Ulta Beauty — Local services in Roseville

I came to the reviews for this store to see if my experience today was an overreaction. Unfortunately, I now feel validated in my discomfort. Like others have mentioned, I was met with suspicion and constant supervision. It was unsettling to feel watched so closely—every pause, every glance at a product in the luxury cosmetic aisles was met with intense glares from staff.

To be fair, a woman with blue hair kindly helped me find a mascara I liked, and her colleague saw us chatting. But shortly after ending the chat, that same observant colleague approached me. Asking me "what I needed". When I told her, “I’m just grabbing my essentials, I’m good,” she continued to watch me so closely that I felt compelled to leave the luxury aisle entirely. I skipped picking up my primer just to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere and shopped on the drugstore side instead.

The experience worsened as I made my way up front to checkout. As I walked up front, I was swapping out a product because I found a better fit. That same staff member that watched me before, shouted at me from two aisles away, asking if I “needed something”—in such an aggressive tone that I didn’t even respond at first, assuming she couldn’t possibly be speaking to a customer like that. But she repeated herself, and it was clear she was. The statement appeared to startle a woman next to me as well.

The profiling and obvious distrust/suspicion are impossible to ignore at this location. Like cmon, it's 2025, this experience was such a turnoff. I didn't look lost, I had already had staff assistance and I'm a 31 year old adult. There was no other reason for this treatment outside of the fact I look 16 and I'm Korean. "Maybe they've had theft or something", I told myself to justify the awkwardness. Sort of funny that I literally gaslit myself into reading Google reviews to validate what I had just experienced. I've been a loyal Ulta customer for years—check my rewards sign-up date but I won’t be returning...

Don't offer curbside pickup when you clearly don't have your staff do it. I sat outside for over 20 minutes - after I sent my information through the app to notify that I was here - while shoppers walked in & out of the store. It was at 1pm on a Thursday; it was not busy. I got fed up with waiting for a service that clearly wasn't going to happen and walked in. The girl who checked me out didn't even greet me, barely made eye contact with me - as if I was inconveniencing her down time before a few more customers walked in. I purposely didn't say a thing to her (I ALWAYS thank the employees who check me out and tell them to have a nice day) to see if she'd offer any sort of salutation. Nope. I'm glad I'm on a makeup buying hiatus and used the rest of my Ulta points on this purchase. I always have issues with this location where I'm barely acknowledged no matter how slow of a day it is. The only time I see that I get help is if the employees are following me around, probably thinking I'm going to shoplift or something. The worst is when I have my kids with me. They avoid me like I've got the plague. At some point, years ago, I even brought them with me where my youngest had rainbow colored hair. A couple of them commented on his hair but still didn't even bother to ask if I needed help. Seriously, Roseville? You...

Pretty uncomfortable experience today at this location. While shopping the MAC girl followed me throughout the store leaving her boutique to be on the opposite end of the store. As a former employee that is a no no especially when staff are available. I browsed prestige and drugstore and minded my business when the same employee asks me if I need help AGAIN. I start to get annoyed and put her to work since she keeps following me. I move on and find myself approached by 2 more people. Now, I’m a WOC, and a former Ulta employee. I’m familiar with loss prevention and zones. What I experienced is typical with the distrust from employees to POC. I found myself venting to the cashier who said a the staff “are on edge about theft” and are “all over the store speaking with guests” so I asked her, “then why are 4 people speaking with each other at the entrance?” No answer. I think this location has issues with management whom staff report to, or the staff have trouble with boundaries and need to brush up on Ulta trainings. There is an entire video dedicated to stereotyping people of color. Now, as much as management and non-POC May object to racist practices, they exist as implicit bias. Is it worth a call to the manager? Maybe. Will I still shop there? Maybe. There’s other locations but this one happens to be near...