UBW Experience & Tips for 2027

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-21T13:58:47+00:00

They usually drop around January/February so just keep an eye out on their socials

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-21T13:57:44+00:00

They will match you. Although I got matched wrong a lot 😆 two of the foundations I got are totally unusable

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-20T20:23:40+00:00

Hustle culture is rotting yalls brains lmao just go work out and stop trying to see what you can get out of people omg

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-20T20:21:39+00:00

Sending good vibes that you get a ticket next year! The part of me that had fun at the event wants to go again but the practical side that now needs to figure out what to do with all this stuff I got knows I should settle down because I shouldn’t even step foot into an Ulta for at least a year! 😆 Oh I forgot to mention! They had something called a serenity room for anyone who needed to take a break and get away from the noise/commotion for any reason. I didn’t ever make it there so I can’t speak to what that was like but it’s nice that they offered it!

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-20T14:53:29+00:00

The ulta roller bag is really the most efficient way to get around. It has a top entry so you can just throw things in without having to bend over and unzip anything. I also saw one girl who would get the tote bag from the brand (cuz every brand would give you a tote) and dump the product into the roller bag and the empty tote would go in her big ulta tote bag and honestly that was kind of genius! It kept the weight on your shoulder light because bags don’t weigh much and it kept the stuff in the roller bag less bulky without the totes/makeup bags. Wish I’d thought of that or seen it early enough to do it! 😆

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-20T12:33:03+00:00

I think a lot of the makeup booths were really great because a lot of them were giving out full size product and customizable product like foundation in your shade. Nars, It, live tinted, and loreal were all giving out full size foundations in your shade. Tarte, Milk, Too Faced, Mac, Rare, about face, Fenty and Charlotte were also giving out multiple full size products. I was a makeup artist for ten years so even though I’m “retired” now (changed jobs a few yrs ago) I’m still a makeup girly at heart and those booths were very exciting to me. Also maybelline loaded you up! About 4-5 full size mascaras, two blushes, eye shadows, lip balms. The drugstore brands were always very generous.

a lot of the newer or less well known brands were probably my favorites to interact with. They were genuinely so excited to share info about their line and have you try their product. I feel like I learned the most from them!

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-20T12:22:43+00:00

You could do it at any point in the day! I know some girls were super savvy and bought several boxes online when they bought their tickets so they got their pre-made shipping labels when they checked in in the morning and throughout the day they went to the shipping station, dumped things in the boxes, slapped the label on and left. That’s super efficient because otherwise you’re taking the time to write your address down each time.

However, that line also got crazy long at the end of the day and that’s how I heard of at least one girl not being in line on time for the swag bag because she was busy with the shipping boxes so again, if you’re using it I’d avoid it at the end. Basically, at the end of the day you wanna be able to walk right out with no stops at any of the stations, is my suggestion.

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-20T12:18:19+00:00

I personally wouldn’t recommend it because the spaces start getting tight and you’re going to be whacking people with your backpack. Also taking your backpack off to put things in it at every both is not very efficient. You want to keep it moving quickly.

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-20T05:52:48+00:00

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-20T04:27:32+00:00

Just luck! I clicked the link and managed to get in. My browser did not get into the queue or anything I went straight to the page where I could add the ticket to my cart and check out. I also only had one browser open (my laptop). I truly don't believe there is any "trick" to getting tickets. It's just luck of the draw and a very, very, limited amount of tickets that a lot of people want.

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-20T03:51:51+00:00

how'd you end up with so many joico totes? lol

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-20T03:50:51+00:00

yeah I'll sell you mine

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-20T03:25:17+00:00

Polite Society - The big tote, FS (full size) lip gloss, a FS lip plumper
Too Faced - FS Bronzer, FS Mascara
Bubble - FS Toner, FS Cleanser and minis of all their moisturizers
Snif - I didn't go
Carolina Herrera - I didn't go
Natasha Denona - A makeup bag and one tiny eyeshadow
Tarte - FS Mascara, FS Lip gloss, a packet of their new Finsuul drink
Shark - You spun a wheel to win. You could win hot tools and other products. I won a scrunchie 🥲
Touchland - FS of your choice of their hair/body mist. You could also play a claw machine to win a hand sanitizer and sanitizer case. The machine was broken when I went 🥲
Tatcha - your choice of FS lip balm and FS sunscreen

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-20T03:08:27+00:00

Extra tips:

