Dollar Store Beauty Buys

If you’re looking to save more of your beauty budget for splurging on big-ticket items (like that luxury moisturizer that works like nothing else or your perfect foundation), then stop wasting your money at Sephora or Ulta! Don’t sleep on these dollar store beauty buys that will help you save and leave you feeling beautiful. While they don’t sell individual sizes online, your local dollar-tree will likely have them!

Makeup Sponges

The original Beautyblender makeup sponge is a cult-favorite, but it costs $16 at Sephora. Why spend double-digits on a makeup sponge when you can find dupes at the dollar store that work just as well? Your local Dollar Tree sells makeup sponges that mimic those found at luxury stores. Buy a dollar store blending sponge instead of a Beautyblender, and you’ll have enough money left over to buy three Starbucks lattes.

Nail Polish

When even a pro manicure only lasts a week, there’s no reason to splurge on designer nail polish at the beauty supply store. You can DIY your manicure at home with some nail polish from the dollar store. If you want to get fancy with your DIY mani, you can even get salon-quality tools for pushing back and cutting cuticles, filing and buffing your nails, and removing old nail polish for—that’s right—only a dollar!

Hair Ties & Bobby Pins

If you are anything like me, you probably break a hair tie or lose a bobby pin at least once a day. For whatever reason, hair ties and bobby pins never seem to be where you last left them. So, why spend more than $1 on them if you don’t have to? For something that you’re probably going to lose or break anyways, the dollar store is the way to go.

Witch Hazel

Acne treatments can be harsh on the skin and full of stripping alcohols. Botanical ingredients like witch hazel address the root causes of acne without excessive irritation or redness. You can get bottles of pure witch hazel at your local Dollar Tree to save money on this acne remedy. Apply this all-natural toner with a cotton pad (which you can also get at the dollar store). Swipe it over your skin after you wash your face but before you put your moisturizer on. You’ll see improvements in the texture of your skin almost immediately.

Coconut Oil

Did you know you can get coconut oil at your local Dollar Tree? It isn’t for cooking, but it’s super moisturizing for your skin, hair, and nails. The only difference between dollar store coconut oil and more expensive hair treatments is the bottle size, which is slightly smaller at your local dollar store than at your favorite beauty supply shop.

Face Masks

At Sephora, face masks containing active ingredients like charcoal can go for $60 or more (exhibit A: Glamglow SuperMud). You can save a ton of money by choosing dollar store face masks over expensive Sephora ones. Many dollar stores carry the brand Freeman, which is a drugstore cult favorite. Again, the size is smaller at the dollar store than at your beauty counter, but that makes it especially great for testing out new formulations on your skin before stocking up.

Brush Cleaning Mat

Silicone mats for cleaning off your makeup brushes are one of the newest beauty-tool trends. At Ulta or Sephora, a brush cleaning mat will cost you around $10. Let’s be real here: you could buy yourself a Chipotle burrito bowl with the money you’d save getting one of these mats at the dollar store. Silicone is cheap to produce, so there’s no difference in quality between the dollar store mat and the pricier beauty store version.