Thrifty Thursday # 4 | Dollar Tree

 

THRIFTY THURSDAY # 4 | DOLLAR TREE

This week, I found such a random assortment of items, I'm not even sure where to start.  So, let's just focus on beauty items.

First up:  I purchased two Greenbriar products.  The jumbo elastics don't have any metal pieces to get stuck in hair, so I love using them for hair styling, like bantu knots.  I'm going to be doing a tutorial on this, but bottom line - it's a great way to "cheat" effortless curls. 

I haven't yet tried the Sassy + Chic beauty blender-style sponge, but since I'm not familiar with the official Beauty Blender, my standards are lower.  ;)  I'll be sure to come back with a review.

 

Next, I found a couple of LA Colors products.  The first were Color Craze nail polishes.  These are a standard fixture at Dollar Tree, but this was my first time seeing these shades.  They swatched beautifully, and I'm so glad they came home with me!

 

I also found several LA Colors Glitter Pop polish kits.  It looks like I'm missing one, and I'm not sure whether I'll go back for it.

 

 
As you can see from the swatches below, these swatched pretty sheer in one coat.  They did build up nicely after a second swatch, and I'm curious to see the coverage on an actual nail.

Above, I swatched one coat of polish and dusted the top with the corresponding glitter for each shade.  The glitter-topped swatches are just one coat.

Next up, I found several Milani products!

As I shared in my Swatch Sunday video, I found several Shadow Eyez eyeshadow pencils in neutral shades. After doing some research with Miss Clearance, we determined that  09/Café Au Lait is a good cheapie substitute for Mac Stone.  It's not quite as deep, and it does have a different finish, since it is matte and Stone has a sheen.  All in all, I think it's a great way to get the look for less. :)

 
I also found one lone Milani Smoothé base coat. I've been looking for this product for years, and now that I've fallen in love with Revlon's base coat, I'm on the hunt for similar products.

 

Smoothé is a milky polish that dries clear and helps to fill in ridges on nails to provide a smooth surface on which to paint. 

According to Milani, Smoothe is “A ridge-filling base coat designed to prime your nails for the perfect color application. This formula was created with a combination of Okoumé AE and Botanical Extract of Bamboo to fight ridged weak and aged nails.”

 

I also hoped to find the Glossé top coat, but I didn't see any.  I'll continue to keep my eyes peeled- it got rave reviews and was compared to Seche Vite because of its high-gloss finish and staying power.

 

Next up from Milani, I found several lip products from different collections: Haute Flash, Crystal, and Glitzy.

 

 

 

My favorite of these three are the Haute Flash lip glosses. They are on the thicker side, but the pigmentation and shine is amazing.  Perfect if you want to make a bold statement.

 

The Crystal lip glosses are great all-purpose glosses in a variety of finishes (jelly, frosted/shimmery, cream) and opacities.  However, you're taking a bit of a risk with these because some of them can skew close to the sticky side of the spectrum.  Just a warning!

 

Last, these Glitzy lip glosses are my runner-up faves of the bunch.  The packaging is adorable, and the pigmentation is good, but not too bold.  Perfect as a standalone lippie for understated- but glossy- color.

 

I haven't yet tried these mini perfume and lotion sets, but let me just tell you why I'm excited.  Typically these Dollar Tree fragrance sets are packaged as mini lotions and rollerballs, and it's really the only negative thing I've had to say.  I've had some issues with rollerballs not dispensing the perfume properly, so I'm really hopeful about these! 

 
 
I picked up just a couple more Revlon Nearly Naked foundations - a couple for me (Caramel), and a couple for a YouTube buddy who is looking for backups in her shade (Chestnut).

 

I also found another satin pillowcase to add to my stash.  I currently have these on my bed's pillows, and I've been super happy with them.

 

I also found the following Studio C products:

This ID pouch is labeled "Rock Star" and is a textured quilted faux patent leather entirely in black.  It has a key ring (to attach to a lanyard or retractable badge hook), and- in addition to the ID window- has a zippered pouch to put in a few essentials.  The zippered section is just slightly too small to hold my iPhone 4.

I also received the middle pattern from my good buddy @thriftysaving and the black pattern from my YT homegirl Miss Clearance.

These Yes to Carrots facial wipes typically retail for $2.99 per 10-count package (this is the travel size), so I purchased a few. 

As soon as I got home, I used one to remove my makeup and it did an awesome job of retaining its shape while still removing tons of makeup. It was also nice and moist, and thick enough that you can actually use both sides. 

Check out the YouTube video to see the pull-test in action.



Next up, I found a few NYC Liquid Lipshine glosses.  I've purchased these at Dollar Tree in the past, and I know that the pigmentation varies based on the collection. 

I'll be swatching my updated (to include these) NYC gloss collection in a future Swatch Sunday.

The last beauty item I found were from Maybelline.  There were tons of these Perfect Pastels eyeshadows, but just in these two colors. 

I have purchased Maybelline eyeshadows at Dollar Tree in the past, so I'll include these in a collective switcheroo in the future.  Stay tuned to my channel for more!

Thanks for reading - I'll see you next time!