Working at Ulta was the best job I ever had and I think it is going to be hard to beat. I fell in love with make up, skincare, and beauty once I came to college and getting to assist others in their journey just added fuel to the fire. Yes there were moments where it was just like another retail job, stocking shelves, cleaning, and dealing with difficult customers. Most of the time I took my experience there to learn about all different products and brands, and how they would work best for each individual person. Even displaying or organizing products expanded my knowledge on beauty. Each interaction with a customer was completely different. One person would come in knowing exactly what they wanted with a list. While the next would have no clue, tell me what they were looking for and rely on me to find the best product to enhance their beauty. To some people this meant the world and gave them the confidence to sit down and do their make up for that big event they having coming up or just a night out with the girls. Seeing others happy and enjoying the same thing that I love, made my day. My favorite part was when someone needed a foundation match and I got to try so many different formulas and colors until we found the right one for them.
Working there also inspired me to experiment with beauty in a way I never thought I could achieve. I started to play with color, and create eyeshadow looks with every color of the rainbow. With the James Charles palette of course. The environment itself just gave me pure confidence and the feeling that I could do anything I set my mind to, even if I failed a few or million wing liners first. I got to wear makeup that might not be as accepted in a public setting but shined in that little world. Of course I got my fair share of hate comments which were hard to endure, but it made me try harder the next time and improve my version art. My coworkers were so uplifting and encouraged everyone to try new things. They supported me with advice for my personal growth and how to thrive in the work environment. Without them my experience would not be the same.
Not only are the employees amazing but the company as a whole does a lot for their workers and customers. They have great benefits, give out a great discount, and gave us some free products for our hard work. I lied maybe the free makeup, was the best part. I took full use of all the amenities they had to offer, getting my brows done, facials, getting my hair blown out for events, and even dying it a few times and going full on blonde. Sephora may have some good benefits too but not a full salon, esthetician, and brow expert. Also I got to dress up and wear cute clothes as long as they were acceptable and mostly black. The outfits they are wearing over at Sephora could never compare. Ulta also has a thirty day return policy as long as you have a rewards account or a receipt, yes even if you used it and did not like it. The rewards policy is actually so good! Unlike Sephora which gives you a tiny travel size sample for all your money spent, Ulta gives you money back towards what ever you want. I always save up my points and get my foundation for free, and one time I even got a new curling iron.
So overall I love Ulta and what it taught me about myself and the work environment. It gave me confidence, makeup skills, product knowledge, and people skills. I would not trade my time there for anything and who knows maybe I will be an esthetician or a makeup artist one day.
