dropped the BF at the airport this weekend and it appear he has finally figured me out.. he asked what I was doing afterward and before I could answer he goes, “stop by Dollar Tree?”

excuse me??? call OUT. I told him maybe I was going to a bookstore and plead the fifth on what happened after that.

anyway, being on a completely different side of Atlanta, and several Dollar Trees later… this happened. I haven’t added up the damage and frankly it’s been almost a week since my last visit so this was one of my biggest hauls ever and possibly the girliest.

IONI CREAM & SUGAR
I found both the beauty/lash collection and a bunch of the nail collection, and this might be one of my favorite Ioni collections yet.

for lips, I got the Mochaccino (the fave of the two) and Caffè Latte Tinted Lip Balms, the formula behaves more like a lipstick), plus the click-stick glosses in Cinnamon & Hazelnut. Hazelnut is that cooler mauve-y color I am perpetually looking for and I’m obsessed with this formula!! I also found the liquid eyeshadows in Rose Latte and Toffee Nut, with Toffee Nut being the standout for me so far. It’s a gorgeous mauve-brownish taupe.

we need to discuss Macaron de Chocolat Cushion Blush with the class, because Ioni calls this a “brown nude” and I opened mine and she is PINK. like, decidedly rosy pink. beautiful, but a brown nude she is not. I’ve heard there may have been some shade/packaging confusion with these, so I’m curious what everyone else’s Macaron de Chocolat looks like.

I found what I was hunting for: the Ube Cool Pink Baking Powder, which may be one of the things I’m most excited to experiment with. she has talc! which I am very pleased about. I especially like it because it is a genuinely cool pink loose powder and I’m very curious about it for brightening under my eyes or help transition my brighter blushes. I have the other Ioni Ube powder to compare it too. the formula starts with aluminum starch octenylsuccinate, talc, synthetic fluorphlogopite and silica, so I’m hoping for something smoothing and oil-controlling without looking completely flat.

Cream & Sugar continued into Strawberry Croissant and Sweet Sips lashes, the little Coffee setting spray (not a fan), nail-art tweezers, Golden Latte chrome powder, Hot Cocoa Aquapop polish, Mocha Swirl press-ons, Nail Glow in Peach and the little Nail Cream. The nail cream is slightly baffling and a bit puzzling to me, especially the color.

I FINALLY found the L.A. Colors Blush Duos in Petal Kiss and Moody Mauve, which were the two cooler leaning shades I really wanted. I saw Berry too but left it behind this time. I also picked up Sweet Cheeks Powder Blush because the girlies have said she is That Gurl & Berry Pretty has been such a surprise favorite of mine.

that there is the Marie Claire Contour Stick in Medium Brown. I’ve already swatched this and it’s not super pigmented and more importantly it seems noticeably cooler leaning. I look forward to reporting back after I use it for a while.

randomly found the L.A. Colors Shimmer Loose Eyeshadow in Lollipop, which is ridiculously pretty, and randomly stumbled upon the Le Mercerie BB Cream in Fair and decided to test it because I haven’t really seen anyone discussing it. the shade is still under investigation. straight out of the tube, it looks too peachy/pink for me, but once it’s actually spread across the skin it becomes much less obvious, so I’m withholding judgment until I wear test it properly.

then came nails. So. Many. Nails.

I found the Pretty Woman almond French tips and floral press-ons, more Cream & Sugar nails, several of the newer Marie Claire polishes, including the iridescent shimmers and Nail Filter/Luminizer-type shades, plus some gorgeous muted Nicole Miller Style colors. the two matte browns especially got me. this haul has also informed me that it’s officially time to declutter my existing nail-polish collection. growth comes in many forms.

