GONE are the days of $1 Elf products at drugstores but cheap beauty finds can be still found, it seems, at Dollar Tree.
Influencers have flooded platforms like TikTok with their budget Dollar Tree blushes, lippies, and even name-brand beauty steals, so of course I had to jump on the bandwagon.
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Dollar Tree skincare surprised me with its performance and quality and I was curious to see if their makeup would do the same.
I ventured on a trip to my local Dollar Tree, picking up six makeup products, a beauty tool, and a hair mask for a total of $10 before tax.
Makeup
Essentially Ageless Blur Face Primer
This silicone-y primer came out bright pink and quickly buffed away into nothingness.
I had an inkling that the primer was a dupe for the $11 L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Blurring Face Primer in Rosy, with its similar name, color, and formulation.
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Like most silicone-based primers, it mattified and blurred the pores, leaving a bit of a tacky feeling afterward.
There was also an unpleasant fake rose scent that, fortunately, went away quickly.
Although it performed decently and measured up well to the L'Oreal primer, due to the smell alone, I found myself not wanting to reach for the primer frequently.
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Essentially Ageless Hydrating Serum Foundation
Like the primer, I felt that the foundation was a dupe for the $18 L'Oreal Radiant Serum Foundation with SPF 50, minus the sunscreen.
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Unfortunately, the shade range for this product was extremely limited.
I picked up the shade Light-Medium, which ended up being much too dark for me with the wrong yellow undertone, but the performance blew me away.
The foundation blended seamlessly with a sponge, provided medium coverage, and sat pretty for hours with a soft satin finish.
I also found the lip gloss tube packaging convenient as I was able to directly squeeze the product onto areas of my face.
Although I was surprised by how much I liked the foundation, I did wish it came in a larger range of shades and undertones.
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Essentially Ageless Blurring Pressed Powder with Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin C
What Vitamin C is doing in a pressed powder, I'll never know.
But the unnecessary ingredient aside, I was impressed with the mattifying powder.
Using a puff as instructed, I pressed the powder to areas of my T-zone (forehead, nose, and cheeks), which eliminated shine and set the pre-existing foundation in place.
The powder also provided a nice blurring effect but after a few hours, I did notice cakiness settle into lines and pores.
While I do think it's a steal for $1.25, I still much prefer my $35 Kosas powder.
L.A. Colors Liquid Eyeliner in Black
As someone who's very particular with their eyeliners, I chose this for its felt tip, hoping for a precise wing.
I was disappointed when I opened up the pen to reveal a thicker, marker-type brush instead of a thinner applicator.
As a result of the wide brush, I had difficulty achieving the lines I wanted.
The ink, although a rich and opaque black, ran a little which only exacerbated the problem.
I would agree that it didn't move or smear and was still easy to remove at the end of the day.
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L.A. Colors Brow Pencil in Dark Brown
You may have seen makeup tutorials where the makeup artist draws individual "hairs" to mimic the look of natural brows.
This capability is what I look for in a brow pencil as someone with sparse brows.
For years, I leaned towards waxier pencils like NYX's Micro Brow Pencil, $11, for drawing precision.
I found the L.A. Colors pencil lacking, even upon swatching.
There wasn't much pigment and as a result, it created cloudy and messy-looking brows that looked like they might as well have been filled in with some eyeshadow.
B-Pure Freckle Pen in Dark Brown
As someone with lots of natural freckles, I was thrilled when freckle makeup started trending last year, with brands like Freck Beauty launching pens.
However, while Freck Beauty's Freck OG is $22, the B-Pure is only a fraction of the price, and frankly, just as good.
I found the brown pigment to be strong and worked with an extremely light hand but was pleased with the brush applicator, which allowed me to "flick" freckles with my fingers.
The B-Pure dries down almost instantly, which makes working fast and light, critical.
The tiny Freck OG, I found, is difficult to work with due to its incredibly small brush and packaging.
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Hairs & Tools
Bolero Beverly Hills Texture & Bounce Hair Mask, Papaya Butter and Avocado
Upon application, I immediately noticed an artificial, plastic-y papaya and avocado smell that lingered in my hair post-wash.
But for me, it wasn't too unbearable.
I did, however, notice that my hair was noticeably softer after waiting the recommended five minutes, much like a conditioner.
After a few uses, however, I didn't think it did much long-term, nor provided bounce or volume.
B-Pure Jade Gua Sha Massager
I picked up the gua sha hoping that it would rival the $30 stainless steel one I owned, but it unfortunately broke into pieces in its plastic packaging before I got home.
Although I didn't get to try it out, I had a hunch that it would have been inferior due to its shape and contour.
I didn't think the edges of the tool were curved enough, like my stainless steel version, to properly help carve out the face in a facial massage.
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Conclusion
Dollar Tree's cosmetic range is a testament to how far the beauty industry has come in the decade since I graduated high school.
Many of these $1.25 products blew the drugstore products I tried as a teen out of the water.
If I could go back in time and hand my younger self a $10 bag full of Dollar Tree products, I simply would.
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While I'll stick to my current makeup routine, I do see myself re-purchasing the B-Pure Freckle Pen, Primer, and Foundation again.
The latter two are even contenders against popular drugstore brands like Covergirl and Maybelline.
