Meanwhile, those of us with fair skin are over here wondering if we’re about to look effortlessly sun-kissed... or like we lost a fight with a bag of Cheetos.

So naturally, I did what I always do. I bought a bunch of them and started testing.

Seven bronzing drops from the drugstore and dollar store. Lots of blending. Plenty of side-by-side swatches. As it turns out, some very different results.

One formula became my clear favorite almost immediately. It gave me believable warmth without turning orange or muddy, blended beautifully, and somehow managed to look like my skin had naturally decided to become healthier overnight. I wasn’t expecting it to win.

On the other hand, one product was so intensely pigmented that I learned very quickly that “one drop” is not merely a suggestion.

I also discovered that many “bronzing drops” aren’t really drops at all. Most are essentially cream bronzers hiding in squeeze tubes with excellent marketing.

The good news? You absolutely don’t need to spend luxury prices to get a beautiful result. Some of the most affordable options held their own against formulas that get far more attention online.

If you’ve been trying to decide which bronzing drops are actually worth buying, I put together a full comparison with swatches, wear notes, my favorite picks for beginners, the best formulas for sensitive skin, and, of course, my overall winner.

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Every time new lip treatments show up, people start hunting them down, posting hauls, and emptying the shelves before everyone else even knows they exist.

After trying pretty much the entire lineup, I can see why. It’s forever burned in my mind from Instagram but I didn’t save it to credit the creator. To paraphrase, she said that B Pure is going to be what elf Cosmetics should have been. There’s never been a more true statement.

Here’s my full breakdown of every B Pure lip mask/treatment, serum, and oil I’ve tested. I’ll warn you now the swatches and lip shots aren’t exciting as everything is pretty well clear.

Hydrating Night Lip Mask

This is the product. It’s viral, and not even in the marketing sense.

If you’ve heard people rave about B Pure, chances are they’re talking about the Hydrating Night Lip Mask. It’s perhaps Dollar Tree’s most viral beauty product, and around me it’s almost always sold out. I see it maybe once a year.

I completely understand why. This little tube lives in my purse, and I have backups because I genuinely don’t want to be without it.

I’ve seen people compare it to Aquaphor, although I haven’t tried that myself, so I can’t say whether that’s accurate.

What I can say is that this is a thick yet incredibly shiny lip balm that hangs around on your lips. That’s exactly what I want from a nighttime lip treatment. It doesn’t disappear five minutes after applying it.

Ironically, I wear it during the day. You can use it however you please.

Even though it dispenses looking like it has a nude tint, it actually goes on completely clear.

The biggest win is how my lips feel afterward. Once it’s had time to do its thing, my lips feel soft, renewed, and honestly baby smooth. It’s absolutely worth the hype.

The closest comparison I can make is my favorite wet n wild Lip Oil. They leave my lips feeling conditioned in almost the exact same way, and that’s surprisingly hard to find. Plenty of products make your lips look glossy for a while. Far fewer actually leave them feeling better afterward. This one does.

Everything after this will feel slightly meh in comparison. I should have reviewed it last to make you read the entire post, but I was feeling generous in this moment!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lip Serums

Hydrating Lip Serum (Cherry)

The Hydrating Lip Serum goes on completely clear with a nice glossy finish.

It’s glossy enough to make your lips look healthy without crossing over into full lip gloss territory. If you’re someone who wants shine but doesn’t necessarily want a thick gloss, this lands somewhere in the middle.

As expected, it wears away over time, so I just reapplied whenever I felt like I needed it.

The cherry flavor wasn’t my favorite. It leans more artificial cherry than fresh cherry, which just isn’t really my thing. I’ll still use it, though.

One thing worth mentioning is that this is not the same formula as the viral Hydrating Night Lip Mask. The ingredients are different, and they don’t perform quite the same way.

Even so, it still leaves my lips feeling soft and conditioned. It also softened dead skin enough that exfoliating afterward was incredibly easy.

Exfoliating (Pineapple)

The Pineapple Exfoliating Lip Serum follows almost the exact same formula.

The flavor isn’t exactly pineapple to me, and again, it isn’t something I’d personally choose. I’ll deal with it because I like how the product performs.

The finish is glossy without looking like traditional lip gloss, and it wears away as expected.

Once it wore off, the dead skin on my lips had softened enough that I literally wiped some of it away with my dinner napkin. That’s probably the easiest lip exfoliation I’ve accidentally done. My lips also felt soft and conditioned afterward.

I genuinely don’t understand how this differs from the Hydrating Lip Serum. Same packaging. Similar feel. Similar performance. Similar results.

If someone handed them to me without the labels, I’m not convinced I’d know which one I was using.

Cooling (Mint)

The Cooling Lip Serum is...also basically the same product.

It goes on clear, has that same glossy finish that’s lighter than a traditional gloss, and wears away normally throughout the day.

Despite being mint the flavor is barely there. It reminds me more of a standard lip balm.

The only noticeable difference is the cooling sensation right after application, but it doesn’t stick around very long. Once that fades, it performs just like the Hydrating and Exfoliating versions.

It softens dead skin, leaves my lips feeling conditioned, and makes exfoliating afterward much easier.

Out of the 3 serums cooling is my personal favorite as I like the flavor more than the other 2 and I enjoy the cooling feeling. This is totally my perference you might like the others. I don’t think you need all of them and the night mask is still top tier.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lip Mask Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin E

This version includes an applicator, which I appreciated right away.

It has a sweet fruity taste and applies clear with a little shine. It’s definitely not gloss-level shiny.

The formula itself surprised me. it’s almost like a thick jelly that really doesn’t want to spread across your lips evenly. At first I blamed the plastic applicator, so I switched to a silicone one. Same experience.

I found myself spending extra time trying to get an even layer over my lips, although eventually the warmth from my lips seemed to help everything settle. Once it’s on, I actually like how it feels.

It’s thicker in a good way and definitely gives me that lip mask feeling. Like the other products, I just reapplied whenever I felt like I needed to.

It does soften dead skin and leaves my lips feeling conditioned. I just think several of B Pure’s other lip products do that even better.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Peptide Lip Mask in Clear

This packaging is definitely on the chunky side, but it also comes with a nice large applicator, which I’m always happy to see.

The finish is gorgeous. It’s shiny, glossy, and juicy.

It’s thicker and a little stickier than the other masks, but I actually think that’s intentional. The packaging calls it a morning and night treatment, and I like when a lip mask sticks around instead of disappearing immediately.

The coconut scent and flavor are lovely, although they fade pretty quickly.

