Fashion

The First Ulta In New York City Is Finally Coming

by Rachel Nussbaum

Beauty lovers in New York City generally have it pretty great. Sephora's abound, as do Bluemercury's, apothecaries, and Duane Reade's in-store Look Boutiques. But one beauty retailer has remained elusive for Manhattan residents — the mass market-meets-high end haven known as Ulta Beauty. Until now, that is. Where is the first Ulta Beauty in New York City opening? It'll be worth the trip.

According to Allure, Ulta Beauty is coming to New York's Upper East Side, with an E. 86th Street address announced to open next fall. To Google Maps pinpoint it for you, that destination is 144 E. 86th St., a neighborhood beauty lovers may already know from Sephora's store locator. The beauty retailer has a location nearby, as does Bluemercury, but the more the merrier, I say. It's just a game of figuring out where your interests lie — if you're hunting for the new Maybelline releases and Nars in one go, Ulta is where it's at.

Another thing that sets Ulta apart is its salon services and products, but there's no word yet what amenities the Upper East Side location will include. Here's hoping Ulta can swing their usual-size facilities at city prices for a full-service destination — or, better yet, open up another location in Brooklyn.

All of the Ultas! It could happen. According to WWD, the retailer is planning on opening 100 locations per year for the foreseeable future, bringing their total count up to around 949 at publishing time. That number currently includes 40 in the greater New York area, but outside of a SoHo pop-up last October, NYC has been an Ulta dry zone.

But no longer. Come fall 2017, the Upper East Side will be rolling with the beauty goods, a destination worth hopping the Uptown 6 for. Whether they'll follow Space NK's suit and venture into Brooklyn soon is entirely TBD.

Are the boroughs big enough for two pastel background Instagram accounts? They'll have to be.

Image: Ultabeauty/Instagram