Ulta Beauty — Local services in New York

I normally see Karen for my curly cuts—she’s amazing—but she’s currently on maternity leave, so I booked with Craig instead who is listed as an Elite Stylist. Unfortunately, my experience this time didn’t meet the expectations I’ve come to associate with the salon.

At the start of the appointment, I showed Craig a video of the hairstyle I was looking for. He said it was cute and mentioned my hair would be washed and deep conditioned. I didn’t realize this would be an additional charge, and I think that should have been communicated upfront—especially since I had just mentioned my hair wasn't dry.

The haircut itself didn’t seem to follow best practices for curly hair. My curls were cut wet and styled as if my hair were straight. There was no conversation about how I part my hair (which is naturally to the side), and it was cut straight across, down the middle. Once dried, the shape didn’t suit my texture or personal style. The styling also didn’t feel quite right—product was layered on semi-damp hair, which left it feeling heavy and sticky. The final result didn’t reflect what I had asked for, and when I got home and washed/restyled it, I noticed uneven sections and an awkward bang that didn’t blend with the rest of the haircut.

I called the salon to express my concerns and was told the manager, Njeri, would call me back that day. Two days later, I hadn’t heard back, so I followed up. When I spoke with Njeri, she offered for Craig to fix the haircut, but since I was already unhappy with the original cut, I requested a different stylist. She scheduled me with someone named Nora.

When I arrived for the follow-up, I was surprised to be called by Njeri—not Nora—and felt a bit confused. The interaction didn’t feel especially warm or welcoming. As I explained my concerns, I felt they were being minimized or dismissed. She insisted the cut was even and wanted to blow out my hair to prove it. Again, this approach didn’t feel appropriate for curly hair, especially without a wash, rewetting, or heat protectant. It made me feel uncomfortable and unsure why a different stylist wasn’t provided as promised.

I ultimately asked for a refund, which was processed—thank you for that. Still, I left the salon feeling disappointed and dismissed. I believe that when a client isn't happy with their service, the goal should be to understand their concerns and help them leave feeling heard and confident. Hair is deeply personal, and I hope this feedback can be taken as a suggestion for improvement in communication, technique, and...

I made an appointment for a haircut with Gilad at the Salon, since my hair was already getting straggly. Gilad has been my hairstylist since he started in Harrisburg. Now I visit NYC to get my hair trimmed. Since he already knows how I like my hair styled, he did the long layered look. I loved the end result, which is enough testimony to his skill. The greatest testimony to a hairstylist's skill, however, is when a stranger compliments the customer specifically on his/her hair. The day after I had my hair cut, I was at the Mall at Hudson Yards. I was thirsty, so I went to buy a bottle of water at The Naked Tomato. When I paid for the bottle of water and started to make my way out, a fashionable lady entering the restaurant got my attention and said, "Beautiful hair! You have very beautiful hair." She specifically pointed out how my hair looked!!! While one might consider that a compliment to oneself, I considered it more of a compliment to my hairstylist. Being from a small town and making a trip to NYC to have my hair styled, I couldn't believe it. In high fashion New York City of all places, my hair was complimented after it was cut and styled! I will also point out that this is not the first time I have been complimented on my hair. There was one time in New Jersey after Gilad colored my hair blonde with highlights and low lights (in Harrisburg) that ladies said that you could see different shades of gold under the sun as I was walking. Then in my small town in PA, I have gotten compliments also in the office and in Church for the way my hair was colored and styled. Even a neighbor once asked me where I got my layered cut, because the layers were very flattering. I had to recommend Gilad to her. Getting my hair cut and styled like this and receiving that compliment at Hudson Yards was well worth the three hour train ride to NYC! Thank you very much!

I must also mention that there were three ladies greeting people who entered the store. Salon personnel were also very nice. I was able to find a travel size My Way by Armani. When one of the ladies approached me asking if she could help me, I told her I was able to find what I was looking for. I asked if I could pay for it at the Salon, since I had an appointment with Gilad. I was told alright, so I paid for it there and waited for my turn to get my hair styled. I am so happy I made the trip to ULTA Beauty on the Upper East Side. Again, thank you...

I rarely write reviews but after my recent visits to this store, I am disappointed in this location’s customer service. I had wonderful experiences before my two most recent visits so I am so surprised at this lack of customer service. I requested assistance to find a specific pink blush to match my complexion and even showed the associates an inspo pic. They both looked each other, shrugged, and didn’t provide any recommendations. Instead of helping me find a product, they suggested I try Mac instead and pointed me to the general direction where Mac is at this store. I tried to find something at Mac, but because I was so turned off by that interaction, I didn’t buy any Mac product. It was very odd… and then it got stranger at the checkout counter. The cashier clearly was not interested and made me feel uncomfortable when I tried to redeem my birthday gift. She kept asking me “well did you get an email? Are you sure you can get it?” My birthday is literally on Sunday! The scanner wasn’t working so she made me read out loud the code for her to type in. I realized I had a coupon I wanted to use as well and she huffed & puffed and stared at me until I pulled up the code that I again read outloud to her. I probably should’ve learned my lesson, but the next day I returned since I was passing by to make an appointment for a blowout. I went to the salon counter and waited for almost 10 minutes before the pick up person acknowledged me. The stylists were either busy with clients (understandable) or too busy texting / talking amongst each other. I heard the pick up person ask for assistance to book an appointment and still, no one came to the counter. I was so frustrated between my prior experience and today’s that I left the salon without an appointment. I definitely will not be returning to this location. Btw, I went to Sephora down the block after the weird experiences at Ulta and WOW what a world of a difference! The Sephora employees are always so helpful and actually seem to care...