Ulta Beauty — Attraction in Columbia

Love shopping at this Columbia, MO location. Staff is always helpful and takes the time to check out what I am looking for (if I am unable to find the product I am looking for) and will help me find an alternative item if they are out of stock on what I was looking for. I always go in with a specific item in mind to purchase, as I live over an hour away from Columbia. My only issue with this store that I have had is that they are often out of specific items I went in to purchase. For example, my last trip in this Ulta store last week was to purchase the new Tartelette palette from Tarte, Blur facial primer by Tarte, and from the Becca line the under eye brightener. Needless to say, they were out of each of these items and were really unsure of when they would have them back in stock. They told me to check back in two weeks and see if these items would be in then. I guess that I am very impatient, but I was so excited to be able to go purchase these specific products and then let down when they were all out of each one of these. I was helped by an associate (I'm sorry I don't remember their name), but they helped me find another matte palette by It cosmetics that I purchased and also showed me the Spackle Facial Primer by Laura Geller in Supercharged that I also purchased. I have never used the brow bar or the salon services, so I am unable to comment on those. I am always warmly greeted when I enter the store, and checkout is always fast and pleasant! I was disappointed to find that they do not price match, as I paid $77 for a new 3.3 oz Escada perfume for my daughter's birthday only to run over to Sephora inside JCPenney and found the exact item and size for only $60.00. I did call the Ulta store to see if they would price match for me, but they said they were sorry, they did not do price matching! I wish they would offer this option for their customers. I gave this store a 5 star rating based on the excellent customer service provided in this store and the fast and pleasant check out. I also like that they carry both higher end cosmetics and also cheaper (drugstore) cosmetics also. All in all, if you are in Columbia Missouri it is well worth your time to go check...

I've consistently had negative experiences here. They have the WORST customer service I have ever experienced.

I went in to make sure the shades in the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place foundation I had ordered, matched my skin tone before I completed the pickup. I was swatching tones, and an older woman working the Clinique shop approached me, telling me I was picking the wrong shades. I told her I have a warm skin tone, and she offered me several foundations far from my tone. I asked her not to swatch any foundation on my face as I have terrible eczema and did not want to have a reaction. She proceeded to try to put foundation on my face after I asked her not to. Then she told me it was one of the worst foundations because of the oxidization. So I decided I wanted to just cancel the order. I went up to the counter and told them how I was basically unsold, and the worker said the order would drop off and I wouldn't be charged for the order. Later that day, I got an email after they closed saying it had been picked up. I called their number to talk to them about it, and they told me to call customer service. It was a bunch of back and forth, and I didn't get my refund until two weeks later.

Another time, I was ready to make a big purchase, and I was waiting in what I assumed to be the spot to form a line, as they have no proper line management. The customers at the registers were being helped for a while, and I stood in line waiting patiently. Several times, associates kept asking if I was still finding everything okay, when I was clearly just waiting to check out. I wouldn't be standing a few feet in front of the registers on my phone for nothing. A line had formed behind me, and then another line had formed on the opposite end for the other registered. Minutes later, an associate told me and the other people in my line, that the line was forming on the other side, and that we would have to fall behind. I wish they had told me where the line was, instead of making me start over. I decided to leave. Several times, I was acknowledged and they had known I was waiting to check out.

If you love poor service, come to Ulta. Otherwise, Sephora at Kohls is...

I typically don’t leave negative reviews because I worked in retail all throughout college but my experience here was pretty disappointing. Decided to try out one of Smashbox’s foundation. I came in about 20 minutes after open on a Saturday and there were multiple employees and not a single one asked if I would like help finding a color, which isn’t a big deal but I thought it was weird since they were just standing around. I found a color I liked but there was no more boxes left on the display. I asked an employee if she could see if there were anymore in the back. As she went back, her manager stopped to yell at her very obviously in the middle of the store... so about 5 minutes later she came back and told me the color I wanted was out of stock. I told her that was fine but asked if I could try a sample of another shade that was similar to see if I liked it. She left to ask her manager if that was okay and came back and told me they don’t give samples & I would have to buy the whole bottle but could return it if I don’t like it... I have been to other Ulta locations many times and the girls at the Ulta I typically go to in Ofallon offer samples all the time, but apparently this Ulta isn’t allowed to give out samples. The whole experience was super offputting and I’m definitely going to go spend my money at the locations that actually help me and make me want...