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How to Shop Ulta Like a Pro

If you’re a true fashion and style lover you likely know it’s not just about the clothes you wear—being fashionable is also about the beauty products you rely, and for us girls who adore beauty products Ulta is often our own version of heaven on earth.

There have been many times I’ve walked into Ulta with the intention of getting just one thing, and I walk out hours and hundreds of dollars later.

If you love Ulta but feel like you’re lost in a sea of beauty products that always end up busting your budget, here are our favorite tips for shopping the store like a pro:

  1. Ulta is one of those retailers that’s all about the sales and special offers, so if at all possible wait until those come around before venturing into the store. You can find these details through multiple channels—by joining their email lists, mailing lists or just looking through your local newspaper. You’re often going to get the best deals on the more well-known and luxury end beauty products when Ulta has specials, so keep your eyes peeled and you could come away with really valuable discounts.
  2. Join the rewards program. Ulta Rewards is like most other retail rewards programs—you sign up, get a card and then you accumulate points and get special access to discounts. It takes just a minute to sign up for the card and it’s easy to quickly accumulate those points.
  3. Visit the Ulta website, even if you plan on doing your buying in the actual store. There’s a reason for this—Ulta can get overwhelming because there are really so many choices for every product. The Ulta website has really great in-depth reviews posted by actual customers so you can compare items and look at the pros and cons before making a buying decision.
  4. Many Ulta locations will let you not only use their own direct coupons but they’ll also redeem manufacturer coupons much like the grocery store or drug store, so if you find a great coupon for your favorite lipstick go ahead and take it into an Ulta.
  5. Shop the sale and clearance areas. Like your favorite clothing store, Ulta has a really robust area of clearance items and you can get deeply slashed prices on even high-end items and you can even discover new items that wouldn’t have otherwise caught your attention. If you’re shopping online you can do the same on the Ulta website.
  6. Use the sales associates as a resource. The people who work at Ulta are typically very knowledgeable, enthusiastic about their job and the products, and can also help you find the perfect products for you. It can be easy to overlook sales people in a store, but at Ulta they can be one of the best ways to not only ensure you find really great items but also that you don’t waste your money on products that aren’t going to work for you .