Ulta Beauty — Attraction in Barrington Township

I’m a former Ulta employee and currently am working at Sephora. So I rarely go into Ulta unless it’s for certain products or I’m looking to check out some new items with the brands we don’t carry. I literally hate coming to this location. They follow you around! Particularly the manager!

The first time it happened I thought maybe I was overreacting. I alway come in dressed in sweats and sometimes even pajamas so I’m not sure if that gives off “broke” vibes but I come in to spend money when I’m having a bad day just to come have it made worse. & after the third time going to this location I realized surely she will follow you around the store constantly asking questions and looking you up and down.

I came in a couple days ago to pick up some last minute items for an upcoming vacation as it’s the closest location to my house and across the street from where I work. As I was walking around, what seemed like the 5th time in less than 10 mins she approached me asking about a credit card because i had “a lot of items” and looked me up and down.. and I only had about a handful in there worth less than 50$ so I immediately knew she thought I was stealing. I was carrying my Marc Jacobs tote bag and as a former Ulta employee I know when they think you’re stealing. She constantly followed me around watching me grab items and then proceeding to ask me about it. It was really uncomfortable to know that every single time I come to this location it’s the same thing.

Another time they happened to have an LP (loss prevention) there. I had my 5 year old sibling with me on a little outing and I was checking out a products trying to test out the texture on my hand and see if I wanted to try. The manager walks past me and I immediately see the LP approaching me and literally stood right at the end of the aisle and she again proceeded to bother me consistently about every product I was touching. My little brother is autistic and likes to smell things, as we proceed to walk through fragrance to get to the other side of the store and she immediately asks if I need help with any fragrances because he grabbed something for me to smell. I was so fed up at that point because of each experience that I firmly said no, grabbed him and went to the other side. I rarely visit this location now but even my experience as an employee (at another location) was awful. Sucks that even as a regular customer it’s not even worth shopping at this location. I have several friends who have experienced the same thing at this location and judging by the other reviews, I’m not the only one. Please educate your employees and ESPECIALLY the manager that everyone is not out to steal items and PLEASE teach them basic manners. The condescending tone and up and down eye rolls would normally get a different response from me but I will be filing a complaint. I’d rather spend more money...

Lucy, Master Hairstylist, THANK YOU!!! I'll try to keep this short but I seriously could write a book on how grateful I am to Lucy for fixing the most AWFUL up-do I have EVER had from Masimo salon in Arlington Heights (my first and LAST time going there). My husband and I were attending a wedding on Friday evening in Lake Geneva and I had my hair "Done" at Masimo Salon. I had a picture of what I was thinking to show the stylist and she did NOTHING like it. It was not a complicated style at all, that I was requesting. 10min after I left the salon, half of my "Up-do" literally fell down in front of my face while I was driving! I could feel the hairpins sticking into the back of my neck and dangling and a lot of other problems that I won't get into. I have a bad shoulder with very limited range of motion which is why I had it done in the first place. I didn't have time to turn around, nor did I want to, to go back to the salon to have them fix it and it cost me $60. I was in tears! I live in Algonquin and had no time, not to mention the chances of trying to find a salon/stylist who was available for a last minute walk in. I tried my luck at Ulta in Hoffman Estates and as soon as I walked in the door, I was greeted by a lovely young woman who saw the panic in my face and tears in my eyes and of course the obvious hot mess on my head. She walked me back to the salon to see what they could do for me. That's when I met Lucy. She was INCREDBILY sweet and compassionate with my situation. She knew exactly what I had originally wanted my hair to look like before I even showed her the picture! She had a client that was running a few minutes late for her appt and she said that she wanted to help fix my hair for me while she waited for her client. I was so blown away and grateful by her generosity and compassion that I started to cry, but happy tears this time! She went ABOVE and BEYOND to recreate a BEAUTIFUL style for me. Her client showed up while she was still fixing my hair and she was so gracious to wait a few extra minutes so Lucy could finish my hair. Lucy TRULY saved the day for me and my husband. I don't know what I would have done had she not taken the extra time out of her schedule to help me in my emergency. I really hope this review makes it's way up the ladder and that Lucy is recognized for OUTSTANDING customer service and compassion and going above and beyond when she easily could have turned me away. She has renewed our faith in customer service, which now a days seems non-existence. Lucy, THANK YOU again, you are my angel and I will now be a forever client! God bless...

Hair Nightmare: A Disappointing Experience at Ulta Beauty Salon

I trusted Anita, the stylist, to deliver the seamless bronze hair color I had envisioned. Unfortunately, the result was a patchy and inconsistent color, with the top being overly bright and awkward dark spots scattered throughout.

When Anita suggested a toner to fix the mishap, she failed to mention any additional costs initially. Considering the error was on her side, it felt incredibly unfair to be charged extra for the corrective toner. Disappointingly, even after applying the toner, my hair still didn't resemble the desired bronze look.

Anita admitted the outcome wasn’t as planned and offered to bleach my hair at no extra cost. However, she later retracted that promise, claiming her manager objected to the free service—a frustrating development given that the problems were due to her initial mistake.

The next day, when I called the store and explained my situation to Lucy, I was told I needed to pay full price for another appointment. After requesting a refund, Lucy, with a less than welcoming attitude, promised to inform the manager, who would supposedly call me back. Frustratingly, that call never came, leaving me feeling ignored and undervalued as a customer.

This whole experience has left a terrible taste in my mouth. It’s clear that customer service is not a priority for this salon, as I’ve neither received the hair fix nor the refund I was entitled to. I am extremely disappointed and unlikely to return to this establishment. If you care about your hair and your money, I'd advise looking elsewhere for...