Best Budget Beauty Buys From Target

I can’t be the only one who has zero resistance when looking around Target. I may only need one thing, but I will always browse the clothing and beauty section and end up finding things I want. I thought it would be fun to swing by a Target and see what fun budget buys I could find that were under $10 each, and were worthy of a mention. Some are old favorites and some are new discoveries. I ended up spending around $60 total for everything you’ll see, which I don’t think is too shabby for everything I got. 

Curious if any of you get the same things!?

Hey Humans Body Wash Banana Aloe  

This was a new item splurge for me. Hey Human is a new clean brand at Target that carries, body wash, lotions, deodorants, and toothpaste with a passion for reducing plastics. Hence, all their products are in aluminum cans or paper tube packaging. Banana Aloe sounds delicious but I couldn’t smell it because of my mask so I had to live dangerously and buy without a pre-sniff. The scent range sounds awesome and I really wanted to get their deodorant too but I decided to pump the brakes at one product and make sure I liked that first. Banana Aloe does indeed smell like its name and definitely smells more like banana once the shower is running. I do wish there was a  way to include a pump top, but, plastic. The easy pour top is a little too easy for generous ol’ me in the shower. I’d love a little more control but it’s not a deal-breaker at all. Hey Humans body wash is vegan and cruelty-free. Buy here.

Bliss Moisture Intensifier Hyaluronic Acid Facial  

I just got this “mask” in a Bliss mailer and decided to buy another because I loved this particular one so much. It’s exclusive to Target too, my friends! Can’t get it anywhere else! At $5 bucks a pop for a little jar you t=initially look at this as a one or two-time skincare treat. The reality is that this jar will last you many uses making it quite a bargain! My skin always loves a good moisture surge. My skin tends to look calmer and more even when I make sure it’s properly moisturized. I’ve been applying an HA serum and then following with a few finger dabs of this “mask”. Honestly, I see this more as a secondary serum and not a mask. It’s not going to be the last step in my skincare routine ever and is not something you wash off. It hasn’t interfered with any sunscreen or makeup applications and will stay a part of my routine until the jar runs out. The Bliss Moisture Intensifier is vegan and cruelty-free. Buy here.

CoverGirl Clean Fresh Skin Milk  

I’ve been using CoverGirl’s Skin Milk for 1-2 years now. I like to recommend it to those that prefer a dewy finish with light to low-medium coverage. I love how this has more color payout than expected and makes my skin look and feel healthy and evened out. I switch between two colors depending on the time of year and never have issues with how it sits on my normal/dry, accentuated pore skin. Skin Milk comes in 14 shades and applies best by hand. I end up wasting product trying to do it any other way. I then blot and roll around my under eyes with a blender sponge. CoverGirl’s Clean Fresh makeup is vegan and cruelty-free. Buy here.

ELF bite-sized palettes  

I have two of these palettes that I bought last Summer. I usually keep my eye shadow looks pretty simple so a four-shade palette is SO perfect for me. Lid, crease, liner, BOOM! Done! The blush duo palette also sticks to staying simple, including a blush and highlighter duo. I found my perfect peach blush in the bite-sized palette and love how slim and compact the packaging is for storing away in my acrylic organizers. I will admit I have zero need for that highlighter shade. I find it a bit too glitter/sparkly for my taste but still such a steal for the blush alone. The ELF bite-sized palettes are vegan and cruelty-free.  Buy Face Duo here. Buy Eyeshadow here.

EcoTools BioBlender Biodegradable Makeup Sponge set 

I have a few EcoTools brushes but never tried their makeup sponges. P.S their full coverage powder brush is AWESOME. Buy it! I usually stick with a sponge until it falls apart but am willing to introduce some new ones to the rotation to see how they compare. Right now I use the Sonia Kashuk marble sponge which has the perfect density for me. I generally use it to blend and tap out concealer and my foundation. These caught my eye because they say they are biodegradable, and this was just under $9 for two.  The SK one has more rounded sides whereas this one has more angles to it for precision placement –not something that I really need but more like, let’s see if we notice a difference while using. It does swell up a bit in size after drenching with water and squeezing out the excess, and the fine edge works great for blending concealer in the under eye area. I’m curious how these will hold up since the packaging says to “plant” them after 30 days….and let’s just say I definitely use sponges for WAY longer than that! The packaging each says you can plant the packaging AND the sponge! So crazy, I love it! The EcoTools BioBlender is vegan and cruelty-free.  Buy here.