One interesting detail is that this isn’t actually clear like the package says. It’s pH pink! Thankfully, it’s subtle. It isn’t one of those dramatic pH products that suddenly turns your lips bright pink. This is much more like your lips, just slightly perfected.

I’ve also seen people mention that the amount of pink seems to vary depending on the batch, which makes things even more interesting because the packaging never actually tells you there’s a pH aspect to begin with.

Performance-wise, it smooths over lip lines nicely. Not completely, but enough that I noticed. I’ve actually worn this all day for special occasion makeup look and I LOVE it! No mirror or lip combo required. The color is so pretty and I simply re-apply to restore the shine.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tinted Lip Oil

This one immediately confused me. Despite the name, I don’t really consider it tinted.

The product itself has a clear pinkish-red appearance in the tube, but once it’s on my lips, it applies clear. It feels plush and very shiny plus impressively lightweight. I never found it heavy, oily, or sticky.

It does wear away fairly quickly just from talking throughout the day.

The biggest difference for me came afterward. Unlike several of the other lip products in this collection, this one didn’t really leave my lips feeling any particular way once it wore off.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lip Oil in Watermelon

The Watermelon Lip Oil has one flaw before you even apply it. That tiny applicator.

I found myself dipping back into the tube multiple times because it simply doesn’t pick up much product. Thankfully, the formula itself is much more enjoyable.

The watermelon scent and flavor are pleasant without being overpowering or artificial, although they fade pretty quickly. The color builds into a sheer pink wash, so I could add a little more without it looking strange.

It wears away naturally, and reapplying never became messy or uneven. The formula also isn’t oily or sticky. One thing I noticed is that even after the visible shine disappeared, I could still feel a light coating on my lips.

Most importantly, it never dried my lips out. Instead, they stayed soft throughout wear. Yes, they are trying to dupe elf here but we’ll talk about that in another post.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hydrating Lip Oil

This is another product where I wish B Pure would switch to a larger applicator. The tiny doe foot means multiple trips back into the tube every single time.

Right now it only comes in one clear version, although I’d love to see some tinted options added later. The finish is beautifully shiny. The texture is lightweight, never sticky, and never feels heavy.

It also has this plush, bouncy feeling on the lips that’s genuinely enjoyable. Unlike some of the masks and serums, though, I didn’t notice any lasting conditioning benefits once it wore off.

This is their dupe for Neutrogena right down to the color in the tube but I’ve never tried it. Should I?

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Final Thoughts

B Pure has quietly built one of the better affordable lip care collections I’ve tried, especially considering everything here comes from Dollar Tree.

The Hydrating Night Lip Mask absolutely earns its reputation and remains my favorite of the entire lineup. It’s the one I stock up on, keep in my purse, and recommend without hesitation.

The serums all worked well, even if I still don’t fully understand why three versions exist when they feel so similar.

The Peptide Lip Mask delivers a gorgeous glossy finish, while the Watermelon Lip Oil ended up being my favorite of the oils thanks to how comfortable it feels throughout wear.

What it boils down to is their lip oils are the weakest links if you’re in the market for some color or conditioning properties. But their lip masks and treatments are amazing, and I will be reaching for all of them on repeat, throwing them in my purse, the whole deal. Nothing is going to the bad bin yet.

If you’re lucky enough to spot these at Dollar Tree before everyone else clears the shelves, I’d grab the Hydrating Night Lip Mask first. Everything else is worth exploring afterward, but that’s still the product I keep coming back to.

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Sure, I used them as liquid bronzer during the summer here and there. In a cautious controlled way.

As someone with very fair skin who never tans, I assumed they were basically bottled “Oops, I look orange now.” Every video seemed to feature someone squeezing half the bottle onto their face before emerging looking like they had just returned from a tropical vacation. Meanwhile, I was over here clutching my porcelain complexion like, “Absolutely not.”

I had the concept for a year now to research and experiment to see if I could make them work. I figured you might be feeling the same way as me. Finally, I put the ultimate guide together.

It turns out bronzer drops are so much more than a potentially diasterous complexion. They can rescue a foundation that’s too light, add life back into a flat complexion, create a subtle glow under makeup, warm up blush, and even give your shoulders and collarbones that effortless summer radiance. Somewhere along the way, I went from skeptical to wondering why I hadn’t tried them sooner.

The biggest surprise? You don’t have to look tan to use bronzer drops. That was the mindset shift I needed. For fair skin, they’re less about changing your skin tone and more about adding warmth, dimension, and glow in a way that still looks like you.

I rounded up every technique I learned, photographed each one, and pulled everything together into one guide. I have a video, too. If you’ve been eyeing bronzer drops but hesitating because you’re afraid they’ll make you look streaky, muddy, or orange, this one’s for you.

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The Dolly’s Adventure collection includes makeup, nails, and lashes, but I only picked up the makeup products and the nail art pens. After testing everything, I walked away with some clear favorites, a few disappointments, and one product that left me staring at the packaging wondering if I somehow bought the wrong item. Gotta love that about Dollar Tree makeup!

There’s some intersting packaging here that scream saturn and Strawberry Shortcake all in one. They are doing the most.

Strawberry Swirl Gloss

The Strawberry Swirl Glosses might be the biggest example of my ongoing relationship with Ioni lip products. The giant strawberry on top is where I get the Strawberry Shortcake vibes. Sure, it’s cute. But does it work?

The applicator is also tiny. Also a trend that you know I despise.

To get noticeable shine, I had to apply far more product than I normally would. With a standard amount, it barely looked glossy at all and reminded me more of a lip balm.

The downside is that once you pile on enough product to get shine, the formula becomes thick and heavy. It isn’t sticky, but it can gather in the center of the lips and pull around.

On the positive side, my lips did feel somewhat soft while wearing it. If you’re expecting a glitter gloss, that’s not what you’re getting here. The color is soft and sheer, and you’ll still need to apply quite a bit if you want noticeable shine.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Candy

We need to discuss the identity crisis. The box says the shade name is Grape but the tube says Candy?!

I have no idea which one is technically correct, but the scent leans much more grape than candy. This is perhaps the downfall of them using AI for their packaging (so I’ve been told).

Looking at the tube, you’re expecting a pink gloss packed with sparkle. On the lips, it looks almost completely clear. I couldn’t really see the glitter either.

I’m starting to notice a trend with a lot of Ioni’s glossy lip products. They look exciting in the packaging, but once applied they end up looking nearly transparent. At a certain point, who needs an entire collection of clear lip products?

Red

Red performs similarly in terms of texture and shine.

The difference is that this one actually gives the lips a sheer wash of red color.

Brow Gel in Clear

I’m annoyed that I bought this. Not because it’s bad. Because I didn’t read the box.

