Tried and True 99 Cent Store Beauty Finds
I am an avid 99 Cent Store shopper. I used to have this stigma against dollar stores… I was afraid all of the products were tainted or something. However once I started college, I found myself stopping by for various things and then soon became a regular. Little did I know that they carry a lot of name brands that I knew I could trust!
Just in case you’re a little wary of trying out some of their products, I’ve compiled a list of things I regularly pick up from the 99 Cent Store- tried and true!
Are you a Dollar Tree shopper? Check out my favorite finds at the Dollar Tree in this post.
- Nail Polish Remover: My 99 Cent Store carries the Cutex brand which I had been buying for almost $4 per bottle at the drugstore. Same formula and everything. The bottle is just a little smaller. I’ve also tried the Swan brand which works just as well.
- Cotton Balls: Great for using with nail polish remover!
- Nail Files: I have absolutely no idea why nail files cost $6 at Rite Aid…
- Body Wash: Specifically the HALSA Sweet Pea + Violet body wash! It’s almost an exact dupe of the Suave Sweet Pea body wash. They also carry small bottles of SoftSoap body wash with exfoliating beads.
- Shaving Cream: The HALSA shaving cream works fine, it’s a little foamy but you get a huge bottle of it. I recently tried the Envi Gel Shave Cream and it’s a much richer consistency that leaves my legs rather moisturized.
- Toothbrushes & Toothpaste: They have all of your trusty name brands: Colgate, Aquafresh, and Crest.
- Loofahs: I actually can’t find loofahs that I like more than the ones at the 99 Cent Store. They are really fluffy and have handles that are made out of the loofah material instead of those common ropes (which usually get dingy quickly).
- Bobby Pins & Hair Ties: Considering how many bobby pins and hair ties you lose/give away, the 99 Cent Store is the ideal place to restock these hairstyle staples.
- Eyelash Curler: I’ve bought my last 3 eyelash curlers from the dollar store and they last forever. Most of them also come with a replacement cushion when the original one gets dingy with eyeliner.
- Makeup Sponges: some 99 Cent Stores carry full on Beauty Blender dupes, but I’ve tried the regular triangular sponges that work fine for foundation.
- Lip Balm: Once again, they carry all the name brands from ChapStick to Blistex.
- Shower Caps: They are a little small (or maybe I just have a big head) but their shower caps come in packs of 3 and work perfectly.
- QTips: So multifunctional, and they come in a pack of, like, 1000 that will literally last you 3 years.
And now for my much shorter list of things you definitely should not try from the dollar store (from experience).
- Deodorant: Some stores carry name brands like Lady Speed Stick, but my local 99 Cent Store only carries off-brands that just don’t last all day.
- Lotion: All of the lotions I’ve tried have been way too watery.
- Perfume: They smell very bad. Enough said.
- Eyeshadow: They just don’t offer enough pigment.
I seriously encourage you to stop by your local dollar store and see what treasures you can find. I’ve also picked up a lot of household items that have worked really well so far (plates, glasses, brooms, hand soap, dish soap, buckets, bowls). Most 99 Cent Stores also carry name brand sodas, candy, soups and chips. Of course I can’t do all of my shopping there (believe me, I would if I could) but there are definitely a few items that I refuse to buy anywhere else now because of the deal.
I know this is an old post, but I only just found it and wanted to say thanks 😉
I’m currently in a bit of a money bind, and have been thinking about swapping some of my toiletries for things I can find at the 99 Cent store. I’ve never used those brands though so I was worried about wasting my money on crappy products hahah. So yeah. Thanks!
Natalie,
http://natalie-patalie.blogspot.com/
Of course! The best part is, both the 99 cent store and dollar tree carry name-brand toiletry products like soaps, some body washes, toothpaste etc. I’ve even used their laundry detergent which is watery but gets the job done.
I’m a fan of 99 cent stores too. Oh the goods you can find.
Great idea for a blogpost! I never shopped at the dollar stores till I started my blog. Now I do a lot of beauty products shopping at the Dollar Store: storage boxes & bins for all my makeup, fake Listerine for a Listerine/vinegar foot soak etc etc.
Such a great place for essentials! I refuse to buy hand soap anywhere else because they have Dial and Softsoap… for $1… when they are usually around $4 in my grocery store!
I like your list! It totally makes sense to buy things like q-tips, shower caps and makeup sponges from the dollar store!
Oh, and toothbrushes! They have Colgate toothbrushes that I always get!
We don’t have 99c stores in Australia but I wish we did. We used to have ‘dollar stores’ but nothing was ever just $1 it was always more so it really defeated the purpose haha.
Ahh! They are literally the best, especially for frugal college students such as myself. They probably make a fortune, there’s one right next to my campus.
I was the same way! For years I had a mindset against it, but now it’s the first place I go for anything!
I haven’t been to the dollar store in forever! Last time I was in one, I saw LA Minerals.
Great list of items. I almost always get my shower caps, and carmex from 99 cents stores 🙂