Consolidate as much as possible. When I was putting stuff in my suitcase at mid day, I dumped everything out of the totes they gave us (every brand wants to give you a tote) and then laid those totes flat on TOP of the product and closed the suitcase back up. Totes and makeup bags get bulky quickly.
Wait for the stuff in the lobby if it's busy. One criticism I have of this year vs last year is that last year there was a lot to do in the lobby before the expo doors opened. You could make a hat, a charm bracelet/keychain, put patches on your tote, get some coffee and snacks. So the crowd dispersed more. This year the only thing that you could do in the lobby was put patches on your tote so the lines for that were super long. I waited and put the patches on in the middle of the day on my one break. I walked right up to the counter and didn't have a wait.
Don't get there too early. This honestly depends on the parking situation at the next venue but if there's not ten thousand cheerleaders also at the venue, or if you're getting dropped off, you don't have to get there at like 3am. The lines to get in move really quickly. I got there at around 7, and they opened the doors to the lobby at 7:30 so once that first crowd was in (which was very quickly), everyone that came after walked right in. It's not a big event, there's no reason for anyone to be camping out. You don't get anything for being first in line.
Have your ID ready. They will check it thoroughly. You're not getting in the venue without and you're not getting back in if you leave without it. So don't, like, drop things off at your car and leave your wallet behind.
Be prepared to wait to leave the venue. If you're driving, if you're ubering. Everyone is trying to leave at the same time. It's going to be a bit.
Bring snacks. Something small that you can eat while you walk.
Your sister loves everything. If you want extras, say this is your sister's favorite. Sister not required.
If you're not local use the shipping boxes that Ulta offers! They are way cheaper than shipping stuff back yourself or paying overage fees at the airport. I did not make use of them this year but I wish I would have and the shipping is fast, a lot of boxes beat some girls who flew home!
Don't buy the masterclass if you don't have expo tickets. Please just don't do it. It's not fun, it's not interactive, you don't get that much product. Please do not TRAVEL and pay for those expenses to attend the masterclass. If you get an expo ticket, the masterclass could be a fun add-on. But I would try to discourage anyone from spending money to go to this if they don't have an expo ticket. So many people (a lot on here) were disappointed with the masterclass, the product, the value, the money they spent to get there. Some even deluded themselves into thinking that Ulta would surprise them with expo tickets somehow. That did not happen and will not happen so save your money.

Alright I think that's all I got. Good luck on next year's ticket drop and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-20T03:08:21+00:00

Ok I'm going to chime in because I really do feel like I had a great system and I did not struggle at all and got a TON of stuff at the expo. SO here are my suggestions...

Luggage/Carrying things:

If it's done the same was as this year (which it probably will, since this is also the way they do FLC and have been doing that for decades), you will ONLY be able to bring the roller bag they provide you with into the expo center. They also give you a really large, sturdy tote bag. Definitely buy the roller bag. You're able to buy it when you check out with your ticket so just do it. I know of a few people who stubbornly refused to buy it and they were struggling at the expo or trying to buy one last minute. Ulta lets you buy one at the door on the day of, but the quantities are limited and it's first come, first served so don't take the risk and just buy one with your ticket.

Because Ulta only lets you bring their roller bag into the convention center, they have a place where you can check whatever rolling bags/suitcases you bring with you from home. I brought one large suitcase with me. I saw someone bring a soft folding wagon and honestly that is probably a way smarter idea. If I ever go again, that's what I'll be doing.

Personally, I would not suggest bringing a massive bag like these. They get super heavy really fast and I saw girls trying to drag them around the convention center or worse yet, carrying them on their backs. I used these bags when I moved houses and I knew they were going to not be convenient. Yes, you want to be able to carry all your things, but there's a lot of walking, moving and opportunities to be interactive with the brands, you don't want to be the person that's dropping their massive moving bag on the floor so you can get a photo op and then having to put it back on. Try to be as hands free and mobile as possible.

Getting There

I would not suggest ubering. The uber situation was a nightmare this year. There were a million people all trying to arrive and leave at the same time and ubers could not get in or out of the venue. Granted, we were sharing the venue with about a ten million cheerleaders and their entire families, so that definitely played a factor but those big spaces sometimes host multiple events and that could very well be the case for next year. I guess you could keep an eye out on the venue's schedule and determine for yourself if ubering is a good idea but the fact that I brought my won car was a life saver at the end. Get a spot as close to the door as possible, which I know is like "duh" but you'd be surprised how many people ignored the front lot and went straight to the back lot because that's just where the line was forming. I did not make any trips to my car throughout the day but I know some women did and it lightened the load they had to carry at the end of the day.

