I shopped at Sephora and Ulta to compare the 2 beauty stores and saw how they serve different customers

Inside the Sephora Herald Square location in New York City.Ann Matica/Insider

• Sephora and Ulta are strong competitors when it comes to the retail beauty industry.

When it comes to beauty stores, Sephora and Ulta dominate the market. Ulta has 1,308 stores across the US as of January 2022, while Sephora has an estimated 2,700 stores worldwide.

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Source: Ulta and Sephora

Both companies work with a plethora of beauty brands, ranging from high-end lines to more affordable options. Sephora has more than 340 different brands in its stores, while Ulta carries upwards of 600.

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I decided to visit the Sephora and Ulta store locations in Herald Square, New York City, to find out which one carries more sought-after beauty brands, has more affordable pricing and offers a better in-store experience overall.

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As I approached the entrance to Sephora, I noticed a sign that advertised the location's professional makeup services. The services were priced between $30 and $90, depending on the length of the session.

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Once I was inside, my eyes were immediately drawn to the high-end makeup brands that were strategically placed at the front of the store.

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A sparkly golden wall displayed Pat McGrath eyeshadow palettes that were priced between $62 and $128.

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A Dior makeup section was also close by.

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I saw more affordable makeup options, like those from Benefit, for customers hesitant to splurge on a $38 Dior lip gloss.

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Sephora also carries brands such as Milk Makeup that have the "Clean at Sephora" sticker, which means the products are formulated without parabens, sulfates, or other potentially harmful chemicals, according to the company.

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In the middle of the store is the beauty studio, where professional makeup artists were giving Sephora customers makeovers.

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Along with well-known makeup brands, Sephora also carries celebrity lines like Haus Labs by Lady Gaga.

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I also spotted Rihanna's highly coveted Fenty Beauty line. Sephora carries the brand's makeup and skincare products.

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The skincare section at Sephora seemed just as big, if not bigger, than the makeup area.

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There were already limited-edition holiday bundles on display. The Tatcha skincare sets ranged from $72 to $88.

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While the extensive skincare department is great for customers looking for popular brands like Drunk Elephant and Supergoop, it may not be the place to go for someone looking for a cheap cleanser or moisturizer.

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The most affordable brand I could find was Clinique, with products starting around $20.

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The clean skincare display with Sephora-branded face masks and makeup wipes also offered cheaper prices compared to most of the other brands.

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Sephora offers a free rewards program that gives loyal customers points on every purchase they make, which they can later redeem in exchange for free products. However, the in-store rewards display was unorganized, making it difficult to figure out how many points each product was.

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For hair care products, the selection was limited to brands like OUAI and Olaplex that sell shampoo for $30 a bottle.

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I also only found a couple of hair curling and straightening tools in the entire store, all of which were from the pricey Drybar brand.

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The entire back wall of the store was completely dedicated to perfumes.

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Every designer scent I could think of seemed to be available, including a variety of Gucci perfumes that were priced between $73 and $153.

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Sephora also carries men's cologne, although a few Tom Ford testers seemed to be missing.

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The store was filled with shoppers browsing the shelves of products, and a long line of customers were waiting for an available register to check out.

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Once I was done at Sephora, I walked less than a minute down the street to the neighboring Ulta location.

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Unlike Sephora's black and white floor design and dark shelves, the interior at Ulta was almost shockingly bright with an orange and white color palette.

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There were holiday-themed products on sale by the entrance, like an Ulta Beauty 12 Days of Nails advent calendar for $22 and NYX Halloween eyeliners for $10.

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I noticed straight away that Ulta has more affordable makeup brands that Sephora doesn't carry, such as Morphe, which has eyeshadow palettes priced between $13 and $34.

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There were some popular makeup brands that Sephora also carries in its stores, like Urban Decay.

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Up until this year, Fenty products were only sold on the Fenty website or at Sephora. I was surprised to see that Ulta had a larger selection of makeup from the line than the Sephora location I had been at.

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Source: Elle

I was disappointed to find out from an employee that Ulta doesn't carry the Fenty skincare line along with its makeup.

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A corner of the store was dedicated to Benefit products and the brand's "Beauty Bar," where a customer was getting their makeup done.

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The other side of the store had a Chanel display and table for shoppers looking to splurge on higher-end items.

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Most of the brand’s makeup and skincare products started at $50.

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For slightly cheaper options, Ulta also carries brands like Osea (which is not carried at Sephora) and Kopari (which has limited products sold at Sephora).

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Ulta also has Clinique products and drugstore skincare brands like Cetaphil.

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The perfume section at Ulta paled in comparison to Sephora's large selection.

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I did see some fragrances, like Ariana Grande's line of perfumes, which cannot be found at Sephora.

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At the back of the store was the entrance to the Ulta Beauty salon, where customers can book appointments for everything from haircuts to 30 minute makeup lessons to its recently added ear piercing service.

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The salon at Ulta had an upper level that offered more privacy compared to the one at Sephora, where customers were getting their makeup done surrounded by other shoppers.

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Ulta had a large selection of hair dryers for sale from varying brands and at different price points.

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There was also a hair straightener and curler table for customers to check out.

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Multiple walls in Ulta were devoted to shelves of shampoo, conditioner, and hair styling products.

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I came across a hand washing station and mirror for people to use while trying out tester products.

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A section of Ulta close to the front of the store felt reminiscent of a drugstore makeup aisle. I found affordable L'Oreal mascaras and beauty sponges for as little as $2.49, which is a steal compared to the $20 beauty blenders available at Sephora.

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Ulta also had a whole section for nail polish, press-on nails, and nail care equipment.

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Both Ulta and Sephora offer options for customers to buy online and pick up their purchases at their nearest store location.

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The registers at Ulta were sectioned off with protective plexiglass dividers. There was a smaller line of customers waiting to get check-out compared to the hectic line at Sephora.

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After visiting the two stores, it seemed clear to me that Ulta appeals to a wider demographic of customers by offering a mix of high-end brands and more budget-friendly options.

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Ulta also had a wider selection of hair care and nail products, while Sephora takes the lead with its perfume offerings and luxury skincare and makeup brands that can't be found at most retail stores.

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Ultimately, I found Ulta to be the more cost-effective and well-rounded option for those looking for a one-stop shop for all their beauty needs. It's the store I'll be returning to next time I run out of my favorite mascara.

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