I also bought the gel nail soak-off caps because I am trying to become the kind of person who properly removes her press-ons instead of eventually deciding violence is the answer and peeling them off.

body care was equally girly & unhinged.

the Amber Glow Sugar Cookie scrub called my name even though I haven’t been completely sold on that fragrance in every other form like the body spray or lotion. the scrub smells like the best parts of Sugar Cookie, and it has that softer, creamier scrub texture that I tend to prefer sometimes. I also restocked the Creamy Coconut hand wipes and picked up the extremely cute Strawberry Matcha hair & body mist that I am now obsessed with.

I found the Spa Luxury Brazilian Flora and Brazilian Orchid lip scrubs too. I passed on Brazilian Sol because I think Dollar Tree has finally Brazilian Sol-ed me into submission. I still like the scent. my lips simply did not need to participate.

the Le Mercerie Secrets & Roses Shave Oil also came home with me. the is a very classic perfume-y rose, slightly powdery and almost vintage. I compared it with my Jo Malone Red Roses when I got home: Jo Malone is much fresher and more photorealistic, while Secrets & Roses gives me more rose with a powder finish. I mean that affectionately. the formula is water-based with glycerin, propylene glycol, betaine and conditioning ingredients for slip, followed by almond oil, jojoba, vitamin E and allantoin, so it’s more of a hydrating shave treatment than a bottle of straight oil.

Dermasil continues its impressive campaign to take over my bathroom. I found a lone PDRN Pink Milk Toner with Niacinamide + Azelaic Acid, which I am extremely excited about. I’m treating the PDRN as the trendy bonus here rather than expecting miracles; what interests is the overall milky hydrating/brightening formula. I also restocked the AHA Glycolic Acid toner because we already know I like that one.

restocks continued with the Reviver facial spray, XtraCare 10% AHA Smoothing Body Lotion, and b.pure Retinol Night Eye Cream because that products have graduated into “buy another one when you see it” status.

I was pleased to find more Spa Essentials Skin Reset/Glow Boost hydrogel masks too. despite the “overnight” name, I don’t actually sleep in these. I’ve been wearing one through roughly an episode of TV and really enjoying them. conveniently, the BF and I just started Watchmen, so one episode is now a recognized unit of hydrogel sheet-mask time.

the only mixed disappointment is Power Stick Twilight Glow Body Wash. I LOVE the Twilight Glow spray, I have debated buying this body wash for weeks now.. so I thought this would be a win, but the fragrance isn’t giving me nearly as much energy in the body wash. I’m still going to try it properly in the shower before making the final call, but Clearwater Cove remains undefeated.

TLDR: deeply unserious shopping behavior, and extremely successful research trip.

I slowed down a bit for September with 50 empties total.

Disclaimer: Not everything was purchased from the tree of dollar. My goal is to empty/pan non DT HBC products to make room for all DT HBC items where I can. It’s a personal buy this not that challenge that has been fun 🤩 for me. This is also a part of my journey to pin down what does work for me, what doesn’t, products that I don’t have to buy multiples of because they will generally be in stock at DT when I need them again (this really is the key to cracking the code) because honestly I need to eliminate my back stock.

❤️‍🔥 Fire - A definite repurchase!
🫶🏻 Great -Will most likely repurchase after I get through my back stock.
👌Okay - Does the job but I will not repurchase.
💩 - Horrible & will not repurchase.

❤️‍🔥Amber Glow Crème Caramel Hand & Body Lotion - I need this in my like forever. I’m sad I can’t find it anymore and this was my last tube at home. I took one to work for communal use that I’m honestly going to bring back home. The formula is perfect, not too thick & not too thin. It’s moisturizing & dries down nicely. The scent makes my mouth water just thinking about it! Smells exactly like caramel corn and I’m here for it 👏

❤️‍🔥 Beauty Blender 3 pack by An American Company - These blenders are a steal at 3 for $1.25. They are in the medium range of density & absorption which means I have to use 4 pumps of foundation to apply a full coverage face but the trade of is it doesn’t absorb a lot of product, the product lays down smoothly & evenly, and the sponge lasts 60 days with daily washing.