ELF Brow Pencil

So I’ve been using an Arches & Halos brow pencil for the past year and DO love it. But I was curious how ELF would do. This pencil was only $5, has an attached spoolie and a fine-tipped retractable pencil which is slightly different from the angled, triangle-shaped pencil of AAH’s brow pencil. The pencil tip is soft enough to draw/fill brows in comfortably and blends nicely. I do love that super skinny pencil tip for shaping and drawing in realistic strokes. I didn’t find that I liked it MORE, performance-wise compared to others I used, but I do like price! I would buy this one again in a heartbeat, but also buy others just to try them out too! The ELF Brow Pencil is vegan and cruelty-free.  Buy here.

Dove Crushed Macadamia & Rice Milk Exfoliating Body Polish Scrub  

I have been using this scrub for years and love the delicate scent of Macadamia and rice milk scent the most! I could use this every day of the year if I could but generally start buying it more when it’s shorts season and I want super smooth legs. The grit of this scrub is suitable for all over the body and polishes my legs smoothly for a close shave. There is a peach and mango-scented one that seems to be really popular (and also hard to buy) that I need to stock up on for the coming months.  I could totally make my own DIY body scrub easily but sometimes convenience wins along with the fragrance of this scrub. Bonus is trying it with the matching whipped body cream. Dove is PETA-certified cruelty-free.  Buy here.

Maybelline Define-A-Lash Lengthening Mascara 

I have gone through SO many mascaras in the last year trying to really narrow down which one I would love. I’ve been wanting to try the Ilia Beauty mascara since I’ve never heard a person say a bad thing about it and every time I see the brush wand it comes out clean like I’d hope ALL mascaras would. Well, I still haven’t tried it because it’s hard for me to pull the trigger on luxury-priced mascara, but a little birdie told me that Maybelline’s Define-A-Lash could possibly be the mascara of my dreams. For one, I always prefer a lengthening formula over volumizing.  A lot of time volumizing looks clumpy on my pitiful lashes so I want some definition and length instead. The wand comes out with the PERFECT amount of mascara on it to apply to my lashes. And I mean PERFECT, you guys. The silicone-ish wand combs through my lashes with ease and allows me to do 2-3 coats without a struggle or seeing lashes stick together. I wish this was considered a “cleaner” option but the heart wants what it wants, and it wants a mascara that actually looks good on my lashes. This is a repeat purchase because it’s that good! Buy here.

Pacifica Beauty Bright Undereye Vitamin C Patches   

I just started getting back into Pacifica Beauty in the last couple months and picked up these undereye patches just for fun. These are fun to use at nighttime while getting settled for the night. These undereye masks work to brighten the under-eye area and are made of biocellulose so they won’t feel like the typical gel ones I’ve tried in the past — you need to remove a paper-cover thing on BOTH sides and then apply to the skin. I think a lot of people don’t realize and try to put these things on without removing the protective layers. These were okay. They were fun. But I think you need to wear these daily for a while to potentially see any difference. They did feel nice when I was wearing them, but I think I prefer gel ones more. Pacifica Beauty undereye patches are vegan and cruelty-free. Buy here.

Native Deodorant Mini   

So I was buying a lot of Native deodorants when I first moved to Arizona. We just hit lockdown at the time and figured it was a great time to transition back to a deodorant while I was stuck at home. I will say, that Native deodorants smell fantastic. As do their body washes. I never experience irritation with this brand, BUT I do experience the dreadful white drips onto my clothing which ultimately made me switch brands for daily use. I do, however still buy the minis when I want to try out a particular scent and can use these teeny ones at a touch-up before going somewhere. These minis are VERY small and will run out quickly if you use them daily, but will work great if you are traveling, want to keep one in your purse or gym bag, or stash one away in your car for reapplication. At just $3, it a good tester option to see if you are willing to go through the transition from antiperspirants to natural deodorants. 

This list could have been twice as long, or even made into a series, I think. What the latest budget beauty buy you found at Target? Or even better, what’s a repeat purchase that you get there are all the time? Share in the comment section below! Buy here.