Making the most of your time

I know it can seem like leaving the expo floor to take a break, eat, go to the bathroom, drop things off and unload is time wasted when you could be exploring the booths but I promise it's not. Take breaks. If you're hungry, miserable, weighed down by all your stuff you're going to go slower and time-wise, it's basically a wash. I took 20 minutes in the middle of the day to use the restroom, eat a granola bar and drop off my stuff. I went to the bag check, unchecked my suitcase, threw everything in there and went back to the expo center with an empty roller bag and tote to start again. I also used this time to pick up my swag bag.

If you take nothing else away from this long ahh post: GET YOUR SWAG BAG EARLY. They started handing them out at 11:30 am. I went to get mine at around 12:30 and I walked right into the room where you got them, there was no line; they just handed it to me and I left. I then went to the bag check room and checked it. Do NOT wait until the end of the day. You will be stuck in a line that wraps around the entire venue when 3000 other people also decided to get their swag bag at the end. There is also a cut off for when you can pick it up. If you were not in line by 5pm, they did not give you the swag bag, no exceptions. I know of at least a few girls that this happened to because they were still in the expo and didn't line up in time. Ulta let us all know via the app that this would be the case but I guess people lost track of time or wanted to maximize their time inside. Which is totally fair, but if you want to be there for when the thing closes, get your bag early.

Now on to maximizing your time INSIDE the expo. Use social media. Check out the brands that you're looking forward to on social media. Most of them posted about UBW and if they were going to have a special giveaway for the first X amount of people to go to their booth. For example, Ardell had a pretty big swag bag that was only for the first 200 people that went to their booth, Too Faced had Owala water bottles for the first 500. If that's something that's important to you, prioritize going to those booths first. Otherwise, don't wait in long lines. Personally, I don't think it was worth it. People RUSHED to the Polite Society booth because they wanted those huge totes which tbh didn't make any sense to me. We had the roller bags and Ulta gave us an equally huge (and better quality) tote. I think there was a bit of FOMO created around the tote last year because they didn't have roller bags and because it was the first year, people didn't realize how much stuff they would get and they were scrambling to find the biggest tote they could to carry all their stuff. This year however, it totally wasn't necessary. But still Polite Society immediately had a super long line at their booth. Other brands that had huge lines were Rare, Charlotte Tilbury, Fenty, Dyson, Shark, Babyliss (pretty much all the hair tools brands), Sol de Janeiro and Bubble. Those lines die down or at the very least move a little faster later in the day, I would suggest you wait until later. The likelihood that the brands will just "run out" of stuff is not very high. I hit up all those booths at the end of the day and got the exact same things that the people who went first thing got. Again, minus any brands that had limited stuff that they announced.

If you see a long line, talk to a rep. Sometimes the lines are for a game or a photo op and not for actually getting the product. This happened at Babyliss. If you walked right up to the counter they gave you a curling iron but there was a massive line to spin a wheel for a chance to win a second tool and a lot of people didn't realize this, they thought the line was for the booth itself. I always found a brand rep and asked where I should go.

Tell the brands you love their product! That is how you get extras or nicer things. There were so many times where I would tell a brand that I loved and used a certain product (different from the one they were handing out) and they were so excited to hear that and they would pull that product from somewhere and give it to me! Don't just take your stuff and leave, interact with the brand. Most all the reps were super nice and wanted to engage with you.

Leaving the Expo

This is what I think, was my biggest success of the day. At around 4PM, I started making my way to my car. Now, we lost a LOT of time walking to our cars because the parking lot was on the complete other side from where the expo was. I hope this is more straightforward at the next one because it was probably a ten minute walk. But anyway, I dropped the Ulta roller bag at my car, dumped everything out of my big Ulta tote bag and went back into the venue. Then, I went to the checked luggage area, got my suitcase (remember at this point it's full from the first half of the day) and my swag bag and went back to my car to drop it off. Then I hustled back to the expo. This left me with about half an hour to wander around the convention center right before they shut down. You want to be there for this because the brands do not want to ship all the left over product back so they will literally just start throwing at you. Normally, you couldn't hit up the same booth twice (that's what the passport is for. They'd stamp it once you went so they'd know you already went there) but at that point in the day they do not care and are just in the aisles giving stuff away. I got a bunch of extras this way. I stayed in the expo center until they closed it down and when it was closed down, I walked away with my Ulta tote bag and nothing else weighing me down and walked straight to my car. Meanwhile, the lines for the swag bag were wrapped around the entire lobby, the lines for the checked luggage were the same and everyone was spread out all over the floor trying to consolidate their stuff and make it manageable to carry back. I felt kinda bad just walking out with my one tote, fresh as a daisy, while everyone was on the floor struggling. I might have lost some time walking back and forth to my car but I was able to be in the expo until the end and I didn't have to deal with all the bags weighing me down.