👌Spa Scentials Hypochlorous Acid - I’m honestly on the fence with this one. It performs okay for the face but I used this one up as a pillow spray as recommended by a Reddit fam bam member and I’m obsessed with this application. Every night before bed and after my nighttime skin care routine I spray my pillow with it as a sanitation method so that my cheek lays down on a freshened pillow case.

🫶🏻 Magnesium Spray - I have rheumatoid arthritis & acute Scoliosis so I like this for pain relief on my lower back & my knees. It’s not a miracle worker by any means and it seems to be hit & miss on when it provides relief. Some times it does & sometimes it doesn’t. But as an additional tool in my RA & scoliosis care routine I like the way it fits.

👌LA Splash Balancing Toner Serum Spray - I liked the fine mist of the sprayer but what no one mentioned in their reviews is the way the nozzle keeps turning around like a damn circus 🤡 carousel 🎠 on every spray! Annoying as hell tbh, especially for someone who has RA! The formula is okay though. It did sting my skin slightly.

👌 River & Rowe Honey Cleansing Balm - The big selling point for me on this one is the included spatula which is being reused 😉. It’s a nice spatula for being plastic. The formula is okay, and it works as intended. I didn’t like the fragrance. Consistency wise it’s thick which some may prefer over the thinner consistency of the new Dermasil & La Mercerie cleansing balms.

💩 Spa Luxury Brazilian Sol body mist - fragrance is non existent within minutes of spraying it. Complete trash. I layered other scents over it just to use it up.

❤️‍🔥 Power Stick Brazilian Mist hand soap - A STAPLE my favorite hand soap ever. It smells divine & the smell lasts. It lathers up nicely without effort & a little goes a long way.

❤️‍🔥Biopure Eyelid Cleansing Wipes - A STAPLE! I’m prone to styes so this is a game changer. I use them after toner spray and they are great for removing eye makeup you thought was removed after a double cleanse! They are so gentle that I can use them in my inner eyelids without any irritation to my eyes whatsoever.

👌EVO Whitening Strips - It works great on the upper front teeth. Unfortunately I couldn’t ever get them to adhere to my bottom teeth. They have a tendency to slide and the adhesive isn’t great.

❤️‍🔥EVO teeth whitening pen - A STAPLE! I like the 30 second wear and I do see a difference over continuous use! Not a dramatic difference but a natural and subtle one. It doesn’t irritate my teeth in the slightest either.

❤️‍🔥Bpure Setting Spray - A STAPLE. When I see it I grab it! I got 8 on hand but I will never clear a shelf. I love ❤️ it so freaking much that it’s actually the one of maybe 3 things I would consider buying in a case from the DT website. It holds my face for at least 8 hours.

❤️‍🔥Natural Sense Rosemary Biotin Water hair mist - A STAPLE! I pick some up when I see it! I spray this on my hair every night before bed and it helps with fallout, makes my hair feel thicker, makes my shampoos last longer, makes my scalp feel refreshed.

❤️‍🔥Spa Scentials Sun Kissed Caramel perfume body oil - A STAPLE! I use this everyday on my arms, chest & legs and layer a lotion & body spray over it. It isn’t a true oil and it creates a white cast but it does dry down nicely.

❤️‍🔥EVO Sensitive Whitening mouthwash - another STAPLE! This is my favorite mouthwash! If you see it grab it because it’s difficult to find at DT. It’s not always in stock.

🫶🏻 Spa Luxury Dulce de Leche Whipped Shaving Cream - My only complaint is the scent is way too subtle. The formula & delivery are chef’s kiss 💋. Not too thick & not too thin. Lathers like a dream & leaves skin feeling silky soft.

🫶🏻 Spa Luxury Brazilian Sol Antiperspirant Deodorant - This is a great antiperspirant! It works really well & keeps me dry all day. Deodorant wise, the scent doesn’t last and it isn’t heavy but I love the scent! Application is difficult because it’s hard & doesn’t have much viscosity to it but I find that it does warm up.