The packaging absolutely looks like mascara, and somehow I ended up buying yet another clear brow gel from Ioni when I definitely did not need another one.

I know these clear brow gels get plenty of bad reviews, but I’ve personally had pretty good experiences with them. I have an entire Ioni brow product review if you’d like to puruse further.

The hold is firm yet flexible, which sounds contradictory until you try it. My brows almost feel slightly tacky, but visually they’re matte.

Most importantly, they stay put all day. There is no flaking or residue. For me, it does exactly what a clear brow gel should do.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Illuminating Sparkle Primer Holographic Glow Drops

This is the most confusing product in the entire collection. I actually kept the box because I felt like I needed evidence. According to the packaging, this is a sticky primer designed to grip glitter on the eyelids.

Except... it’s not sticky. Zero grip. The product itself looks more like a face primer, so that’s how I ended up using it. I’ve seen ladies on Instagram use it as a face primer too.

As a face product, it left my skin feeling smooth and ready for makeup. Foundation applied normally over top and I didn’t notice any issues during application.

The scent surprised me. I saw someone on Instagram say theirs had no smell, but mine had a strong scent that reminded me of hand sanitizer mixed with cologne. The common thread seems like alcohol, except the formula actually doesn’t contain alcohol. Again, I’m just confused by this one.

Then we need to discuss the holographic flakes. Why are there clear holographic flakes in this? What is happening here? I don’t get it for eye or face primer. Truly WTF.

Luckily, they don’t really cause problems. On the face, they look more like tiny glitter particles that you won’t see unless you are zoomed in with your mirror. I even tried photographing them on my bare skin but you can’t see them on camera. They don’t interfere with your makeup.

The dropper worked without issue.

As for performance, it didn’t improve wear time and it didn’t shorten wear time. It didn’t make me oily and it didn’t make me glow.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nail Art Pens

The Nail Art Pens ended up being one of the biggest surprises from the collection.

The packaging is identical to the Dollar Tree B Pure nail art pens, so if you’ve used those before, these will look very familiar.

To get them started, I press the tip down on my desk over a silicone nail art mat until the paint fills the tip.

Once it’s flowing, I can draw directly onto my nails without continuously pressing down.

Typically, one fill-up is enough product for one hand. Then I pump the pen again and do the other hand.

Since the formula is water-based, I use it before applying top coat.

The color payoff is bold and fully opaque, and I had no issues with smearing when I applied top coat over the designs.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blue

Blue worked great.

Good color payoff, easy application, and no surprises.

Purple

Purple performed just as well as Blue.

Bold color, smooth application, and no issues during top coat application.

Pink

Pink was a completely different story.

I had trouble getting the product to dispense consistently. It felt like it was running out of paint, then suddenly working again, then stopping again. The inconsistent flow made my manicure look messy.

Unfortunately, this happened during a week when I was attempting squiggle nails, which already required more precision than my artistic abilities naturally provide. The final result wasn’t my favorite manicure.

Dolly Glow Setting Spray

The Dolly Glow Setting Spray is perfectly fine. It sets makeup without causing problems but it does not help or hurt wear time. On my combo skin it didn’t make me shiny or oily.

However, it also doesn’t change the finish of your makeup despite being named a glow spray. Whatever finish your makeup has before spraying is essentially the finish you’ll keep afterward.

It sprays quite a lot of product at once, but not enough that I’d call it terrible.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cream Blush

The Cream Blushes were among my favorite products in the collection.

The packaging, however, deserves its own discussion. It’s shaped almost like a tiny saturn. Sometimes the lid wants to pop off. Other times it fights for its life and refuses to come off. There is no in-between.

The rounded dome design also creates a future problem. If you eventually use enough product to flatten the surface, you’ll probably need a very small brush to reach the remaining product from inside the pot.

Applying directly from the component onto the face removes coverage. You’ll see foundation transfer onto the blush immediately. Which normally doesn’t happen with Ioni’s blushes. Definitely apply these with a brush and not directly to the face.

The formula blends easily, builds well, and can be worn softly or built up for a bolder look. The finish is matte with only the slightest hint of tackiness. Best of all, I didn’t notice fading!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blossom

Dolly Berry

Peachy

Tinted Lip Balm

We’ve seen these lip balms before in the La Dolce Vita collection. These are new shades!

The Tinted Lip Balms are exactly what the name suggests. They’re lip balms first and everything else comes second. The tint is sheer and the shine is low, just like any classic lip balm.

The packaging is absolutely adorable. The cardboard tube design feels different from the standard balm packaging you see everywhere else.

One thing I noticed is that after the product wears away, I can still feel a bit of it remaining on my lips along with a slight tint. It also helped loosen some dead skin on my lips, making it feel a bit like a lip treatment.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bunny Coral

Bunny Fuchsia

Final Thoughts

The Ioni Dolly’s Adventure Collection was a mixed bag, which is on point for typical for Dollar Tree beauty launches. The Cream Blushes were standouts. The Nail Art Pens surprised me.

Meanwhile, the Strawberry Swirl Glosses left me wishing they looked on the lips the way they look in the tube, and the Holographic Glow Drops earned the title of Most Confusing Product in the Collection. I was hard on this collection and kept most items to a 4/5 stars.

That’s part of the fun of Dollar Tree beauty, though. It keeps you coming back for more chaos. Ioni really is worth it, though! Will you try anything from this collection?

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After all, we aren’t going to let the word “jelly” do all the heavy marketing lifiting, right? Before “jelly” we had butter. Butter bronzer, butter gloss. Butter everywhere but on my toast.

Spoiler alert: these two glosses may live in the same drugstore aisle, but they are not twins. They are barely cousins who show up to the same family party wearing completely different outfits.

One is juicy, glossy, and leans into that fun, playful jelly aesthetic. With an in-your-face watermelon flavor.

The other is a longtime beauty favorite that has built a reputation for a creamy, comfortable formula and a huge shade range. Both have their fans, both have their moments, and both have earned a permanent spot in many makeup collections.

How do they actually compare when they go head-to-head? How do the formulas feel? Which one gives the better shine? How do the shades stack up? Most importantly, which one is worth grabbing the next time you’re standing in the drugstore makeup aisle pretending you’re “just looking” while adding five things to your cart? Yeah, I saw you.

I put wet n wild Jelly Drip Lip Glaze and NYX Butter Gloss through a full comparison, including swatches, application, formula, and wear. If you’ve been debating between these two viral glosses, this one will help you decide which one deserves a spot in your everyday makeup routine. It’s a long one so you better come with your butter jelly toast and a nice beverage.

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Kokie isn’t some random mystery makeup brand. It’s a legitimate drugstore brand which is exactly why seeing it at Dollar Tree caught my attention.

