Wishlist Wednesday #5 | Dollar Tree

WISH LIST WEDNESDAY #5 | DOLLAR TREE 

 

If you're anything like me, you've probably made mental lists of all the awesome finds you've seen hauled at Dollar Tree in hopes that one sweet day you'll find them, too.  I'm no different - except I actually make visuals to help me keep track and I update them every week as new sightings occur.

 

On each of the items, I listed the Instagram account of the person who found them.  I also linked all the accounts in the caption so you can check out their other posts and follow them!

 

https://instagram.com/prettynflawed/
https://instagram.com/natdagreatest/
https://instagram.com/phonejones.on.the.yt/
https://instagram.com/thedollardiva/

I wasn't able to find out anything more about the Klar and Danver body washes or the Fall-themed duct tapes, so I'll just leave those images there for now.  If I find them, I'll be sure to review the body washes for you!

 

I have tried the hand soaps from this brand, and I did like the scent.  The formula wasn't my favorite - it had the gelatin consistency that many of the cheapie brands have- but it lathered up just fine and the quantity for the price is pretty unbeatable. 

 

 

 

So, I would likely pick up one of each scent to test before loading up on these body washes.

 

Next up is this Maybelline Pure Blush.  I have actually seen this product at Dollar Tree in the past, and I know that the quality is pretty nice.  The formula is soft and not too powdery, the pigmentation is pretty good, and it's nice and blendable. 

 

 

 

Since this product is discontinued, I have no way to compare the Dollar Tree price to a regular retail price.  I will say, however, that these are still popping up from time to time on eBay, where they sell for $7-12 apiece.

The reviewers over at Makeup Alley are giving this product a general thumbs-up, with the major cons being oxidation, staying power, and 

packaging (many referenced an included brush, which the ones I saw did not have... hmmm.)

 

Read the reviews here and here

 

However, there were 3 or so negative reviews, a handful of average reviews, and the rest were glowing.  I'll still plan to pick up as many of these as I can get my hands on.

 

 

Next up: two elf products!

 

The HD blush starting hitting the shelves at Dollar Tree last week.  This week, a powder blush from the Studio line was spotted.

 

 

 

There are currently a lot of these shades still available for sale (retail: $3) on the eyeslipsface website, and the reviews, again, are overwhelmingly positive.  The major cons appear to be pigmentation, shade compatibility issues, and shimmer. 

 

 

elf Glossy Glosses are also popping up at Dollar Tree, although I'm not sure how many shades have been found.

 

 

 

There are currently four shades being offered for sale on the elf website, and their normal sale price is $3. 

 

There are major complaints ranging from lack of pigmentation to packaging problems to taste, color fidelity, and stickiness.  I would suggest starting with one shade, since the reviews are truly all over the place with this product.

 

Check out my YouTube video for a list of colors currently being offered as well and positive and negative reviews on both elf items.

 

Jelly Belly flavoring syrups are also being sold at Dollar Tree.  I believe these are meant to be used for snow cones, which means they are likely super concentrated and absolutely chock full of sugar.

 

 

 

Still, I'd at least like to take a look at the nutritional information to see if I can bear to use these.  If they're not overly sugary, I'd like to try a few of these as flavorings for my cheesecakes.

 

 

Lastly, more flavors of the Campbell's Soups for Easy Cooking have been making their appearance.  I have purchased one or two flavors, and would like to try others.

 

 

 

 

These can be used alone, but are marketed as starters for other dishes (recipes are included on the boxes and on the Campbell's website).  Check out my YouTube video to view the nutritional information for each of these.

 

Thanks for reading!  Please comment below to share what's on your wishlist.  :)

 

Swatch Sunday # 5 | Physician's Formula

SWATCH SUNDAY # 5 | PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA

I know you're going to start thinking that I am in love with this brand, but I actually have just amassed a large collection from Dollar Tree hauls (and one EPIC Burlington Coat Factory haul).  This week, I had a special guest swatching along with me - my husband! 

I often, in my YouTube videos, mention that cosmetics products can appear drastically different on deeper versus lighter skin tones.  Well, we finally had the brilliant idea to do double swatches, and I am SO excited that we did!

Here are some highlights from this week's Swatch Sunday video.

Pictured above are the Physician's Formula Felt Tip Eye Definer marker.  The tip is a pointed brush that is long, firm, and actually does create a defined line.  These typically retailed between $5-8 and appear to be discontinued.  I found these for just $1 at the Dollar Tree.

These are moist, defined, and pigmented to show up on deeper skin tones.  I've had them for several months (open and in use) and they haven't yet dried out.  However (and the experts at Makeup Alley tend to agree), these don't have great staying power.  Good for a dinner date, but not for all-day office eye looks.  The Makeup Alley reviews also call this brush difficult to work with, and I didn't find this to be the case. 

Bottom line: buyer beware.  You may love these, and at the $1 price point, it's worth a gamble.

All three Physician's Formula Eye Definer Flat Automatic Pencils pictured above were purchased at the Dollar Tree.

I actually really love the formula of these pencils, and the colors came across beautifully on both skin tones.  I have used Black Raisin as a smoked-out shadow liner (I didn't even bother trying to line, as I could tell by swatching that these would budge easily), and it worked beautifully.  I also use the Warm Black and Dark Brown as eyebrow pencils and they are simply awesome for creating the shape I love.

Bottom line: I love these pencils and would recommend them!