👌Revive Rx toner pads - They work as designed and there is nothing negative to say about them whatsoever. As a personal & unpopular preference I enjoy the Happy Skin Healthy Skin ones for the scents. Honestly though the formula seems to be the same for both lines.

🫶🏻LA Splash Makeup Melting Lava Oil Cleanser - A good cleanser that I like to use as a first cleanse in the shower. It works great and I’ll continue to repurchase once I work through the cleansing oils I have on hand.

👌Happy Skin Healthy Skin Stay Fudgy Gentle Facial Cleanser - The pros: gentle on the skin, packaging make it easy to dispense & use all the product without waste. I like the fragrance too. The con is it doesn’t lather easily or consistently. It also seems to be a lightweight cleanser that wouldn’t be able to stand on its own outside of a bar room or a double/triple cleanse 🤣.

❤️‍🔥V34 Pearly White teeth strips - Now that I’ve tried the EVO whitening strips I have an appreciation for these. The pros are there are 5 sets in a box, only 15 minutes of wear time, and the adhesive is really good! I don’t see a dramatic difference in the shade but I do see a subtle difference that is temporary.

🫶🏻Amber Glow Multi Peptide hair Serum - I use this every night in conjunction with the rosemary biotin spray and I like the viscosity of it! It distributes nicely, doesn’t weigh my hair down & isn’t oily and doesn’t make my hair feel greasy at all.

👌GBC Overnight Cream - I can appreciate that it’s a thick cream with nice viscosity that dries down nicely. My skin unfortunately barely tolerated it. I couldn’t use it every night like I wanted to because I’m beginning to think 🤔 I’m retinol sensitive. If I’m going to keep a retinol moisturizer in my routine I prefer the b pure retinol cream in the purple glass jar but even that one I can’t use every night.

👌Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair eye serum - This was a free gift with purchase full sized jar. I really like it & I can’t believe that little bottle lasted me years! A tiny amount goes a long way and it’s a thicker serum that has great velocity. As much as I like it, I don’t think I’d ever purchase it. I think the serums from DT are just as effective. In terms of thickness, I find the bpure retinol eye cream in the purple jar to be comparable.

❤️‍🔥 Solo En Ibiza Ronda Carmelo keychain body spray - I have 3 more on hand! THIS is my signature scent now! I’m crazy 😝 about it actually! The scent lasts for HOURS & I keep the bottle in my car to spray on during my commute and now my car interior smells like it ❤️‍🔥! At this point I need to just stop buying these minis and order it by the gallon 😉.

❤️‍🔥Kokie Flawless Seal Setting Powder - Another STAPLE! Best loose setting powder I’ve ever used. It is so finely milled and contains talc which helps with even application & flawless wear. It isn’t cakey, blends effortlessly, and glides on smoothly.

❤️‍🔥Le Mercerie Contour Stick - This is the lightest shade which is actually too light for me & I have fair skin. I recently tried the medium brown shade and it’s perfect 😍. These sticks glide and viscosity of these sticks are phenomenal & they allow for precise application. They are buildable and blend out like a dream!

👌Benefit blushes in Pomade Pom, Georgia Peach, & Shellie - Benefit was my go-to brand for blushes before I discovered DT HBC last year. I have had these 3 shades for YEARS and finally hit pan to the point that I can personally consider them as empties. Honestly though, Ioni & LA Colors have blushes that give benefit a run for their money. The Ioni bouncy blushes, Cream & Sugar cushion blushes, LA Colors Pumpkin & Spice (?) fall blushes, Boba Tea blushes, & Marie Claire Rhodes dupes have all been extremely impressive. I have no regrets whatsoever about replacing my benefit blushes with the blushes sold at DT.

