Beauty

[SunValley]

Both retailers have several stores in my area. All are well maintained, well stocked, and have helpful staff. Ulta carries more budget brands than Sephora in our area. Having both gives me a wide range of choices. I like Sephora’s house brand, especially their lipsticks. Their gloss lip shine is the only one I’ve ever liked. 

I had one bad experience at an Ulta when visiting a relative. I was shocked at its condition. Makeup smeared on the fronts of displays, product (not testers) obviously opened, half the testers broken and the other half missing, and product misplaced. It looked dirty and very seedy. 

[monicakm]

@Boomernichols 

I live in a small town of 3167 (I just asked Google).  We have one grocery store with a drive thru pharmacy.  A Walmart Super-Center is 11 miles away.  "City" shopping is an hour's drive.  Since May of this year I haven't been able to drive due to my right knee.  Talking my husband into taking me to the city (that he drives to every day for work) to shop for makeup would be a chore but he knows we'll go out to eat so he's all in!

[TerryNJ]

I like them both, but if I had to pick one, it would be Ulta. I like that they have the Prestige Brands and drugstore brands too. 

[mistriTsquirrel]

Even pre-Covid I did most of my shopping online.  I buy from whoever has the best price on what I want (including shipping and Rakuten rebate amount). 

However, I take the site's return policy into consideration when I buy.  Brand sites sometimes have better prices, but they don't always let you return items that are not good.  That is seldom something I need to do, but there have been a couple times I've wished I purchased from Sephora instead of the brand's site for that reason.

I like Ulta's points system better, but I like Sephora's free returns by mail.  If something comes to me broken, I can just print a free return label and put the return in the drop box at the post office.  If I want to return stuff to Ulta by mail, I have to pay to do it.

[jpie]

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@Desertdi wrote:

BIGALOTZ  suits me

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[Icegoddess]

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@mistriTsquirrel wrote:

Even pre-Covid I did most of my shopping online.  I buy from whoever has the best price on what I want (including shipping and Rakuten rebate amount). 

However, I take the site's return policy into consideration when I buy.  Brand sites sometimes have better prices, but they don't always let you return items that are not good.  That is seldom something I need to do, but there have been a couple times I've wished I purchased from Sephora instead of the brand's site for that reason.

I like Ulta's points system better, but I like Sephora's free returns by mail.  If something comes to me broken, I can just print a free return label and put the return in the drop box at the post office.  If I want to return stuff to Ulta by mail, I have to pay to do it.

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@mistriTsquirrel , I NEVER return makeup or skin care.  

[willdob3]

@monicakm 

I’m not loyal to either and have ordered from both this year. I don’t have any plans to set foot in any store again if it can be avoided. It saves me a lot of time to research and order online. Not to mention the health risks disappear this way.

When I did shop in the stores, I found our small JCP Sephora to have very poor lighting. Ulta is much larger, well-lit, more comfortable to shop in. Larger Sephora stores tend to be more comparable to our Ulta. 

[monicakm]

@Icegoddess 

I looked for the Maybelline brow pencil you mentioned.  My local WM doesn't have it but does have this one.  Have you tried it?

Maybelline Brow Extensions Fiber Pomade Crayon Eyebrow Makeup

[Icegoddess]

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@monicakm wrote:

@Icegoddess 

I looked for the Maybelline brow pencil you mentioned.  My local WM doesn't have it but does have this one.  Have you tried it?

Maybelline Brow Extensions Fiber Pomade Crayon Eyebrow Makeup

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@monicakm I don't use pencils at all.  The two products I mentioned are below.

This one I use to fill in.

This one is the one I said was similar to Gimmee Brow.  However, it appears it has been discontinued and has been replaced by the one in the 3rd pic.

This one I thnk replaces the above:

[monicakm]

Thanks!  I'll take a look at the Maybelline products.