A little heads up before we get into the reviews: when a brand like Kokie lands at Dollar Tree, it almost always means the products have been discontinued. Which is the story here. Occasionally it’s a packaging update, a formula change, or excess inventory, but discontinued products are usually the most likely explanation.

Translation: if you fall hopelessly in love with something, there is a decent chance you’ll never see it again. Precisely why I’m not trying any of the Flower Beauty finds, as the brand went out of business.

Naturally… I bought all of the Kokie and even the nail polish. I already love a lot of their stuff, which you can see in my Kokie Cosmetics brand review. Their foundation is one of my all-time-favorites.

Flawless Seal Setting Powders

Before trying these, I did some digging through Reddit discussions because Kokie’s powders seem to have a pretty loyal following.

What I noticed was that many of the glowing reviews came from people who primarily use powder for shine control rather than as part of a full makeup routine. I’m looking from a different perspective.

HD Setting Powder

The first thing I noticed was that the powder dispenses white and absolutely has a white cast initially.

Thankfully, once blended in, it looks ok.

The finish is matte without looking heavy or cakey, and it sets makeup well enough. I didn’t notice any issues with my makeup throughout the day, but I also didn’t see any standout performance that made me understand the hype.

As far as blurring goes, I can’t honestly say it looked more smoothing or pore-blurring than countless other powders I’ve tried.

Since my base routine isn’t particularly oily, I can’t really speak to oil-control claims. What I can say is that it didn’t improve my makeup and it didn’t make it worse.

It existed. That’s kind of the problem. It doesn’t standout against what I already have so I don’t feel compelled to keep it.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Translucent Setting Powder

The Translucent version immediately won a point over the HD powder because it didn’t leave nearly as much white cast. However, I know it appears to have a pink tint and people on Reddit are calling it a pink powder. It’s not.

It blended into the skin easily, delivered the same matte finish, and avoided looking heavy or cakey.

Performance-wise, my thoughts were basically identical.

It set makeup fine. It didn’t noticeably blur more than other powders.

It didn’t hurt or help my makeup.

There are simply better powders available. These are not terrible, just fine.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Waterproof Ultra Hold Mascara in Jet Black

Now we’re getting into products I enjoyed more.

The Waterproof Ultra Hold Mascara gave me some length and volume, and while it didn’t immediately become my favorite mascara ever, I had a good experience with it.

The wand is definitely unique. It’s wide and flat, which helped build up the lashes, but it also made things a little messy. I found myself getting mascara on my skin more often than I’d like. Once I break it in I expect this to be less of an issue.

What impressed me most was that it held a curl. That’s always a major win in my book.

The formula is buildable, wears well throughout the day, and removes easily with an oil-based remover when you’re ready to take it off. No raccoon eyes. No aggressive scrubbing. No feeling like you’re sacrificing your eyelashes to the waterproof mascara gods.

I would absolutely use this again. In fact, I’m kind of excited to. Hang on for the wear photo! I’m wearing the mascara and the eyeliner together up next.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Define It Gel Eyeliner in Black Silk

This is a solid basic gel eyeliner.

I tested it on my waterline, which can be a challenging environment because my eyes tend to be somewhat watery.

The pigmentation impressed me immediately. It went on full coverage in one pass, whereas I’m used to having to build up many eyeliners.

The formula is creamy, smooth, and glides without tugging or skipping.

It’s a matte black eyeliner and comes in a retractable pencil format, but Kokie also included both a sharpener and a smudging sponge, which is a nice touch.

Wear time was good.

By the end of the day, I noticed fading in the immediate inner and outer corners of the waterline, but that’s something I experience with virtually every eyeliner I own, including favorites that cost more.

Nothing revolutionary or disappointing.

Just a dependable gel eyeliner that does what it’s supposed to do.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stay Defined Matte Brow Pencil in Mahogany Brown

We have arrived at my favorite product from the entire haul.

I’m no stranger to triangular brow pencils, but this may be the smallest triangular tip I’ve ever used. I mean that as a compliment!

The size makes it incredibly easy to create natural-looking, hair-like strokes rather than giant chunky blocks of color.

There’s also a spoolie included, which is always appreciated.

The formula lands in a sweet spot that a lot of brow pencils miss. It’s not overly waxy, but it’s not overly creamy either. It just works.

While I’m not completely convinced Mahogany Brown is my perfect shade match, I actually think a slightly softer brow color can be flattering. Instead of looking harsh or overly drawn-on, the brows end up looking fuller and fluffier.

The biggest compliment I can give this pencil is that I kept wanting to use it again.

Not for testing purposes. Because I genuinely enjoyed using it. That’s always a good sign.

For the record, this product was such a hit that I bought my mom several of the taupe pencils.

When you find a good brow product at Dollar Tree, sometimes you stock up first and ask questions later. Ok, not sometimes, always. That’s my toxic trait.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shade Stay Lip Stain

The applicator deserves a shoutout because it’s genuinely enjoyable to use. Instead of a standard marker tip, it’s a chunky marker with a slanted edge that follows the contours of the lips surprisingly well.

The formula is impressive. It applies evenly and dries down smoothly. It’s full coverage. No patchiness or streaking. Just an easy-to-work-with lip stain.

The biggest drawback is that it dries out the inner portion of the lips over time, which can lead to some flaking.

As the stain wears, it fades from the inner lip outward. The good news is that it reapplies well and layers without becoming patchy.

Overall, these ended up being pretty solid lip stains.

Serenade

The biggest thing I noticed with Serenade was how close it is to my natural lip color.

Because of that, the difference wasn’t always dramatic on me, which made it harder to evaluate the final look compared to a bolder shade.

Wildflower

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nourish Tint Lip Oil in Pinky Promise

One thing became clear very quickly… do not wear this with lip liner.

I paired it with an Ioni lip liner formula that I trust, and within about an hour the lip oil had encouraged the color to bleed outside my lip line. That’s not exactly the result I’m looking for.

The texture itself is pleasant. It’s very shiny, juicy, and glossy without feeling heavy, sticky, or overly oily.

I also really liked the oversized applicator.

The biggest disappointment is the word “tint.” Calling this a tinted lip oil feels extremely generous.

In the tube, there’s the faintest hint of pink. On the lips, it looks clear.

As for the nourishing claims, I didn’t notice any conditioning benefits. My lips didn’t feel noticeably different after wearing it.

I even saw a Reddit review comparing it favorably to the B-Pure Night Lip Mask, and that definitely wasn’t my experience.

It’s a shiny lip oil. Reapply as needed. That’s pretty much the story.