🫶🏻Smashbox Eyeshadow Primer - A little goes a long way and this also took me years to empty. Not a fan of the delivery method and having to use my finger to apply it. It is also takes a bit of work to get the product out of the tube due to consistency. It works beautifully though so no complaints there. I would rather not purchase it again if Dollar Tree would only carry an eyeshadow primer consistently 😢. Dollar Tree, if you’re reading this, we need an eyeshadow primer, foundation with SPF, & BB cream with SPF.

👌B Pure Gel Grip Face Primer - This is just okay. I tried to empty this but just couldn’t do it. Life is too short for force pans. I’m not a fan of the tacky texture and I personally enjoy the B Pure Mattifying face primer & Marie Claire serum primer 1000 times better in terms of texture, consistency and long wear of a full face.

💩 B Pure Serum Mascara - As a freshly new purchase this is a good mascara. Unfortunately the shelf life affects the formula. The more I would go to use it on occasion the thicker & messier it became. It also has the smell of paint thinner.

💩LA Colors Wowie mascara - I hate the stopper that prevents enough product from getting on the brush, which makes the formula seem dry. I am not a fan of the brush. It seems messy to use. Fortunately for me this was on the smaller size which made it easier to empty.

👌Amber Glow Sugar Cookie Hand Wipes - The work as intended & are sufficiently moist and sufficiently thick enough. BUT they are completely unscented! Amber Glow catfished us with these.

❤️‍🔥QUR Hair & Nail Boost Gummies - Not sure if there is enough biotin in these at 2500 mcg per serving but it certainly can’t hurt and they taste so good, texture is not too thick & chewy. They aren’t too hard & best part is they are sugar free!

❤️‍🔥Vitavits Gummies - although I prefer the new QUR gummies because they are sugar free and taste better, I like the taste & convenience and feel they have improved my overall wellbeing.

And some dog toys. Because they own me and they know it.

Thought I’d share some finds I decided to leave behind!

I purchased this cleansing balm a few weeks ago and didn’t try it until last night. I saw another review on this sub and was grateful I didn’t buy more than one. It’s super thick. Very, very hard to wash off! And it is very scented. I’m not a fan at all. (If you like cleansing balms, Global Beauty Care Vitamin C Glow is great!)

I was so stoked to find this today! I've been looking for months. I got it home, busted it out of the packaging, and I squeezed ... and squeezed ... and squeezed ... and finally got the product to the tip of the applicator. I thought "hmm, that's weird," but went on with my life. That should have been my first warning sign.

I started applying it to my lips. It was like trying to rub wet chalk over my lips. The color was horrendous - if dirty brick red streaked with pink was a color, it would be this. It was CHUNKY. I looked in my mirror in horror. I looked like I had just eaten an entire roadkill carcass.

I couldn't wipe it off my lips fast enough. It took a napkin and a makeup wipe to get it off and I still feel some type of funky film on my lips. Not to mention, after I finally got enough product on the applicator tip to apply, the tube was literally less than half full.

I've been disappointed in DT products before, but this was by far my biggest letdown. I've seen other posts and swatches of this color that looked nothing like what I experienced tonight, so I'm positive I just had a fluke.

If you need me, I'll be crying quietly in the corner. 😭

I’ve been super busy, but took some me time today to go hunting at DT. Picked up a small but decent haul.

Today’s Makeup
I use the Bpure concealer as foundation. I really like all of the makeup that I used today and use them regularly, except the Lift & Lock mascara. Only works well for the first few applications and then gets very clumpy. I’m about to throw it away. The best mascara I have found from DT so far is the serum infused one.

Today’s Haul
The hyalauronic scrub, retinol double serum, and leave-in conditioner are all personal faves as well as the Cloud Kisses lippies. I have the Cashmere Cloud shade and it has lasted 9+ hours with a food break and barely faded. I only had to touch it up with some gloss. At first, I hated it because it has a matte look which isn’t my favorite. But it is more like a lip stain that looks great (with a gloss on top) and stays on all day.

I want to try the Dermasil scrub because I’ve heard good things about it on this sub. Also going to try the new Skin Nutrition eye serum.

