Ulta in the Upper East Side Finally

I saw an event on Facebook for an Ulta Grand Opening in the Upper East Side and I was so happy. I have personally been to two Ulta locations and they were not in NYC. This was to be the first one in Manhattan so I decided to go because that seemed like a big deal to make up lovers in NYC. Seemed like it would be a thing to be a part of, as well.

Ulta is what, you ask?

Ulta, since you asked, is a makeup store that carries various makeup brands. It is like Sephora but different in the fact that Ulta will have drugstore brands not just high-end companies. That means that you can afford a lot of what Ulta carries if you could not afford what Sephora has to offer. There is a bigger variety in price range. At the moment, I am unemployed and can afford very few brands. However, I still like to look at the higher end products, so Ulta has the best of both worlds for many. Also, the sane companies offer different products for Sephora and Ulta. Ulta, also, even have their own line of makeup.

Grand Opening Day….the wait

The store event on facebook stated that Ulta would open at 7am, so it was decided that I should be there at 6am in case there would be a long line. I asked The Kid if he would wait in line with me and he said yes, so he joined me in waking up around 4:30 am the morning of the opening which was Friday, the 10th of this month. It was a bit chilly when we finally made it, a bit later than 6:00am that morning. Normally, I love the cold but that morning with every minute that passed on the line, it became colder and windier than i thought it would get.

For the last few weeks it had been  warmer than Autumn should be so I was caught off guard with the sudden chill in the air. I had not thought to put on sweater with a hood or a scarf as I had my thin leather jacket but just a t-shirt underneath was not sufficient in the that forsaken hour of the day. Sooooo early for the this opening but we trying to wait patiently. I felt every minute of being on that line until they opened. Every minute felt longer than it was supposed.

Grand Opening Event for Ulta

They had also posted that there would be gifts from $5 to $100  for the first 100 people so I figured that quite a line would gather for free stuff at the opening. I wanted to get my gift. When we got to the store there were maybe only 6 to 8 people waiting in line. I thought that was odd because there were so many that were interested in going to the opening. I was glad, nonetheless, and took my spot in line. Finally, 7:00am came and we were so happy.

After a few people came to the line (which got a bit bigger but not as much as I thought it would be) to greet and thank us for being there, they got a ribbon out and did the ceremonial cutting. We were finally able to go in after they officially opened. The “gift” was a discount coupon ranging from $5 to $100. Everyone in line had to fish one out of a clear box and the employees clapped then we were left to peruse the store. That was the Grand Opening Event. I, for one, was let down because I thought it would be like an actual event with many a mini photo booth or something creative but it was like any other day. By the way, I got a $5 off coupon and so did The Kid and I was thankful but it seemed like the majority of the people there got the same. I heard maybe three people at most get different amounts. We shopped around for a bit and then left.

Update on Event

So I looked on the fb event page for the opening and read that a few people were also disappointed with it aswell. They were grateful that they got something but some would have preferred an actual gift. I have seen a few grand openings where they were made to entice people to go and it were exciting. Maybe, the temperature also had something to do with the mixed emotions because like I mentioned, it was cold and windy and some of us were waiting on line for about an hour. Some since 4:30am, thinking that it was necessary, wanting to have a cool experience.

Ulta in Manhattan

It is great that there is an Ulta store in Manhattan. Sometimes, you just don’t want to be relegated to shopping online for makeup. You want to see the makeup in person. We need to test the products to see if they are for you and your skin. You want to see the quality and sometimes color don’t translate well on your screen, also SHIPPING COSTS. For some drugstores brands, it is actually hard to find all your favorite products and to see diversity in the colors in drugstores. Sometimes, it is hard to find different drugstores in your area. Then there those companies that are not drugstore but are not sold in certain makeup stores but are sold in Ulta. Ulta was, for a long time, not always a readily available option for most. Finally, there is one in Manhattan and it will make it convenient for most to do their shopping there. Closer to home and also a difference in brands that you might not have gotten to try before.

Anything else to add….

I went to Ulta, once again, a week after the opening and it was crowded. I can tell that the location well do very well. There is a Sephora close by but a little competition is good for the everyone. Keeps everyone on their toes. However, both stores offer different products and benefits that it won’t be a complete purging of either customer base. Yes, some brands do overlap, but not all those brands’ products are available in both stores. Plus, a lot of, other brands are not available in both. Ulta being there in the Upper East Side is great for the holiday season, especially.

With all the holiday collections and offers, it will be a great time to find that perfect little gift for those in our lives that love makeup. So be sure to take advantage of all the offers and gift sets available before Christmas is here.