Beauty Products You Should Be Buying At Dollar Tree

A lot of people turn up their nose at the idea of dollar stores in general, but over the past few decades, these once-dingy hole-in-the-wall shops flogging goods of dubious provenance have turned into big businesses. IBISWorld notes that large dollar store chains are the ones most likely to see continued growth, but among the major players they name, only one — Dollar Tree – is truly worthy of its name, as most stores (as well as the chain's website) still sell most of their items for the easy-to-calculate price of one buck.

Shoppers on a tight budget, as well as those who love a good bargain, have known for years that Dollar Tree is a great place to buy party products, paper goods, and cleaning supplies, and they even have some surprisingly edible foods (as well as other not-so-great stuff). Only truly in-the-know fashionistas, however, are aware that Dollar Tree can be a pretty fantastic place to source amazing beauty products at a price that's always right. These are the beauty products you should be buying at Dollar Tree.

Hyaluronic acid and vitamin C serums are some of the hottest beauty products going these days, but it might surprise you that you don't always need to spend the big bucks to get a decent-quality skin product that combines the two. Dollar Tree's Skin Nutritions Hyaluronic Acid/Vitamin C combo serum even comes in a one-ounce dark glass bottle, same as the pricier stuff. 

As one Influenster commenter said of this product, "I've used so many kinds of hyaluronic acid serum and this one is still my fave. I'd pay much more for it but hopefully won't ever have to. It's lightweight, super moisturizing and makes skin feel so supple." Another commenter raved: "This stuff is amazing! I was HIGHLY [skeptical] since it does come from the dollar tree but let me tell you what, I'm about to buy all of this serum my local dollar tree has in stock!"

Dollar Tree also offers a retinol serum for your nighttime wrinkle-treating needs, also by Skin Nutritions and also with rave reviews. On Influenster, one user said that after they started with this serum, "Within 2 days, the acne was 75% gone and in a week my skin coloring has started evening out and is becoming smoother," while another claimed, "My [skin's] appearance and overall health has drastically improved!"

Serum isn't the only retinoid product you can get for a buck. There's also a skin cream by Luxe Beauty Care, an anti-aging cream that uses a base of shea butter but has retinol as its active ingredient. You get a 1.7 ounce jar for your dollar, and all the reviews on Dollar Tree's website are either four or five stars.

One Dollar Tree shopper said that after using the cream, "My skin is firmer. It's probably taken years off my appearance," while another admitted, "I tried this on a whim, 'Hey, it's a dollar.' And omg. My skin loves it!," going on to say, "I've tried so many creams as my skin has changed in my 40s and this is the only thing I've found that works well for me." Yet another review was from someone with severe eczema and rosacea, who said they saw real improvement after only a few days: "I apply it and the bottle of Double strength Retinol Night Repair Serum before bed and wake up looking and feeling so much better! My skin is brighter and softer. There is no cure for Eczema or Rosacea but this product definitely helps."

In addition to skin care products, Dollar Tree also has some not-too-shabby makeup in stock. One brand they carry a full range of is L.A. Colors, and one of our favorite L.A. Colors items is the lip gloss and lipstick duos. 

One reviewer on the Dollar Tree website said, "I am so impressed with this product! As someone who used to work at Sephora, I can testify to using name brand lipsticks that ranged anywhere between $20 – $40 ... The [L.A. Colors] lipstick by itself is great, but what makes this look high end, is the gloss that comes with it." Yet another satisfied customer agreed that the gloss is what puts this product over the top: "Not only is it lipstick it has a lip gloss on the bottom which is like two for the price of one! What a steal!" Meanwhile, a third person not only found this to be a decent lipstick at a fantastic price, but said, "I was so excited to see that they are Cruelty Free! What a find!"

Yet another L.A. Colors product Dollar Tree has in stock on a regular basis is the nail polish. But one particular variety, the Art Deco nail lacquer, is particularly popular among those who like to get creative with their nail art, since it comes with a special "precision point brush" that allows painting teeny little designs. 

This nail polish has a 4.5 star review from Makeup Alley, with one user noting that it's "super cheap and easy to find ... with a rainbow of 'art' colors good for specialty work," and another saying, "These are incredible. They're very opaque, smooth, dirt cheap, fast-drying, etc etc etc. I would buy this even if it was $5+." On Dollar Tree's own website, the product rates 4.7 stars, with comments including, "Amazing ... the size of these brushes are perfect for any nail art design," as well as, "I love this product because I can get salon nail art for only paying a dollar a bottle."

Dollar Tree also carries a range of hair products meant for people of color. And unlike certain Walmart locations used to, they don't tend to lock them up, either. Users of the Softee Herbal Gro have left comments such as, "Honest to God I couldn't of found a better hair product ... it really protects [my hair] from any type of weather and ... I love the silky shiny look it provides." Another person wrote, "Herbal Gro leaves my hair soft, shiny and very manageable [so] I love it and now my sister in law and my niece are using it too. That's why I always buy in cases so that I never run out."

Softee Hair Food with Vitamin E is equally popular, with one user saying it "works so great on my hair keeps my scalp moist and helping my hair to grow," while another commented, "I have been using this hair food for 20+ years. It works well even for long curly hair." It's also a beauty product that seems to span the ages (and genders), as yet another customer wrote, "Bought this hair food / grease for my 1 year old toddler with coarse hair. Adds the perfect amount of moisture without being over powering and has a great scent."