Nail Polish

The Shade I Tested - Royally Blue

I only tested one shade because I didn’t want to hold up publishing my thoughts on the rest of the products.

Fortunately, the shade I tried performed well.

The formula levels nicely, isn’t streaky, and gives a good result without requiring a bunch of extra effort.

The brush is fairly standard, which for me usually means a slightly messy application, but that’s more of a personal preference than a flaw in the formula.

A little cleanup around the edges and everything looked perfectly fine.

No complaints here. It’s a good nail polish. Sometimes that’s all a nail polish needs to be.

I’m doing the swatches of the rest on swatch sticks, but I WILL wear the rest of them and share those photos with you.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Final Thoughts

Going into this haul, I expected a lot more misses than hits. Instead, I found a few products I’d happily keep using.

The powders landed firmly in the “fine” category and didn’t do enough to stand out. The mascara surprised me, the eyeliner performed well, the lip stains were enjoyable, and the nail polish was solid.

The real star of the show was the Stay Defined Matte Brow Pencil.

The Dollar Tree beauty aisle remains one of the most chaotic treasure hunts in existence.

Sometimes you find junk. Other times a hidden gem.

Sometimes you find a brow pencil that makes you want to buy four backups before someone else clears the shelf.

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Jelly blush. Jelly skin care. Jelly everything.

Now we have jelly lip glosses, and if you’ve walked through the makeup section lately, you’ve probably spotted both wet n wild Jelly Drip Lip Glaze and NYX Jelly Job Lip Gloss staring back at you from the shelf, promising glassy, juicy, mirror-like lips.

Naturally, I had to know if they were actually similar. Especially with the stark price point difference. Reddit is pretty mad about NYX’s price… well, that’s why I only bought 1 shade for this formula comparison.

As it turns out, not every jelly product is built equally. Not shocking.

At first glance, these glosses seem like they’re chasing the same trend. Both are shiny. Both smooth over lip lines. Both aim for that juicy, freshly-glazed lip look that makes your lips look healthier than your life choices.

But once they’re on the lips, the differences become pretty obvious.

One formula feels lightweight and barely there. The other feels more like a gloss-meets-lip-mask hybrid. One gives noticeably more color. The other leans heavily into shine and conditioning. Don’t even get me started on the applicators (you know how I rant and rave on those in my podcast), because one of these brands decided to put a metal applicator on a drugstore gloss.

The biggest surprise was that my favorite feature from each gloss wasn’t the same thing.

With one, it was the color payoff.

With the other, it was the way my lips felt hours later.

Which one is actually worth tossing into your purse? Which one gives the better natural makeup look? Is the cheaper option secretly the better buy? Yes, it comes down to personal perference. BUT.

I put them head-to-head with side-by-side swatches, texture comparisons, wear testing, ingredient breakdowns, and a full value analysis to find out. I went super in depth. It’s a long article. Sorry not sorry.

The results weren’t exactly what I expected. Maybe not what you expected either!

Read the full comparison to see which jelly gloss came out on top. Dang it, a golden opportunity to say get jelly with it!

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The color palette leans into florals, spring vibes, and wearable makeup, with products spanning eyes, lips, cheeks, and highlighters. I managed to find almost everything I wanted, with one exception. There are two highlighters in the collection, and I could only find one. The other was sold out everywhere I checked.

After digging around Reddit, though, it sounds like I wasn’t missing much. The general consensus seemed pretty underwhelming, so I don’t feel particularly heartbroken about leaving that treasure hunt unfinished.

What surprised me most about Beauty in Bloom was how consistent many of the products were. There weren’t many dramatic failures. With Dollar Tree there’s always some WTF moments but that’s part of the allure.

Blush Duo in Vintage Rouge

The Beauty in Bloom blushes come packaged as duo that contains a matte and a shimmer shade that are numbered 1 and 2 rather than named.

The duo delivers buildable pigmentation and impressive staying power.

Once applied, the color hangs around. I didn’t experience noticeable fading throughout wear, which is always appreciated in a blush formula.

The lighter shade was incredibly easy to work with. Blending was straightforward, and it melted into the skin without much effort.

The darker shade required a little more patience. It wasn’t impossible to blend, but I definitely had to spend extra time softening edges and making everything look seamless.

For my fair skin, the darker shade wasn’t the one I naturally gravitated toward anyway, so the extra blending wasn’t a dealbreaker. The lighter shade ended up being the star of the duo for me.

I don’t feel these are the same formula as the coveted L.A. Colors blush. It’s good in it’s own right but leaves me a tiny bit disappointed if I were to compare.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eyeshadow

If you’ve tried the Aquati Glam shadows from L.A. Colors, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what you’re getting here. I say that because they are all shimmers but one shade and the same good quality.

The shimmers formula is smooth, blendable, and easy to build. They are overall consistent.

The pigment showed up well, blended nicely, and behaved exactly how I wanted it to.

There was no fallout raining down onto my face. No dusty mess. No kick-up in the pan. No frustration.

The formula picks up easily, applies easily, and gives solid color payoff. Sometimes that’s exactly what you want from a shimmer shadow. No drama. No surprises. Just a product doing its job.

Cottagecore

Enchanting

Garden Party

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Auto Eyeliner

The Auto Eyeliners ended up being the worst category in the collection.

None of these have strong pigment and don’t blend well. I was not able to create the looks that I wanted.

The formula itself is somewhat stiff, although it ultimately didn’t drag or skip across the skin.

On the eyelid, the liner lasted well.

On the waterline, things became more complicated. Since the pigment never built particularly well, the finished look never fully came together for me. What color I was able to get onto the waterline didn’t hold up especially well.

Charcoal

Nude

Since the shade is fairly close to my natural coloring, it was harder to judge performance strictly by appearance. Here I’m wearing it on the waterline.

Burgundy

Here I’m wearing it smudged out along the lower lash line.

Rating: ⭐️

Glossy Lip Kits

The Glossy Lip Kits ended up being one of the biggest surprises in the entire collection!

Each kit includes a miniature lip liner and a miniature gloss. When I say miniature, I mean like Barbie doll makeup.

The lip liner looks like one of those tiny deluxe samples you’d find in a subscription box, and the gloss follows suit. Even the doe-foot applicator is proportionally downsized.

The lip liner itself is excellent. It’s creamy, smooth, and easy to apply.

The downside is that the tip wears down quickly, so you’ll need a specialty tiny sharpener to keep it going.

The upside is that once it’s on, it stays put. I was genuinely impressed by how well the liner resisted feathering and bleeding.

Ruffles

Ruffles introduced me to what might be the most misleadingly named formula in the collection.

