Remember what it felt like the first time Mom let you play with her makeup, when you wanted to wear all the lipstick, paint your nails ten different colors, and simultaneously use both the eyelash curler and hair-straightening iron? Such is the rush of any one of Ricky’s seventeen Manhattan locations. Despite its glittering walls and selection of fabulously fake wigs, Ricky’s is far more than a paramount venue to discover your inner drag queen. The store takes the best (and, let’s face it, most important) parts of your local drugstore—the cosmetics, hair, and bath products—and expands them exponentially, to staggering proportions. Hair-product brands generally found only in salons or higher-end stores—names like Nexxus, KMS, Kérastase, and Lanza—abound, while Burt’s Bees and Tom’s of Maine merchandise ensures that the greenest will be satisfied. Upstairs, check out the fun clothing and accessories, including body glitter, temporary and henna tattoos, and multiple varieties of double-stick tape, most embracing a teen-queen aesthetic. — Andrew Sessa
7.0
"Recommended" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10
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Would you go back?
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Do you go there for bargains?
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Do you go there to buy gifts?
Quality:
9.0
Service:
5.0
Selection:
10.0
Value:
6.0
Great Selection, Better Prices than Sephora, but HORRIBLE RETURN POLICY
I indulge in luxury hair care products, namely conditioner, shampoo, and styling products for my curly corse hair. I research products, and usually am willing to spend a lot on products that will make my mane luxurious. Ricky's has everything you could ever want, hair care wise. The best and often times hard to find brands, with better prices ($4 cheaper on an expensive conditioner) than sephora, great hours, multiple locations... I was smitten with them from the start. However, their return policy sucks. You must et the product back within 7 days, and they are very strict, but what is worse, is that they do not accept returns on "professional hair care products". What does that mean, you may ask? What is professional? Turns out that nothing is labeled as such, and unless you ask, you won't know. I was pissed to find I couldn't return (though I could get a credit) a very expensive item that I unexpectedly no longer needed. While their prices are lower than Sephora's, Sephora (and CVS) has a very liberal return policy which won't leave you feeling sour. Be careful!