The Physician's Formula Loose-To-Go powder was purchased at Dollar Tree.  The Magic Mosaic powder was purchased in a set during the Burlington Coat Factory haul referenced above.

These powders both give off a slight wash over deep color, and the Loose-To-Go powder offers a bit of shimmer as well. 

Bottom line: there's not much pigmentation in this palette - skip it unless you're very fair.

Left to right: Mineral Wear FaceBrightener, Gentle Wear Bronzer, Les Botaniques Bronzer

All three of these products were purchased at Burlington Coat Factory as a part of a set.  The sets cost $2-3 each, which is a huge savings from the typical Physician's Formula price of $10-13 per item. 

These actually do show up on both skin tones (some more than others), but the color being given off by the first two is not something I would describe as bronzer spectrum. 

Bottom line: If you're interested in trying one of these bronzers, I'd recommend the Les Botaniques line.  It actually looks like a bromzer on fairer tones, and works as a totally respectable highlighter on deeper skin.

 

I purchased this 3-in-1 Shimmer Strips product at Dollar Tree, where it was- of course- just one dollar.

As pictured above, the lighter colors appear to be a great highlighter and bronzer set, and they could function as eyeshadows as well.

Bottom line: I like this product a lot, and actually to intend to try these powders as shadows, highlighters, and bronzers.  There's not a ton of product included, but for $1, that's not a deal-breaker.




Shimmer Strips blushes in Sunkissed Glow (left) and Rosy Glow (right)

I purchased these Shimmer Strips blushes at Burlington Coat Factory (left) and Dollar Tree (right).

These swatches were specifically for Instagram, because I wanted to get good photos of the product in the same lighting and directly next to each other for better comparison.  We also applied these wet inadvertently (I had cleaned off the swatch surface with a wet wipe just prior to swatching and LOVED the effect), which ended up being a great thing.

As you can see, these colors are absolute magic for both skin tones.  Applying wet makes the color rich and intense.  These could easily double as eyeshadows as well. 

Bottom line: GET THESE!  I would actually dare to say these may be worth the asking price.


Believe it or not, there are actually even more swatches in the YouTube video, so be sure to check it out!  If you've used any of these products, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 

Thanks, as always, for reading!  See you next time.  :)

 

Thrifty Thursday # 5 | Big Lots

 

THRIFTY THURSDAY # 5 | BIG LOTS

Recently, Big Lots has been stocking some great fragrance mists from brands I know and trust- like Calgon, Parfums du Coeur, and Bodycology.  I typically only shop sales, so I'm not sure if these fragrances have been around and I just missed them, but they all looked new to me!

I was especially excited because there was a huge diversity in the scent profiles: sweet, floral, musky, tropical, herbal, marine - literally a little of everything!  I held back on the lotions, but grabbed one of each fragrance mist I was interested in trying.  I'm going to try to test them out over the next week or so, and if one or two really strike my fancy, I'll be heading back for backups.  :)


Here's a high-level look at a few scents from each brand.  For a look at everything I hauled, check out the YouTube video.

From Parfums du Coeur:

NOTES: sparkling raspberries, juicy apples and succulent peaches




NOTES: wild strawberries, succulent peaches, and voluptuous vanilla

 

Both scents pictured above are currently available for sale - the retail price is $5-10 per full-size (8 ounce) bottle.  Check out the Body Fantasies website for a list of locations where these products can be purchased.


From Calgon:

NOTES: lush tangerine, crisp water lily and creamy sandalwood.

NOTES: sweet florals

Both scents pictured above are currently available for sale and retail for about $5 per full-size (8 ounce) bottle.  Check out Walmart online for tons of Calgon bath and body products.

Instead of sharing additional information about the Preferred Fragrance brand, just a heads-up that this brand has apparently gone through several lawsuits due to their dupery.  Check out First Nerve's post on this topic, here.


Next up, from BioSecrets:




NOTES: refreshing bergamot, soothing rose, and ylang & ylang on a sweet and exciting bed of vanilla & musk.



 

 

 

NOTES: exotic papaya, pomegranate, kiwi and pear on a beautiful floral blend of mimosa and jasmine with a heart warming drydown of musk and amber

These fragrances are currently being sold for $7 each online.  At Big Lots, however, you can find the full-size bottles for just $1.50 apiece!


There's more in the haul video, so be sure to check that out.  Thanks for reading- I'll see you next week!

Swatch Sunday #4 | Physician's Formula

SWATCH SUNDAY #4 | PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA

 

Over the last several months, I have found tons of Physician's Formula makeup items at Dollar Tree.  Not just a large quantity, but also a large variety.  Below, I'll share photos and quick reviews, and also head over to YouTube to see live swatches.



Baked Sands looks like it would be perfect as a highlight/contour palette for me.

I haven't yet used these wet, but they're excellent dry, so I'm very hopeful!

Next up are these Physician's Formula Natural Origin blushes.  I found five different shades at Dollar Tree.

Top to bottom: Blushing Organics, Mauve Organics, Natural Organics

 

Top to bottom: Pink Organics, Warming Organics

 

 

I broke Blushing Organics (it fell out of the pan and shattered), and repaired it (ish) by saturating with rubbing alcohol and allowing it to dry.

 

A swatch of "Blushing Organics" after alcohol repair.  Actually more pigmented!

 
There are a ton more swatches in my video (the longest video yet!) so take a look.  If you've used any of these products, please let me know in the comments section below. :)

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

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!