The product is called a gloss, but my lips strongly disagreed with that description.

The texture feels more like a creamy liquid lipstick that never dries down. It’s lightweight and barely noticeable on the lips.

The pigmentation is surprisingly strong, approaching full coverage.

The shine eventually fades, but color remains behind. The overall effect reminds me much more of products like NYX Lip IV or e.l.f. Glossy Lip Stain than a traditional gloss.

Bouquet

Bouquet delivered the same experience.

Dreamy Pink

Dreamy Pink took things in a different direction.

In the tube, the product appears as a clear pink. Once applied, the color transforms into a pH pink shade on the lips.

Normally, pH pink products all become the same shade of pink on me. This one appeared noticeably more intense, leaning closer to a fuchsia effect.

The transformation creates the illusion of greater coverage than the product actually has.

There may be a small amount of stain-like tint remaining afterward, but it’s harder to evaluate because your natural lip color competes with whatever tint remains.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Highlighter

The highlighter category was smaller than I originally intended thanks to the mystery missing shade that escaped my shopping cart. From what I can tell, the color option was just as yucky.

Yearning

The shade is simply too dark for me to use as a traditional highlighter.

The pink undertone makes it best as a blush topper for me. That’s how I’m wearing it in the photos.

The formula does feature an overspray, which can sometimes make a product seem more impressive at first glance than it really is.

Once I got past the overspray layer, though, the actual product underneath still has enough ‘highlighter’ to it and performs fine. Do I realistically see myself reaching for it again? No.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Final Thoughts

So what’s going to the bad bin? The highlighter and the eyeliners! I’m sad to say I did put the blush there too. That was a harder descision, but I have a lot of awesome blush including from this brand that I don’t need this weaker link. I’m less likely to reach for it again over the others.

The Eyeshadows were reliable and easy to use. The real surprise, however, was the Glossy Lip Kits.

I went into them expecting tiny glosses with matching liners. What I found instead were products that behave much more like glossy stains, delivering shine, strong pigment, and lingering color in a way that genuinely caught me off guard.

For a collection inspired by blooming flowers and bow aesthetics, Beauty in Bloom ended up offering quite a few pleasant surprises. Some products quietly did their job.

That’s exactly the kind of collection I love finding in the wild. Sometimes the most interesting discoveries aren’t sitting at a luxury beauty counter. Sometimes they’re waiting on a dollar store shelf next to a basket of seasonal décor and an aisle of snacks you definitely weren’t planning to buy.

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I originally published my blog post when the collection dropped in 2026. However, here in 2026 they not only expanded the offerings but brought new product lines. My blog post is now officially revamped and updated. All Chameleon Chrome, all in one place.

The wet n wild Chameleon Chrome collection is packed with duochrome, multi-chrome, metallic, and color-shifting goodness. We’re talking chrome eyeshadows, foil shadows, liquid liners, lip foils, highlighters, eyeliners, and even a shimmer mist. Basically, if it can sparkle, shift colors, and potentially be seen from space, it’s probably here.

I spent a lot of time testing products from this collection, and one thing became clear very quickly: wet n wild was not interested in being subtle. The lip foils shine. The highlighters glow. The eyeshadows shift. The eyeliners practically demand their own spotlight.

Of course, not every product is created equal. Some are surprisingly wearable. Some are best saved for your “I want strangers to ask me what I’m wearing” days. The eyeshadows literally went viral. I mean it. I don’t use that word as a marketing term to make you think you should pay attention to them.

I’ve crafted a complete roadmap hub to the entire Chameleon Chrome lineup. You’ll find a quick summary of each product that connects you to my deeper review articles if you feel so inclined to research further.

If you’re wondering which products deserve a spot in your cart and which ones don’t strike a chord with you, I’ve got you covered. We save money here. Because I spend all of mine. For science.

Read the full guide on the blog and tell me: which Chameleon Chrome product would you try first?

The collection, like most now a days, also includes lashes and nail supplies. I skipped those. My lash Ioni lash cart (yes an entire cart full) has officially reached “you have a problem” status, and I don’t really need any additional nail products. That said, if you’ve followed me for a while, you already know I’m a big fan of Ioni lashes.

For this review, I picked up all of the makeup. Some were standouts. Some had a few quirks. A couple surprised me.

Let’s ride.

Magic Inks Liquid Eyeliner in Molly Black

The Magic Inks Liquid Eyeliner comes in one shade, a classic black.

Molly Black dries down to a full-coverage matte black finish and performs far above what you’d expect at this price point.

The brush pen features a fine tip that’s very similar to the ones used in popular liners like the NYX Epic Ink or KVD. In fact, the packaging and pen design are identical to the Le Mercerie eyeliner pen right down to the component itself. I’m really starting to think all of these different brands use the same factory for their DT makeup.

Application is easy, the tip stays precise, and once it’s on, it stays put. I had no issues with fading, smudging, or breakdown throughout the day.

For me, this was one of the easiest wins in the collection. I’ve already added it to my daily makeup routine with the intention of using it completely up. I’ve been craving a new, not drying out eyeliner. A con of being a beauty reviewer is amassing a lot of product that’s all going bad before you can use it up.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lip Shine Gloss

Ioni launched two shades in the Lip Shine Gloss formula, and both delivered exactly what I want from a gloss: shine, comfort, and lips that still feel nice after wearing them.

Dakota Pink

Dakota Pink is a milky pink gloss that immediately reminded me of the NYX Milky Gloss line. Despite the appearance in the tube, it applies fairly clear while maintaining that soft milky look on the lips.

The formula has a candy-like scent that leans generic sweet, with a little bubblegum mixed in.

Wynona Peach

Wynona Peach leans more peachy brown.

The formula itself is slightly thicker than many glosses, which helps it stick around longer. It still wears off eventually, because that’s simply the nature of gloss, but I got respectable wear time.

What I appreciated most was how comfortable it felt. It smooths the appearance of lip lines slightly, leaves lips feeling soft and conditioned, and delivers that super shiny, glossy finish that buget gloss lovers chase.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mousse Liquid Hybrid Blush

One thing I immediately recognized was the packaging. I’ve seen this exact component used by other brands, including Profusion and various products on Amazon.

The applicator distributes a good amount of product, making application straightforward. Both shades were easy to blend, easy to build, dried down completely, and settled into more of a matte finish. Even better, neither shade removed coverage underneath, and I didn’t notice any fading throughout wear.

Callie Pink

Callie Pink performed exactly as I’d hoped. Easy application, easy blending, and long-lasting wear.

Shiloh Brown

Shiloh Brown had one unusual issue.

