Benefit Cosmetics BrowBar in Lansing, MI

My brows are a total mess and Emily should not be doing anyone's brows. I have blonde brows and asked her for a light brown tint. Well, now my brows are super dark AND Emily dyed the skin around my brows and it looks like she used a sharpie! I was horrified! When I asked if she could wipe the brown off my skin, so I didn't look ridiculous as I did some shopping, she said it would fade in a week or so, then said maybe I could use some concealer. I said that wasn't going to work and asked how I could lighten them and get the dye off my skin. Apparently that offended her because she told me to get an at-home bleaching kit and walked away. When I went to pay, the manager could see that my brows were a mess and she was very apologetic. She frantically searched online for the "at-home bleaching kit" that she had never heard of, but didn't know how else to help me. I told her I just wanted to get home and scrub the sh*t out of my face. She said she wasn't going to charge me anything, which was a nice gesture, but obviously didn't fix this disaster.

This review is for the salon. I feel like Ulta takes advantage of its customers and probably its employees too. Their prices are ridiculous and often enough I agree to them because I think I am paying for excellence and the experience but this is so not true. This salon is basic, borderline pretentious. I go in with high expectations (seriously, that's their fault) and often enough leave disappointed or unimpressed. I've decided to go back to supporting the underdogs & the locals in the fashion industry because that is where the true talent, wow factor and hard work is at. Ulta in my opinion is an insULTA.

This place is incredible! It's my new place to get my eyebrows done! Marissa does an exceptional job and even helps answer all my crazy questions about brow liners and whatever silliness I have to ask during that particular visit. My ultimate savior is Seth at the salon. I just moved to the area and had my hair dyed the wrong color at a local salon that had a high rating. When I went in to have it fixed, the lady made it worse. Seth reassured me he could help, and he did! He spent hours doing conditioning treatments and careful coloring to ensure my hair was fixed without compromising my hair! I absolutely love my hair and will go to nobody else. Let's add their Ulta rewards program, and you receive points for everything you buy. I've already gotten free shampoo and conditioner this year and will get free stuff on my next visit. Overall, I always feel comfortable walking in here and getting something I need, from a straightening iron to lipstick. Give it a try.

This review is not for the Brow Bar but for both the beauty salon and the floor service. I have been a customer at this establishment since it opened its doors and let me just say I was ecstatic when they did. It's my one-stop shop for all my hard-to-find cosmetic needs and the products themselves are second only to those found online. However it's not all rainbows and butterflies and there are some things I definitely wish management would address. Firstly, if I walk into Ulta, I always feel as if I MUST be dressed in a certain way or else I'm eyed with suspicion. I'm a very casual t-shirts and jeans type of gal but always feel like I should be wearing kakis and a dress blouse or else I'm looked at like I'm going to steal something. Most of the floor attendants are cool and very helpful and personable. However, there is one in particular that I wish management would just get rid of or, at the very least, talk to about how to interact with customers. EVERY time I have walked into the store when she is on shift she pounces on me and asks what I need as if she wished I would just hurry up, make a decision, and go away. I once arrived a half-hour early for a nail appointment so I decided to use the time to browse. To her I must've seemed as if I were loitering because she continued to follow me throughout the store no matter where I went. At first I thought I was just being paranoid, but sure enough, whichever aisle I inhabited, she was always just one aisle over checking and watching so much so that I started feeling uncomfortable. Every five minutes it seemed she would wonder past me. She's very posh looking, wears the same purple lipstick each time I see her, and comes across as arrogant. More than once have I seen her working while passing by and immediately wanted to turn and leave the store. She doesn't seem to bother the more eloquently-dressed clients but I guess because I don't feel the need to dress for a red carpet event to shop she deems that as just cause to play store-stalker. As for the nail salon, I've been serviced by two technicians, neither of who's names I know. The first time I went I was serviced by a blonde who is absolutely cool. She's fun to talk to and does a great job. My nails stayed looking good well into week two. She did everything that is expected from a manicure and I would definitely go back to see her again. The second time, I was serviced by a brunette. She did such a sloppy job I walked out feeling guilty I had to pay 30 dollars for what was basically just getting my nails painted. She didn't perform a manicure at all. No cuticle trim or nail filing whatsoever. Just slapped some oil on my cuticles and called it good. The paint job was crap. The paint was flooded over my nail and some edges of my nails were left unpainted. The very first night I had them the paint on one began to bubble off and the very next day I already had a whole nail in a different finger peel clean off. I was a bit agitated so I went in the next day asking if she could could fix it. Of course she was busy so I said screw it. Definitely stick with the blonde technician! You won't be disappointed.