However, over the years I’ve gravitated toward Ulta Beauty as my go-to beauty resource. One of the main reasons: you get a mix of high-end and budget beauty all in one place. You have a chance to find affordable alternatives, and I feel that there is a bigger selection to cover more areas of your beauty routine. You can stock up on makeup, hair tools, makeup tools, bath and body products, skin care and even vanity organization with a ton of options. You also have the opportunity to get full beauty services done at Ulta Beauty, such as hair services, skin care treatments, and we can’t forget about brows by Benefit.
As a budget beauty lover, I can’t deny that I can get more shopping done at Ulta Beauty. Plus, I believe their rewards program, Ultamate Rewards, trumps the Sephora VIB program by miles. Your points go toward dollar-off coupons, where as the VIB program only lets you trade the points in for seasonal product picks. I haven’t used my VIB points in years. Either the products are teeny tiny, or they’re just not something I need in my collection. With Ultamate Rewards, I can put the points to good use and apply them toward what I actually want at the moment.
With that said, Sephora still has some legs up. I believe the Sephora birthday gifts are better than what Ulta Beauty offers, usually with different options from a few high end brands. I also think Sephora has a better selection of travel-sized beauty products which they keep near the checkout.
And of course, Sephora and Ulta Beauty don’t carry all of the same brands. So, it just depends on what you’re looking for when you’re shopping.
What about you? Which beauty store do you think is better? Leave it in the comments below, and enjoy the best of this week’s blog posts from the Lipstick League below.
The Lipstick League – Week of 2.12.18
Beautygeeks – has Manigeek’s swatches and review of the Essie Spring 2018 collection ready for your perusal.
Blushing Noir – If you’re someone who loves a highlighting powder that feels creamy to the touch then the new MAC Hyper Real Glow Highlighter Palette shades are going to have you falling to your knees.
EauMG – It’s Rose Week on EauMG! It’s the annual celebration of rose-centric perfumes. I have reviewed 5 different perfumes that display different aspects of a rose.
My Beauty Bunny – is showing off swatches from the new Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat palette. Is it worth buying? See for yourself!
Painted Ladies – Remember when drugstore makeup was more miss than hit? I am so glad those days are over and have 10 favorite makeup and beauty must haves for you to check out.
Phyrra – Did you want the Blood Sugar palette but miss it because it sold out in a minute or you don’t want to buy from Jeffree Star? Check out my DIY Jeffree Star Blood Sugar Palette Dupes. You’ll love my version with burgundies, pinks and duochromes!
Prime Beauty – I upped my lash game with the new L’Oreal Voluminous X Fiber Mascara. See before and after pics!
Realizing Beauty – Maybelline New York has released 10 new shades of SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick. The new Un-Nudes Collection is all about an unconventional and unexpected take on nude lipstick. Check out all the shades, including a light lavender nude!
Slashed Beauty – Not sure wax strips are worth it, or think you have to go through a tub of stickiness for real results? Sounds like you might be using strips wrong! Check out these tips on how to use wax strips for the best results, and Miranda’s favorite all-in-one kit.
we heart this – Say goodbye to cotton balls and hello to The Mitty! (Ok, maybe not totally goodbye, but you’ll see a lot less of ’em!)
(Wondering what the Lipstick League is? Find out here.)
Beautygeeks is Currently Craving: Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream. Long a fan of peptides as an aging-well ingredient, she’s intensely curious about this formula that features “plant-derived peptide growth factors” as cell-turnover boosters.
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