As I dabbed the applicator onto my face I got dark brown dots or splotches that looked like pigment that hadn’t been fully mixed. Once blended onto the skin, everything looked completely fine and performed normally. This is something to be aware of.

Thankfully, the actual performance wasn’t affected.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wild West Eyeshadow

This was probably the most mixed category of the entire collection. I was super excited for it of course! I’m going to do my star ratings a bit differently here by going individually instead of for the entire group.

The biggest thing I noticed across the matte shades was fallout. A lot of fallout. The kind where you’re suddenly finding eyeshadow hanging out on your eyelashes.

Millie Purple

Millie Purple is the weakest shade of this launch, and sadly headed to the bad bin.

The formula felt dry on the brush and, dare I say, a little chalky. I had to work pretty hard to build color, and while I eventually achieved ok payoff, it never fully built into the intensity I was hoping for. It also looks more pink than purple.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️ is this too kind? Maybe 1 star eek.

Sierra Teal

Sierra Teal was a completely different experience from the purple matte.

Pigmentation was much stronger, building was easier, and the color appeared true to what I expected. If you told me these two mattes came from different collections, I’d believe you.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shimmer Purple

The shimmer formula was one of the bright spots in this category.

Interestingly, the shades labeled as “Purple” read more pink than purple to my eye.

Applied with a fingertip, the formula performed nicely and worked best as a topper.

Shimmer Teal

Like its purple counterpart, Shimmer Teal worked well applied with a finger.

These shimmer shades work best as toppers as they only have a little bit of base color.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (both shimmers)

Wrangler Pout Paint

Matte liquid lipstick fans may want to give these a look. The formula delivers full coverage while remaining surprisingly lightweight on the lips.

I did notice some dryness on the inner lip area, but nothing severe.

Wear-wise, the fading pattern was fairly consistent. Most of the wear occurred on the bottom lip, beginning at the inner lip and moving outward. The outer edges held up quite well, while the upper lip experienced only minimal fading.

Cheyenne Pink

Liberty Coral

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lip & Cheek Stain

If there was one category that genuinely surprised me, it was this one.

I’ve tried plenty of stains over the years from Dollar Tree finds to drugstore favorites. The closest comparison I can make is the e.l.f. stain, although I suspect Ioni was aiming for something more along the lines of Benefit Benetint.

What stood out immediately was the texture. On the applicator, the product looks thicker and almost gel-like. Once applied, though, it’s very clearly your standard, lightweight water stain.

On the lips, the colors are shockingly bold for a stain. We’re talking color payoff that borders on full coverage. It dries quickly, but not so quickly that you have to race against the clock.

That extra bit of working time creates a huge advantage. I was able to layer the stain without waiting between coats, and it never became patchy or streaky. That’s something I have not experienced with any stain yet.

As the day goes on, the intense brightness naturally softens and begins looking more like a traditional stain. Even then, a surprising amount of color remains.

This formula survived hot coffee, a sandwich, pizza, and general daily life better than most stains I’ve tested.

Eventually it wears away in spots, but it never crossed into patchy disaster territory.

Among every stain I’ve tried on completely bare lips with no other products involved, this delivered some of the best wear.

On the cheeks, it was equally impressive. It blended easily, built beautifully, dried down completely, didn’t disturb foundation underneath, and lasted throughout wear without fading.

Bonnie Pink

Annie Red

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Final Thoughts

The Pink Cowgirl collection ended up having more hits than misses for me.

The Magic Inks Liquid Eyeliner was excellent. The fact that I’m now wearing it daily speaks volumes.

The Lip Shine Glosses were comfortable and glossy. The Mousse Liquid Hybrid Blushes performed beautifully despite the odd pigment issue in my Shiloh Brown tube. The Lip & Cheek Stains were the biggest surprise of the bunch and easily some of the most impressive stains I’ve tested.

The Wild West Eyeshadows were the most inconsistent category, largely because the matte formulas performed so differently from one another and generated plenty of fallout.

Overall, I had a lot of fun working my way through this collection. Between the western-inspired theme, the cowgirl names, and several genuinely strong formulas, Ioni managed to deliver a collection that feels playful while still giving beauty lovers plenty to talk about.

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The collection is mostly cohesive. Nothing feels random but it is blush heavy. Everything has that glowy, effortless, “I packed light but still look cute” vibe running through it.

Some products definitely worked better than others, but there are a few standouts here that genuinely impressed me.

I skipped the brow tatto pens and clear brow gel. Those are all re-releases that I’ve already reviewed. There is also a collection of false eyelashes with this. I have too many so I don’t buy them anymore.

Dewy Glow Setting Mist

The Dewy Glow Setting Mist has a really fine mist. No giant droplets ruining your makeup.

It sets makeup perfectly fine, but I did not notice it helping or hurting wear time. My makeup basically wore the same as usual.

The interesting thing is that it also did not really change the finish of my makeup. It is marketed as dewy, but on me it stayed more natural looking. It maintains the finish you already have.

I did notice some extra oil in my T-zone throughout the day though. So while it did not create that radiant glazed finish, it also was not helping control oil.

This is one of those products where the experience of using it is pleasant, but the actual performance is fairly neutral.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mattifying Setting Mist

This one separates in the bottle and needs to be shaken before every use.

Like the dewy version, the mist itself is nice and fine. No complaints there.

As far as setting makeup goes, it works fine enough, but I really do not think it extends makeup wear time. If anything, I think it may hurt it slightly sometimes. I tested it multiple times and I am still on the fence about it.

It also did not really mattify my makeup. My finish stayed natural looking. Not flat matte. Not blurred. Just natural.

And unfortunately, it did absolutely nothing for oil production on me. At best, my T-zone still got oily. At worst, it maybe even contributed to it a little.

So if you are buying this expecting serious oil control, I would temper expectations.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bronzing Drops in Sunkissed

These surprised me in the best way possible!

First of all, the shade is excellent. It is not orange. It is not muddy. That alone deserves applause because bronzing products can go wrong very quickly.

The formula blends easily, builds nicely, and does not remove coverage underneath. That is one of the biggest things I look for with cream bronzing products because nothing annoys me more than looking patchy.

It dries down, which I appreciate, but it still keeps a soft glow to it. Not glittery. Not greasy looking. Just healthy skin.

Also, these are called drops, but let’s all be realistic here. This is basically a squeeze cream product…. which sums up plenty of the “drops” on the market. Still, I love the tube packaging because it makes application really easy and controlled.

Wear time was solid too. If it faded at all, it was minimal enough that it was hard to even notice.

Of course, if you use this over foundation, it is going to deepen the foundation shade a bit.

I tested it a few ways as described below.

As a Base Instead of Primer

This was probably my favorite way to use it.