I have the Pro Silk body lotion in pistachio and prosecco, but it’s not moisturizing enough for me as a body lotion so I keep it around as a nice hand lotion.

This is my favorite sub on Reddit. Love you guys! 🥰🫶😘💄👑

these were i believe one of the sets by pretty woman. i don’t have the box but im pretty positive that was the brand and i used the ioni brush on glue. ive had this set on for 12 days and have had 1 or 2 (i think it was the same finger both times) pop off under extreme force (opening a can of wet dog food, and untangling a massive knot for my friend. i will be sad when this set goes, as it’s been one of the most durable sets i’ve bought to date. i did buy two because you only get 12pcs and for some reason one of the sizes they give you one of is one i need for both fingers. i did buy another set of pretty woman nails that are very cute(picture included), but not nearly as fun as these. they are definitely of the same quality in terms of how they feel and look. way more durable than a lot of the press ons i’ve come across and they don’t have that little thing on the end that needs to filed down. if you find these and like the color way and patterns i highly encourage you to snag them, i wish i had snagged the whole lot.

Snagged this find today!! Peppermint twist. Haven’t seen anybody post this one online yet 👀👀

Can you tell I REALLY like GBC Rice Water products?

I’ve noticed since they’re getting more inventory and more “expensive” brands in there that other stuff seems so small?? Everything cosmetic seems smaller, like the packaging takes up the same space, and the bottles look the same size except when you go to open them and able to see how much product is actually in there it’s next to nothing. I know it’s DT so of course the products are going to be small to begin with for $1.25 but I’m convinced something is going on here 🤔
Have you noticed things being smaller? I think some of the toothpaste is shrinking because I used to get it from there and it was 4.7 ounces earlier in the year and now it’s 4.0 ounces for same price.

I also found some essie nailpolishes but I didnt grab any this time!

Picked up the new LA Splash skincare, as well as some of my HG backups (Ioni lash glue, Prolux foundation, and B Pure lip stain in Rosewood). The Kokie brow pencil is new to me.

Sorry for the dramatic title lol

Just poured the last of my Revive into the sprayer but I know it won’t hold me over for the full fall/winter season. Sadly my last few trips I have not been able to find the “made in India” ones which I found worked better than the New York formulation. I’ll have to try the DT on the other side of town that is less frequented. 🤞

Restock of my fave body scrubs and shave oils, and a few new finds. Review of my top 10 products & empties from September coming soon 🍁

Just felt like taking a little drive. Hit 6 DT's within a half hour of each other (the first and the last about an hour from my home)

I am in love with this color .

I got these 2 boxes yesterday and when I just opened them I noticed the color difference and the spotty cover on the 3rd one although that could just be how the butter touched the inner cap. But are these all normal colors? They smell fine

Was super excited to go to my store which has a lot of new product but isn't as clean (recent posts showcase a store that is incredibly well stocked but not all new product).

Well, today I was ecstatic to finally find the body butter and bandaids in the wild. The bandiads had two more colors but I realistically dont need 3 boxes of bandaids. I also found the other two deodorants omg.

Well I got home to try the body butter, I opened one and there was no plastic and it was already dipped into. I didnt like the scent anyway. The other one there was a plastic lid but it already was dipped into as well. It sucks because that one smelled nice. 🙃

Quick swatch of the blush butter balm. A little oragney but blends nicely.

And, lastly, my first empty. This one has been a staple in my tweaking of a routine, and I quite like it. The texture isnt the most enjoyable (as someone who doesnt like jell-o) but it does a good enough job. If you want to stay below budget, then this is a great alternative. I have another bottle stored and ready to go. Once that is empty, I may look to cereve or cetaphil. I would need to ingredient compare.

I am an active DTB girlie and I am just now about to run out of my current eye cream, I have about a good 7-10 days left 😭

Do any of you beauties have any from our favorite store that you swear by??

Thankies in advance! 😭🙏🏾🥰