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Tried to make an appointment at local ulta salon which I identified myself as transgender female, for full makeup and lashes. After 2 days someone finally texted me and said they were busy. But she’ll see what she can do. Waited all day. Nothing. I texted back to say forget it. I’ll just get makeup at walmart,and try to put on myself. I was looking for pointer as they did it. Oh well.
I love the ULTA I go to. I have never had any issues and I am kinda a fixture there, given how many years I’ve been going there. But hey, stores employ people, and heavens knows there are lots of humans around, and who knows what they may also be dealing with. We all go through those same gyrations. I wouldn’t write them off just yet.
Maybe try a different Ulta store. There should be more than one store near where you live. You could get a whole different response. And try talking to them on the phone. I think a phone call usually works better than a text. Most I have dealt with are happy to help and find an appointment for you. I’ve had good results at the MAC counter as well. That’s where I got my first make over.
Hi Betty,
My advice is this… Don’t waste your time with these stores. The sad reality is, they are not nearly as trans friendly as they claim to be. Some stores are better than others, as are some employees. But they all share one thing in common. They are there to make money and if they choose to deal with you at all, it will only be to sell you whatever products and services the store currently favors. Most of the time the advice you will be given, is not the best advice for you.
I suggest you save yourself a lot of time, money and headaches. Get online and search for Makeup Tutorials on YouTube. There are tons of good advice from lots of women who have lots of talent and experience. Look for women who have similar skin to your own and for women whose appearance you enjoy. I suggest you start with Angela Bright. Hands down, she has some of the best tutorials on YouTube.
Like you, I tried other avenues to learn how to do my makeup. And I spent more money than I care to think about. I also got so frustrated and disheartened that for a time I gave up trying to learn. Eventually I tried looking for tutorials and found Angela’s feed. Since then, I have really started to gain some skill and I am slowly figuring out what products actually work for me. I get very little time each week to practice. But I have learned more in the last year watching tutorials, than I did in the previous 3.5 years listening to store employees and purchasing professional makeup tutorial videos.
Good luck and have fun! 😉
I have to disagree with your first paragraph. You make the point of stressing that they are there to sell product and make a living as if this is a bad thing. There is no other reason for a store to exist. However, I have used several different Ulta stores in 3 different states. I have gotten excellent service and good, useful advice in every store and you’d have to be blind to not notice I am a transgender woman. If I had to make a guess, I would have to say at least 20% of the employees in every store I’ve been in was somewhere on the non-cis spectrum. If I had to guess, I would say that the manager of the salon at my local Ulta who did a facial for me was a MtF trans woman, as was the last MAC rep I took a course with.
I do agree there are also a lot of very good tutorials on Youtube and I have downloaded several of them.
Ms. Snow, in part, I did stress that these stores are there to make money. However, the negative conotation that making a living is “bad” is all yours. I did not suggest any such thing. My stress on the negative was in two parts…
First, whether or not store employees will serve the transgender community. Second, is the proclivity of stores to give bad advice to customers in favor of pushing products they know are not going to work for that customer. Making money is not a bad thing to do. Pushing products that you know are not good for a customer is a bad thing.
I stand by my advice; it was earned from experience and the wise advice of many people who have greater knowledge and experience than I have.
As for your personal experience. Congratulations. As I stated in my original reply, not all stores are bad and not all employees are bad. I am happy that you have found some good places to shop and get good advice.I apologize for misunderstanding your original comment. It was probably influenced by an unpleasant conversation on another forum earlier in the day about business and international trade and how they whined that all business were capitalists and by default they were all bad. They couldn’t handle the concept that business, both local and international trade had existed for thousands of years, but capitalism has only been around for a couple hundred years.
Hi Betty,
I have to say I am very surprised hearing this. I’ve been in a few different Ulta stores and in my opinion every store set a very high standard for service. Far beyond what I expected. In every store I have had multiple people help me find things, and I suspect that 20% or more of the staff in my local Ulta falls somewhere under the queer umbrella.
Hello Betty, I have been to Ulta in guy mode for eyebrows, hair and makeup, had nails and feet done several times at various malls, and did professional makeup in MAC stores when they were still around. All about 10 years prior to the new acceptance. It is possible you just found the wrong salon girl??? Or the wrong store? Or they really are just busy? I do agree with you going to get your own makeup and learning your self as professional makeup is gawd awful pricy and you will not only get a skill but save a ton of cash. However do not write off all people in that industry as unfriendly, actually I found people in the makeup/style industry more accepting then the average Joe, they just all aren’t.
Just food for thoughts.
Miriya
Betty, don’t give up. It might very well be they they were very busy. My first time going to Ulta is when I decided to get my hair colored for the first time I called them and told them I was trans and they made me so comfortable. Now I have gone to another Ulta to have my hair colored -3 more times now. The stylist is so happy to see me and give me whatever I want!!
. Cassie
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