Key Takeaways:

• Sephora concentrates demand through prestige; Ulta Beauty distributes volume through accessibility.
• Ingredient storytelling wins at Sephora; clinical efficacy drives conversion at Ulta.
• Paid media accelerates Ulta's growth, while Sephora reinforces existing brand leaders.

As beauty retail fragments across channels, Ulta Beauty and Sephora remain two of the industry’s most influential digital shelves. While both platforms benefit from strong brand ecosystems and loyal shoppers, their category leadership, merchandising strategies, and media dynamics point to diverging definitions of what “winning” looks like in online beauty today. Navigo Marketing’s two 2025 year-end review reports reveal how the retailers are evolving in fundamentally different ways. BeautyMatter analyzes the key findings.

Mass Reach vs. Prestige Density

At a macro level, the contrast between Ulta Beauty and Sephora is visible in how each retailer organizes demand.

Sephora continues to dominate prestige-led categories with concentrated brand power and higher price points, particularly in fragrance, skincare, and haircare. The site’s top-performing brands—including Sol de Janeiro, The Ordinary, Kérastase, Kayali, and Rare Beauty—reflect a consumer motivated by brand storytelling, trend authority, and curated discovery. Across multiple categories, Sephora’s number-one brand regularly commands double-digit share: 

• Skincare: The Ordinary leads with 16.5% share
• Haircare: Kérastase leads with 13.5% share
• Fragrance: Sol de Janeiro holds 14.6% share, closely followed by Kayali at 14%
• Makeup: Sephora Collection leads at 11.2% share

Ulta Beauty shows broader fragmentation across brands and categories, reflecting its hybrid mass-prestige positioning. Leadership is distributed across dermatological staples (La Roche-Posay, Clinique, CeraVe), mass favorites (e.l.f Cosmetics, NYX), and Ulta’s own private label. Rather than relying on a handful of breakout prestige brands, Ulta’s strength lies in scale, replenishment, and accessibility. Ulta’s shallower leadership curves show category leaders typically holding 4%-10% of share, signalling broader assortment competition:

• Skincare: Clinique leads at 9%, followed by La Roche-Posay at 8% 
• Haircare: Redken leads at 10%
• Makeup: Tarte leads at 4.2%
• Bodycare: Tree Hut leads at 5.6%

Ultimately, Sephora concentrates demand while Ulta Beauty distributes it.

Skincare: Ingredient Culture vs. Clinical Authority

Skincare illustrates the clearest philosophical divide. Sephora leaders The Ordinary, Sephora Collection, Glow Recipe, and Laneige signal continued demand for ingredient-led, trend-forward formulations. The top three skincare brands account for 38.3% of the total skincare share, with the average hero product price among top SKUs ranging from $6 to $24: 

• The Ordinary 16.5%
• Sephora Collection 11.9%
• Glow Recipe 9.9%

The top five best-selling skincare products at Sephora were: 

• Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm ($24)
• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% ($6)
• Touchland Power Mist ($10)
• The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner ($10)
• Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Spray ($12)

Sponsored brand activity skews towards prestige players like Drunk Elephant, Tatcha, and Farmacy, reinforcing Sephora’s role as a launchpad for high-consideration skincare. Sponsored brand leaders:

• Sol de Janeiro 7.3% (sponsored share)
• Drunk Elephant 7.0%
• The Ordinary 6.6%

Ulta’s skincare category is anchored in clinical credibility and daily-use products. Clinique and La Roche-Posay together command a significant share, with support from CeraVe, Neutrogena, and The Ordinary. The top three brands account for 21.7% of skincare share, showing strong dominance of dermatologist-backed and drugstore-adjacent brands:

• Clinique 9%
• La Roche-Posay 8%
• Dermalogica 4.7%

The top five best-selling skincare products at Ulta Beauty were:

• Bubble Super Cuties Trial Kit ($30)
• La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Cleanser ($15)
• La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 ($19)
• La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Moisturizer ($22)
• Clinique Moisture Surge 100H ($28)

Sponsorship at Ulta Beauty favors efficiency-driven brands like RoC, Good Molecules, and No7, signaling a shopper focused on outcomes over novelty. At Ulta, sponsorship brands' skincare share is led by:

• RoC 10% (sponsorship share)
• La Roche-Posay 8%
• Clinique 6.7%

Sephora’s skincare shopper is trend- and ingredient-driven, while Ulta Beauty’s is condition- and routine-driven.

