If your world was rocked when you saw a Facebook post claiming that Sephora is buying out Ulta, don't worry: Unlike The New York Times and The Washington Post, this is actually fake news.
The Facebook post linked to a supposed People story titled "Sephora Just Announced They Are Buying Out Ulta — Here's How YOU Can Take Advantage." But, as confirmed by the fact-checking site Snopes, the article is a scam.
According to Allure, the goal was to sell a sketchy product called Vlamorous Cream. The fake People article urged readers to head to Ulta's alleged closeout sales and make sure they got a hold of a free sample of the cream.
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“Until recently, Ulta Beauty has always kept an amazing wrinkle secret called Vlamorous Cream reserved for their high paying celebrity clients. They reported that in order to clear the products off the shelves, they needed to give out free samples for everyone to try,” the fake news article stated.
Needless to say, that statement was a complete fabrication. Furthermore, Vlamorous Cream has a long track record of scamming customers. A consumer report filed on Ripoff Report warns that the company actually charges a hefty fee for those "free samples."
"They say that you can have a sample of it for free and the sample is supposed to last 30 days. Nowhere do they say anything about later charging you after a period of 14 days if you don't return whatever is left. That charge for us was about $100," the report explained. "How businesses like this are allowed to exist is beyond me."
Stay away from Vlamorous Cream, but you can definitely head to your closest Ulta, which is still very much in business. In fact, the chain recently acquired some of our favorite brands, including M.A.C., Frank Body, and Bumble and Bumble.
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