Gotta Have It:
Beauty Smackdown - Sephora vs. Ulta
By Rebecca Homitz
For Weekly Surge
Two new beauty heavyweights have made their way to the Grand Strand, via Coastal Grand mall, with the recent opening of Sephora (inside J.C. Penney) and Ulta, in a stand alone building outside the mall near Abuelo's. Whether seeking chic eye shadow, or a bargain blow out, fashionistas familiar with luxury beauty names will love each store for the range of high-end offerings and unique services.
SEPHORA
Europe's leading retail beauty chain, Sephora has expanded to the U.S. with 120-plus stores. Featuring more than 250 traditional and emerging brands in the beauty world, Sephora operates in a so-called "open sell environment." This means that there are no pushy sales associates or pricey products kept on display behind a counter. Instead, Sephora displays products openly, within reach, and has beauty consultants on standby for questions and concerns.
Installed in the new J.C. Penney as an in-store hub, Sephora's trademark black-and- white striped design beckons from afar. Appearing in its interior design, website and shopping bags, the black-and-white design is simple and allows the diverse selection of products to stand out in contrast. Top names in makeup, skincare, fragrance, and bath/body can be found neatly displayed on brightly lit fixtures. Although scaled down in size compared to a Sephora stand alone store, this in-store hub still offers a vast selection of options.
Sephora's main focus is on the face. In makeup, Bare Escentuals, Bourjois, Benefit, Urban Decay, Cargo, and Stila are a few of the lines offering a variety of foundations, powders, eye shadows, mascaras, lip glosses and lipsticks. Beauty consultants there will work with you to determine your skin type and what kind of makeup will work in harmony.
Skincare brands available include Dr. Brandt, Bliss, Philosophy, Cosmedine, DDF, Zihr and Boscia, to name a few, and there is a great line of bath and body products by Sephora also on hand. In addition, Sephora offers an immense collection of perfumes on display for discovery that include Dior, Chanel, Kenzo, Vera Wang, and many, many more.
WHAT TO BUY: Lather up with Philosphy's Coconut Frosting, $16, a deliciously scented shampoo, body wash, and bubble bath concoction in one. Looking for a bronzer and blush in one? Pack a punch with Cargo's Miami Beach Blush, $26, for that perfect glow.
Ladies, treat your man to a super pampering shave and pick up Zirh's Shave Cream, $14, in Aloe Vera. It will leave skin soft and razor burn free. Preview and shop online at www.sephora.com.
ULTA
With more than 200 stores in 26 different states, Ulta was developed as a one-stop beauty shop for in-need fashionistas. Offering a majority of top lines, Ulta also carries drugstore and salon products that include makeup, fragrance, hair care, salon tools, nail care, skincare, and bath and body products. Ulta also offers a full service salon on site. And unlike Sephora, Ulta runs promotions that include gift certificates and gift with purchase offers, offering more bang for your buck.
Located in a freestanding storefront, Ulta is located just outside the Coastal Grand mall, next to Dick's Sporting Goods and Books-A-Million. The inside has a modern, salon feel with bright lighting and white walls. Divided into sections, all products are neatly displayed on simple fixtures for easy browsing. Everything is accessible and consultants are trained and available.
Makeup brands range from Cover Girl to Smashbox, with a full line of makeup brushes and application tools available. Explore blushes, eye shadows, powders, lip glosses and more. Ulta also carries a range of skincare items for women, and a small selection for men that includes Zihr, Lab Series, and Clinique.
Also on hand are numerous professional hair care lines such as Rusk, Matrix, Biolage, and Frederik Fekkai to name a few, as well as trusted drugstore brands including Charles Worthington, Garnier Fructis, and Pantene. Ulta also carries top of the line hair dryers, curling irons, flat irons, brushes, extensions, hair color and accessories. The full service salon itself sits in the rear of the store (for more privacy) and offers haircuts, styling, color services, treatments and textures services.
WHAT TO BUY: Knockout damage from sun and fun at the beach with Rusk's Brilliance Leave-in Conditioner, $9.95. Made with grapefruit and honey, it provides major conditioning and protects color.
For summer, why not update your makeup bag? Try Celebrity's Hawaiian Tropics Cosmetic Box, $24, for stashing essentials. Or, pick up a seductive scent for your guy like Kenneth Cole Black for Men Eau de Toilette Spray, $50, which is ripe with notes of mandarin, suede, and mint. Shop online at www.ulta.com.