Haircare: Ritualized Prestige vs. Professional Utility

Haircare data further underscores shopper intent. Haircare at Sephora is led by prestige and influencer-born brands, with Kérastase, Amika, dae, and Gisou dominating the share as premium price points dominate hero SKUs:

• Kérastase products reach $63
• Gisou and Olaplex hero SKUs consistently price above $25

The top five best-selling haircare products at Sephora were:

• dae Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream Mini ($20)
• dae Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream (Full Size) ($30)
• Color Wow Mini Dream Coat ($12)
• Gisou Mini Honey Infused Hair Oil ($25)
• Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil ($30)

The category leans into scalp health, sensorial experiences, and premium routines, supported by strong sponsors, visibly from Olaplex, Ouai, and Moroccanoil. Sponsored share is split by:

• Olaplex 12%
• Ouai 11.4%
• Kérastase 9.4%

Ulta’s haircare landscape skews professional and salon-adjacent. Redken leads the category, followed by Kenra Professional, Olaplex, and Biolage. The top five brands represent 24.6% of category share:

• Redken 10%
• Kenra Professional 4.2%
• Biolage 3.4%

The top five best-selling haircare products at Ulta Beauty were: 

• Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil ($30)
• Madison Reed Radiant Hair Color Kit ($34)
• Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother ($30)
• Divi Scalp Serum ($44)
• Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil ($30)

Sponsorship is concentrated among heritage and pro brands like Paul Mitchell, Virtue, and Bumble and bumble, underscoring Ulta’s role as both a retail and services-driven authority:

• Paul Mitchell 6.8% (of sponsorship share)
• Ouai 5.9%
• Virtue 5.6%

Makeup: Cultural Momentum vs. Everyday Velocity

Makeup performance reflects differing roles in a consumer's routine. Sephora’s makeup category is driven by culturally relevant and viral brands like Rare Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, One/Size, Saie, and Tower 28, with Sephora Collection still holding the top share despite declines:

• Sephora Collection 11.2%
• Rare Beauty 10.4%
• One/Size 6%

Top five best-selling makeup products at Sephora were:

• Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm ($24)
• Patrick Ta Major Headlines Blush ($36)
• Rare Beauty Mini Soft Pinch Liquid Blush ($15)
• One/Size Mini On ’Til Dawn Setting Spray ($18)
• Huda Beauty Easy Bake Blurring Powder ($26)

Sponsored placements favor luxury and artistry brands such as Dior, Nars, and Armani Beauty, reinforcing prestige credentials:

• Benefit 8.5% (of sponsorship share)
• Nars 7.5%
• Dior 6.2%

Ulta’s makeup category is more evenly distributed, led by Tarte, OPI, e.l.f Cosmetics, NYX, and Ulta Beauty Collection; however, makeup is flat, with no brand above 4.3%:

• Tarte 4.2%
• OPI 4.1%
• e.l.f Cosmetics 3.8%

The top five best-selling makeup products at Ulta Beauty were:

• IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream ($47)
• Benefit Benetint Lip & Cheek Stain ($26)
• Tarte Shape Tape Concealer ($31)
• Essie Gel Couture Top Coat ($13)
• Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation ($52)

At Ulta, sponsorship strongly favors mass and masstige brands like NYX, Essie, L’Oréal, and Maybelline, reflecting a price-conscious, replenishment-driven consumer: 

• NYX 13% (of sponsored share)
• Essie 6.5%
• L’Oréal 5.2%

Fragrance: Mood vs. Maison

Fragrance is one of the few categories where both retailers overlap in hero brands, but with different emphases.

Sephora is dominated by Sol de Janeiro and Kayali, which together account for nearly 30% of fragrance share, signaling demand for approachable, mood-driven scent wardrobes. Sponsorships highlight luxury houses like Chanel and Dior, reinforcing aspiration.

Ulta’s fragrance leans more heavily into traditional designer power, with YSL, Dior, Chanel, and Valentino leading share while Sol de Janeiro plays a supporting role.

• Sephora’s top brands, Sol de Janeiro and Kayali, account for 28.6%
• Ulta’s top two brands, YSL and Sol de Janeiro, account for 13.4%

The top five best-selling fragrance products at Sephora were:

• Valentino Donna Born in Roma ($55)
• Carolina Herrera Good Girl (Mini) ($20)
• Kayali Yum Boujee Marshmallow ($32)
• Kayali Vanilla | 28 ($33)
• Phlur Vanilla Skin (Mini) ($25)

The top five best-selling fragrance products at Ulta Beauty were:

• YSL Myslf Eau de Parfum ($84)
• Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa ’62 ($25)
• Better World Fragrance House Summer Mink ($69)
• Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 48 ($25)
• Valentino Donna Born in Roma ($89)

Paid Media: Scale vs. Selectivity

Data shows a meaningful divergence in how each retailer deploys sponsored visibility.

Ulta Beauty exhibits higher sponsorship dispersion across mass, derm, and pro brands, suggesting paid media is a core driver of discovery and velocity.

Sephora uses sponsorship more selectively, concentrating spend among top prestige brands already performing organically.

This suggests Ulta’s digital shelf is more open to performance-driven acceleration, while Sephora favors brands that already align with prestige positioning. 

What This Means for Brands in 2026

Navigo’s 2025 data reinforces that Ulta Beauty and Sephora are no longer interchangeable distribution channels; they are strategically distinct ecosystems.

Brands seeking scale, replenishment, and frequency are better positioned for growth at Ulta. Brands built on storytelling, innovation, and cultural relevance continue to benefit disproportionately from Sephora’s digital shelf. Media strategy must reflect these differences: what converts at Ulta Beauty may dilute at Sephora, and vice versa.

As beauty brands enter 2026, success will depend less on where they sell and more on how precisely they adapt to each retailer's definition of value.