Ulta to start selling Mac Cosmetics

By: Kerry Ingram, Columnist

GUYS, I’M SO SHOOK.

As a Sephora employee and fanatic, I don’t have as many opportunities to engage in joy when it comes to new things happening with my competitor (despite this, I will say Ulta is a great place for college students to explore the world of makeup without breaking the bank). However, the news that Ulta released this past weekend made me completely forget where my loyalty is supposed to be.

Ulta announced that it will begin carrying one of the top makeup artistry brands in the beauty industry: MAC Cosmetics! The line is set to be available for online purchase in May, and 100 locations will be selling the line in-store by the end of 2017. The most popular products, including MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid and lipstick, will be available for purchase at Ulta, along with new products specially curated to only be sold at the beauty retailer.

The easier availability of this brand is great news in itself, but what makes this business venture even better is how affordable MAC products can now be for college students.

Ulta has a rewards program, Ultamate Rewards, that allows participants to earn a point for every dollar spent and use those points to deduct money off purchases. The membership is free to sign up for, and having the membership allows you to potentially get MAC products at a discounted price.

If the anticipation has you feeling like you can’t wait to see the full selection Ulta has to offer, have no fear! Ulta will be allowing its shoppers to browse the full product selection from its site on April 23, just two weeks before shoppers can begin to buy on May 7. That should give you just enough time to plan out everything you’ll be splurging on.

I have to say, Ulta made a smart move here. A very smart move. And now, us college students can channel our inner beauty bloggers as we decorate our faces in some quality makeup while still having some cash to call our own.