Millions of beauty lovers across the country had major beef with Ulta earlier this year. They had tried to buy tickets to Ulta Beauty World, the retailer’s annual expo, and came away disappointed — the spots had sold out before many of them could even load the site. But what was all the fuss even about? Were tickets actually worth the price? And was the event overhyped, or were people right to be so upset? I got my hands on a ticket, so I flew down to Orlando, Florida, to investigate.
Ulta Beauty World is basically adult trick-or-treating with beauty products, as well as the opportunity to meet founders like Donni Davy and Jonathan Van Ness and attend master classes by Ms. Tina Knowles, Sir John, Anastasia Soare, and more. At the end, everyone also receives a huge swag bag valued at over $2,000 packed with full-size products from brands like Moroccanoil, Tatcha, Tarte, and Amika.
Given that people could buy a ticket for the master class for $75, the expo for $160, or attend both for $199, it’s a steal, if you ask me. That is, if you were lucky enough to actually snag a ticket.
In January, the tickets sold out, and they sold out quickly. Think trying to get an almond croissant at L’Appartement 4F in 2022 or buying a Labubu off of the Pop Mart app in the summer of 2025. Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. ET, and according to the retailer, over 3 million people were simultaneously competing for a mere 3,000 tickets (double what was offered last year). TikTok users and redditors immediately hopped online to discuss their disappointing experiences, with many vowing to block any influencers they suspected of getting free tickets. (According to a representative from Ulta, the retailer invited around 60 influencers, and each brand was allowed to invite one.)
When I spoke to consumers at Ulta Beauty World, however, I was surprised to hear that many had little to no trouble grabbing tickets, even if they knew people who’d missed out. (It’s not as if people could buy resale tickets, either; Ulta Beauty World tickets are nontransferable, and staff at the doors checked to ensure the names on the tickets matched attendees’ IDs.) Karime Perez, 24, who traveled to Orlando from Tallahassee, was originally planning to participate as part of her cousin’s birthday celebration. “Within a minute or two of getting in the queue, I was able to get a ticket, check out, and get a roller bag and everything without any issues,” she said. But she was the only one in her group who got a ticket. Similarly, 42-year-old Alka Franceschi from Virginia Beach, Virginia, was supposed to attend with a friend. Franceschi bought a ticket right away; her friend waited hours but failed to buy. “She still came to Orlando, and we’ll split the stuff,” she said.
Meanwhile, Akaya Kitchen, a 40-year-old from Little Rock, Arkansas, jumped through a few more hoops. While she was able to get into the queue right away, she sat in line for about 15 minutes before the website told her the event was sold out. “But I kept refreshing, and every now and then, a ticket would pop up,” she said. “So I sat there refreshing for an hour, and I finally got one and was able to check out.”
This year’s lineup included Natasha Denona (founder of Natasha Denona), who performed a live eye-shadow tutorial; Jonathan Van Ness (founder of JVN), who explained many of the products in his hair-care line and teased an upcoming launch; Donni Davy (Euphoria head makeup artist and founder of Half Magic), who showcased her new Euphoria-inspired collection; and Kristin Rondeau (Saje Natural Wellness’ director of education), who explained how to use the brand’s essential-oils-based products.
Photo: Ulta
The rest of the speakers were Ms. Tina Knowles (Cécred’s vice-chairwoman), who brought live models onstage to show off the hair-care brand’s new styling products; Bryan Edwards (co-founder and CEO of Snif), who did a fireside chat with Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan, the hosts of both the Gloss Angeles podcast and Ulta Beauty World 2026; Sir John (creative director of Medicube), who broke down some of the brand’s most popular devices and products; and Anastasia Soare (founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills), who taught the audience how to create the perfect eyebrow shape and camouflage an old semi-permanent eyebrow tattoo.
Photo: Ulta
I asked a few women sitting near me for their thoughts on the event and they seemed generally happy to be there. Liza Capone, 35, flew in from Colorado as a postpartum treat after enduring several grueling rounds of IVF. She said that though she missed out on expo tickets, she secured a seat at the master class after six hours on the website. “I wish that there was a way that I could get into the expo, but being here in general and having time to myself is already feeling amazing,” she said.
Ashley Boudreaux, a 21-year-old from Sarasota, Florida, also told me she thought the event was worth it. When I caught up with her at the expo the next day, however, she mentioned that other attendees might have had some gripes about the program. “I thought the fact that it felt like a big advertisement, rather than what I would expect out of a master class, was more amusing than frustrating,” she said. “I think I was expecting a lot more hands-on learning or more tips and tricks.” Regardless, the generous master-class gift bag (its value totaled $353.50) made the experience for her.
Several people at the event described it as an adult amusement park, and I have to agree. While there weren’t any stomach-churning roller coasters, there were plenty of games and activities: I saw a high striker, a Whac-A-Mole machine, and several claw machines. Estée Lauder brought an adult-size slide, Live Tinted had a pickleball court, and at Dyson’s booth, you could spin a wheel for a chance to win a hairstyling device. Every so often, I heard exuberant screams from a winner. (The Dyson representative told me the brand had prepared over 20 machines to give out throughout the day.)
Photo: Ulta
The majority of the 220-plus brands gave all the participants full-size products, and attendees could get their hair touched up at the miniature Ulta beauty salon (which also offered ear piercings), the JVN station, and the Shark Beauty booth, among other hair-focused stations.
“It feels like I’m at Disney World, but for beauty products, and I’m in heaven,” said Tiffany Roberts, 37, who flew in from Houston and skipped the master class to avoid taking too much time off work. She described Ulta Beauty World as overwhelming but enjoyable. “My favorite experience was sliding down the slide at Estée Lauder — that was so much fun.”
Photo: Carol Lee
The consensus was that, considering the swag bag (valued at over $2,000) and all the products consumers received at each booth, the $160 ticket price was more than reasonable. “All these products are so expensive, so if you get two full-size products, you basically pay for your ticket,” Franceschi said. “For example, I just got a Chi flat iron and a Nars foundation.” And Kitchen, who attended in celebration of her 40th birthday (her husband paid for all her expenses), could not stop beaming during our conversation. “It has been amazing,” she said. “I can’t believe this is my life today.”
Photo: Ulta
So to all the beauty obsessives who were upset about not getting a ticket, I’m here to validate your feelings. I fear it’s true: The expo is actually worth the hype, and I understand the devastation. There’s always 2027, right? Ulta told The Cut in January that it’s “looking ahead to how we can expand access for next year.” We’re just going to have to wait and see to find out how many more people will be able to experience the high of free lipsticks and perfumes at the next Ulta Beauty World. I’m already getting in line.
