What You Should Never Do While Shopping At Ulta, According To An Employee
Between Ulta Beauty's Hello Holidays Sale and their 21 Days of Beauty Sale, the beauty retailer gives shoppers many incentives to keep visiting the stores. And shopping there is an enjoyable experience, as we beauty enthusiasts feel like kids in a candy store as we look through all the products, deciding what to add to our bags and what to take note of for our next Ulta shopping spree. As fun as shopping at Ulta is for makeup lovers like us, there are some behaviors to avoid, as doing those actions can lead to unpleasant results for both the shoppers who do so and the employees who just want to do their jobs.
One of the actions you should never do at Ulta — and most beauty stores — is put the tester products directly on your face, according to an employee. While it can be tempting to try the product on at the moment to get an accurate look at how the eye makeup or lip-related item looks on your face, the unhealthy and potentially dangerous consequences are not worth it.
Makeup testers are more germy than glamorous
When you walk around Ulta and see an open mascara or a bright lipstick tester, it may initially feel like that product is asking you to apply it to your lashes or lips. But don't do it! As inviting as these testers may look, there is a lot of filthiness you don't see. TikToker Rocio Soria posted a video captioned, "These are my Icks after working at Ulta." For starters, Soria recommended never putting the tester mascaras on your lashes, saying, "You will literally have pink eye for three months straight," also noting that those open mascaras sit out longer than anyone may think. As for lipsticks, the TikTok user suggested using alcohol to clean the product, wipe it, and test it on your hand instead of your lips. Whatever you do, do not put your lips at risk by rubbing that tester all over them.
If you don't want to purchase a specific product before seeing how it looks on your face, consider asking an employee to open a new one for you to try. "I have asked a staff member numerous times to open a fresh tester for me, and nine out of 10 times they do it," Susie Sobol, a pro makeup artist, told Allure. If you ask and the employee says no, purchase the product or assume you're not meant to buy it that day — just don't use the tester.
Other actions to avoid
While nobody should ever put the testers on their face at Ulta, that isn't the only action to avoid when shopping there, along with other beauty-related retailers. Also, avoid using non-tester products as testers — that's disrespectful. TikToker Jesse Cajas posted a video showcasing several Ulta makeup products shoppers damaged. "As an Ulta employee, I beg y'all to stop using the products that don't have a tester. [A]ll of these are damages," according to Cajas, which has a point. After all, it's inconsiderate to the makeup item, the employees, and the store, so don't do it. One viewer even commented, "It's real simple y'all. [I]f it doesn't have a tester, DO NOT OPEN IT. Just buy it, and if you don't like it, return it."
Furthermore, this last reminder doesn't only apply to Ulta or beauty-related stores; it goes for any store with human employees — don't be rude to any employee. Whether an employee declines your request to open a new tester product for you or can't find what you're looking for, continue to treat them with respect. After all, they're just trying to do their jobs.