Most awful experience of my life! Don't believe the hype. - General Manager Ulta Beauty Employee Review

1.0
Jan 5, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pay was above average (which is how they hook you, but be sure to ask about benefit premiums and bonus potential as they are both sub-par).

Cons

Everything else- Please believe the reviews you are reading on this site. I accepted an offer in spite of what I read because the recruiters and DM painted a completely false picture about the expectations and daily life. There is no work-life balance. If payroll is getting cut (and it will) you will be the one picking up the extra hours (10-12 hour days, 6 days a week or more). The hours during Holiday are worse than mall hours and the entire management team's schedule is set by home office and can't be tailored to store needs. There is miscommunication at every level of the organization. GMs are micromanaged because DMs are micromanaged by the RM. Training was a joke ( I got 2 miserable weeks, but other associates are not allotted any training and are scheduled in active roles on their first day) and there has been no developmental follow-up by the DM, though she is quick to point out trivial misses and lecture on not having the stockroom mopped even though the store is up to plan, on target with payroll, and well-executed visually without any support from outside. ON TOP OF ALL THIS ULTA HAS BEEN THE MOST UNPROFESSIONAL COMPANY I have ever had the displeasure of working with. I have been screamed at through bulk emails (which come by the dozens daily) and in person, had my DM discuss confidential store issues with my peers (and had theirs discussed with me), had my entire staff questioned about my actions, and had everyone in the store spoken to like we were disobedient 5 year olds. All this while not giving any support to me to enforce policy violations and violations of the open door policy (yea right!). This has been the most miserable time of my life and I am glad to have finally gotten out. Please think twice before falling for their propaganda!

Explore other reviews about Ulta Beauty

5.0
Apr 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Very simple job Great Management

Cons

I don’t have any cons

2.0
May 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

good benefits for full time employees from what I hear. hourly pay if commission goal isn't met which is nice for those building clientele

Cons

this could just be the case for my store, especially because it's a very high volume store, but as a stylist I don't feel valued at all. I expected this to some degree coming to a huge corporate salon, but the biggest issue is that they try to pretend they care about you. but at the end of the day, if you're not meeting the sales they want/growing quickly enough, they don't care about you as a stylist. if you don't already have an established clientele, business is highly unreliable as there is no late cancellation/no show policy. many services are underpriced in my opinion, making it hard to meet their sales goals as an entry level part-time stylist unless fully booked every day. all they care about is getting as many clients in and out and quickly and possible and they hire more stylists than there are chairs, making every day inconsistent and chaotic. the relative stability of hourly pay is commission threshold isn't met seems enticing for stylists still building a clientele, but the hourly pay is wildly inconsistent between stylists, even those of the same tier. as a stylist of over 3 years who moved and is starting over with no clientele, I make over $2 less per hour than a fellow stylist who just got her license a few months ago and started taking clients for the first time last week. you're better off working at a place like Great Clips or Hair Cuttery because at least they're honest about what they are.

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