I came dangerously close to staging a riot at the local ULTA last week.

The only thing stopping me was the fact that I live 45 minutes away from a Sephora, and I couldn’t risk getting myself banned from the next best thing.  My principles, apparently, only run as deep as my need for overpriced cosmetics.

But boy I was pissed.

For those of you who live in places without an ULTA or a Sephora – places like my hometown – let me give you a quick introduction.

Sephora is heaven. More specifically, Sephora is a cosmetics and beauty supply store where you can spend hours and hours perusing the aisles and trying damn near every beauty product known to woman.  You’ll find everything from lip plumpers to eyelash curlers and $100+ tanning systems.  Sephora sells damn near every designer line of cosmetics.  And you can sample most of the products right there in the store – and get a makeover from one of their makeup artists.

ULTA is the poor man’s Sephora. They sell a handful of designer cosmetic lines, their own brand of cosmetics, as well as a selection of drugstore brands like Cover Girl and Revlon.  They do allow you to sample many of their products as well.

The biggest difference between ULTA and Sephora – aside from selection – is the customer service.  A Sephora store is teeming with staff in black clothing and fancy headsets that can usually tell you something about damn near every product in stock.  ULTA stores are usually understaffed with people who, based on my experiences, know next to nothing about the products they sell.

I’ve come to accept these differences and I only go into an ULTA when I’ve already done my own research and I know what I’m buying.  The only thing I ever ask an ULTA staffer is “where do you keep your lipstick?”

Last week I went in looking for two different types of concealers that I want to test out.  I was having trouble locating a sample of one and asked a woman dressed in black who appeared to be working there for assistance.

“I don’t know anything about that line except for what I’ve seen on commercials.”

“That’s OK, I don’t need help with the product.  I’m just trying to find a sample of it.”

“Oh, it’s over there.  Sorry, I’m the Smashbox rep.  I have enough to remember with that line.”

“I’m sure.”

I continued my shopping and made a mental note never to ask anyone in the store for help.  Another woman was shopping beside me.  I would guess she was in her mid-50s and she was carefully studying the Bare Minerals line.

“Excuse me,” I heard my fellow shopper ask, “can you help me figure out which of these foundation powders I need?”  She was standing in front of the Bare Minerals selection and asking the same “sales assistant” I’d spoken to earlier for guidance.

“What are you looking for?” the lady in black asked.

The shopper began to detail what she needed in a foundation and why she wanted to try the Bare Minerals powders.

“Have you ever tried Smashbox?”

I was floored.  The Smashbox rep made no mention of the fact that she was clueless about the Bare Minerals line or that she was a Smashbox rep.

I spent the next 15 minutes listening to the saleswoman bash the Bare Minerals line and explain to the unsuspecting shopper why she loved Smashbox.  Without once mentioning that she worked for them.  I watched in horror as the customer walked away with hundreds of dollars in Smashbox cosmetics and the confidence that she had just been helped by an expert.

Here’s my problem with what I saw:

The Smashbox rep looked exactly like an ULTA employee.  She didn’t have a nametag or any other identifying marker that distinguished her as only a Smashbox rep.  As a customer in an ULTA store, you would assume that you’re being helped by an ULTA employee.  As a woman looking for guidance in a sea of cosmetics, you would assume that the advice you were getting from an ULTA employee wouldn’t be biased towards one particular product line.

When you walk into a department store, you can clearly see what brand each sales rep is representing.  You know the Clinique woman is going to tell you that Clinique is the best thing since sliced bread.  You know that the Clarins assistant is going to rave about Clarins.  You expect the Estee Lauder woman to sell you Estee Lauder products.  The information you’re getting is biased, but you know that.

Finding the right makeup for your skin type can be a challenge for a lot of woman.  Sorting through the bombardment of marketing material and advertising claims is overwhelming.  One of the reasons you go to a place like ULTA or Sephora is to talk to someone who can tell you about the differences between these products.  Sure, there’s a good chance they’re going to push you towards the most expensive products – but you don’t expect brand loyalty from a staff member unless it’s based on their own experiences.

What happened in that ULTA was deceptive marketing.  And worse, the woman who spent her money there had no idea that she was being deceived.  She thought she was receiving objective advice from an ULTA employee and a fellow woman.

Part of the reason this makes me so angry is because I know how intimidating products can be for some women.  Me?  I’ll gladly try anything once and I’m not afraid to do my own research.  But I love this stuff.  Women like my mom?  It would be a huge accomplishment for her to work up the courage just to walk into an ULTA or a Sephora without having a panic attack.  The very least these women deserve is to know when they are being pitched.

The lesson I learned here is this:

If you have the option, go to a Sephora.

If you’re talking to a salesperson who seems to be pushing one product line, ask them pointed questions about other product lines to get a sense for why they are leaning so heavily towards one over another.  Ask them about less expensive alternatives.  Ask them to tell you about the ingredients in another line.  Ask them to tell you what’s good - even if it’s not the best – about another product.

And don’t be afraid to ask a girlfriend you trust for their opinion.

Posted in Friday Flops: Products That Suck Tagged: advertising, beauty supply store, cosmetic lines, customer service, Friday Flops, makeup, marketing, Sephora, ULTA