Users and Abusers - Esthetician Ulta Beauty Employee Review

1.0
Jul 28, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Started at full time at asking pay, provided list of previous clients to draw current clients, provided business cards. Allowed to place order for what Esthetics supplies were needed.

Cons

To say that I walked into my employment as the sole Esthetician of the Ulta Salon (Tukwila,WA) with an open mind, would be an understatement. I stepped into the role three months after graduating from Esthetics school and I was grateful for the opportunity. In the three weeks I worked at Tukwila Ulta, I received little to no guidance on signature facial treatments, and I received no new product to supplement the spa. Despite these deficiencies, I was required to perform Esthetics services with neither company knowledge or proper supplies. I adapted with what was available. To my knowledge, I was responsible for bringing in an average of $200 worth of services per working day. At the end of my first three weeks working for the company, I was abruptly fired with management citing as the reasons for my termination that I had offered free services and had received multiple client complaints. I was surprised because of course I hadn't offered any free services and had never been told about any client complaints, if in fact these complaints existed at all. When I asked for information as to the nature of the client complaints, I was told that the management was not allowed to give me that information. I was also informed that I was being fired because I had worn my hair in a ponytail even though I supposedly had been warned by several managers not to. No such conversations had ever taken place. I was amazed and horrified that the management would actually tell such a blatant lie in order to have the excuse to fire me. I am still not sure why I was really fired.

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5.0
Jun 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great management and coworkers. Fun environment to work in. Great benefits. Great pay. Love my job.

Cons

It is hard work; especially when you have to carry boxes of shampoo bottles. I am a tiny female and they are so heavy for me, but it is what it is.

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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