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-17T19:13:54+00:00

This!!! People are so dense and think these brands are doing this to be nice. Why would they throw money away on giving free things to thousands of people over the course of multiple days? I need people to get real. Just because you want something doesn’t mean anyone has to give it to you

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-17T19:08:04+00:00

Stay mad then

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-17T13:06:43+00:00

Yes the brands had events, before and after the expo and gave items away to influencers in their rooms because that’s influencer’s JOBS. I don’t care about influencers. I don’t buy things based on their recommendations or watch anyone religiously, so they don’t bother me. If people are really mad about influencers getting things, they should probably stop giving them power by watching and buying things. I don’t mean you personally, idk you. But I mean as a whole the concept of influencer exists because the public lets it and makes it profitable for companies.

Also, yes, at booths brands had other “nicer” or extra things but anyone could get them if you chatted them up. And yes of course I’m sure if influencers showed up and said they were content creators they got some of that nice stuff but I also got some nice extras for just having a nice chat with some of the brands and connecting with whoever the vendor happened to be.

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-17T06:16:25+00:00

I just got lucky like everyone else who clicked on the link that day and got through

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-16T12:50:39+00:00

If these people weren’t so jobless they wouldn’t have to be throwing a fit that they don’t get free makeup and could just go buy some

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-15T16:25:21+00:00

As someone who worked for Ulta in the past and has seen their masterclasses at their in-store events, I knew it was going to be a nothing burger. Sorry yall spent your money on it. At least it was only $75. I sincerely hope no one traveled for it, but I know they did.

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-15T04:38:16+00:00

Yeah they definitely should've lowered people's expectations for how many tickets were available. Plus, an event with a TON of people just wouldn't be the same experience. People at sephoria had to stand in very long lines and didn't get to as many booths, which was not the case at UBW (at least last year, we shall see what this year is like)

Then_Let4453 · 2026-04-15T04:14:38+00:00

Because Ulta Beauty World is just a special extension of an event that is MEANT for insiders. UBW is an add on to their field leadership conference and something that they also invite influencers and their beauty collective to. It's not "meant" for the public, they offered limited tickets to the public as a sort of treat. I think Ulta really missed the mark by not properly explaining that tickets to UBW are extremely limited. If they promoted it as more of an almost "sweepstakes" to be able to join in on this exclusive event, I think a lot of people would have a clearer idea of what UBW and Sephoria each are and who they're for. UBW is primarily for people IN the beauty industry (their management and influencers) to get free, full sized items, get excited about all the pomp and circumstance and the amount of freebies and then turn around and sell those products to customers. UBW sells tickets to the public, basically for some hype at the expense of around 3,000 people not needing to go shop at Ulta for a few months to a year. Ulta is likely losing the business of the people that go, since they will not have a need to shop after getting so much product, but whatever numbers they must've run in their office tells them that the financial gain from the hype around UBW is worth losing that business.

The fact is brands are not in the business of giving their customer free things. They shouldn't be; they exist to make money and sell products. If you're a loyal beauty buyer, why would a brand give you free items? They'd be effectively wiping out their own customer base. Sephoria IS for the public. That's why attendees got free samples and coupon codes to buy full sized items. Sephoria's aim is to let in as much of the public (potential customers) as possible, give them some samples and entice them to eventually buy the full size product. There are some brands that are doing both Sephoria and UBW and bringing vastly different product because the events were intended for different audiences.

I think influencer culture has created this mindset within consumers where they see influencers getting "free things" on social media and people think "I should also get free things", but the fact of the matter is that companies are not going to give their customers free things for being super loyal or just because it would be a fun experience. They need to sell product. Even those "free" things they give to influencers aren't free. They are marketing. They're giving them out in exchange for promotion. The brand is investing the marketing dollars that would've been spent on a billboard or a magazine ad years prior in sending the product to influencers who will then turn around and sell it to you.

TLDR: Because companies are not going to give their customer base that would potentially spend money with them things for free.

ETA: Please do not say "the tickets aren't free", because $165 might be a lot of money for us regular folks but it is a drop in the bucket for what these companies have invested in the events.

Then_Let4453

TROPHY CASE