It gives the skin a really nice glow and makeup layers beautifully over top. I was even testing it with an old expired foundation that has not been applying well lately, and somehow this made it go on smoother and look better.

That said, I did get oily and shiny in the T-zone throughout the day.

Outside of the oil production though, it did not negatively impact makeup wear time.

Mixed Into Foundation

I did not use a lot mixed into foundation, so I did not really see a dramatic glow or color change.

The good news is that it also did not make me oily this way, and it did not negatively impact application or wear time either.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lip & Cheek Balm

This is one of the strongest products in the collection for me. Of course, I had to test it on both the lops and the cheeks.

On the Lips

The scent and taste are... unfortunate. It smells like baby wipes, and the taste is not much better.

It also dried out the inner part of my lips just a little bit.

Application-wise, precision is not happening here. I ended up using my fingers because that just worked better.

But the actual formula performance surprised me. It is buildable, comfortable, and you can get really bold full coverage color if you want it. The finish is satin, and while it does wear off, it fades in a pretty normal, non-offensive way.

On the Cheeks

This is where I liked it best.

It blends easily, builds nicely, and does not remove foundation underneath. Once blended out, it almost has this cream-to-powder feel that is not tacky at all.

The finish leans matte, but still natural looking instead of flat.

It does fade a little during wear, so I think being slightly heavy handed actually works in your favor here.

I tend to find for me personally when a product is marketed as dual use for cheeks and lips I like it better on the cheeks.

Nude Peach

Natural Mauve

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brightening Drops in Gold Radiance

Do not let the name fool you. This is much more pale champagne than true gold.

Compared to the bronzing drops, this is definitely the subtler sibling. I put this through multiple tests.

As a Highlight

The formula is easy to blend, buildable, and dries down nicely.

The glow is very lit-from-within. No glitter. No wet glossy look. Just soft radiance.

Same great squeeze tube packaging as the bronzer too. It lasts fine.

Mixed Into Foundation

The glow here is very subtle. Minimal.

I noticed a little oil production around my nose area, although part of me wonders if the setting spray was also contributing.

I also thought my foundation looked slightly heavier with this mixed in, but it did not change wear time.

One thing to note is that this will lighten your foundation.

As a Base/Primer

This was probably my least favorite way to use it.

I really did not see much glow at all. It lightened the skin slightly, but that was mostly it.

Makeup layered fine over top, but unlike the bronzing drops, it never gave me that “wow this makes a beautiful base” feeling.

It also made me a bit oily in the T-zone and my overall makeup did not hold up as well as usual.

If your goal is glow specifically, I would actually recommend the bronzing drops over these.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Light Shifting Eyeshadow

This product line might actually be the star of the entire collection.

The formula dries down completely, but gives you enough time to work with it before it sets. The applicator is easy to use too. I honestly did not even bother with a brush.

The first layer looked a tiny bit patchy in some spots, almost like it did not fully stick evenly, but the second layer completely fixed that issue.

The shift is THERE.

Especially with Teal-Purple Shift. There is so much happening dimension-wise. Pink, purple, blue, brown. It keeps changing depending on the angle and lighting.

It also did not irritate my eyes at all.

The wear is excellent. No creasing, cracking, fading, or moving around whatsoever. I do always use primer, so keep that in mind, but this easily ranks among the best Dollar Tree liquid eyeshadows I have tried.

The swatches look a bit patchy, but the experience on the eye is better. For arm swatches my skin is clean, where as on the eye it’s a smaller surface area and I have a primer base.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pink-Olive Shift

Teal-Purple Shift

Cheek Tint Cream Mousse Blush

The pigment here is buildable, and the smaller applicator helps keep you from accidentally applying way too much at once. Depending on your preferences, that could either be a pro or a con.

The formula blends easily and does not remove coverage underneath.

The finish is matte with a little tackiness, and there is some mild fading throughout the day.

One thing I really did not love was the strong floral scent.

Unfortunately, Taupe Sienna just did not work for me at all.

I actually ended up layering Natural Rose on top because I did not want to walk around looking like I forgot blush entirely.

Natural Rose

Taupe Sienna

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tinted Lip Balm

These are very much lip balms first and tinted products second.

Sangiovese has this wine/grape flavor situation happening, while Fig barely has much flavor at all.

The tint is sheer, the shine level is low, and visually it really does just look like a lip balm.

The packaging is adorable. The cardboard tube design feels fun and different compared to standard balm packaging.

After the product wears off, I still feel a bit of it left behind on the lips along with a slight remaining tint.

It made some of the dead skin peel off my lips. So, it makes for a nice lip treatment.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sangiovese

Fig

Final Thoughts

The Ioni La Dolce Vita collection feels very aesthetically thought-out. The vacation-inspired packaging actually matches the vibe of the products inside, which does not always happen with trendy collections.

The biggest standouts for me were the bronzing drops, the lip & cheek balm on the cheeks, and especially the Light Shifting Eyeshadows. Those genuinely impressed me and I will be keeping them.

The setting sprays were more middle-of-the-road. I’ll throw them in my daily routine to use them up.

Taupe Sienna was definitely the weakest product experience for me personally. I won’t be keeping those blushes.

Overall collection felt way more elevated than what people usually expect from Dollar Tree beauty. A lot of it comes down to personal preference. The things that were meh for me might be exactly what you are looking for.

It’s all about finding the random hidden gem while spending less than your Starbucks or Dunkin order.

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Some products absolutely delivered. Some products confused me deeply. One category nearly sent multiple shades directly into the makeup graveyard aka the bad bin.

This collection feels very “effortless pretty girl makeup” rather than full glam. Soft finishes, wearable colors, lightweight textures, and formulas that mostly aim for natural results instead of dramatic payoff. That works in its favor in several areas, especially with the lip products and blushes.

This collection also featured false lashes. I don’t buy them anymore because I own… hundreds I think… but they are always a recommendation from me.

Brow Pencil

The brow pencil formula is very middle-of-the-road in the best possible way. Not super creamy, not painfully waxy, not overly dry. It just works.

The spoolie is genuinely helpful for blending and softening the product into the brow, especially since the formula itself isn’t overly rich or slippery.

The final look is perfectly fine. Clean, soft, natural brows. Nothing revolutionary happening here, but not every brow pencil needs to reinvent the wheel.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Medium Brown

Dark Brown

Hydrating Grip Primer

This might be the thinnest gripping primer I have ever used. Beware it comes out of the tube fast.

The formula is completely clear with no noticeable scent, and the texture immediately caught me off guard because it does not feel sticky or aggressively tacky the way most gripping primers do now.

Beauty brands have trained us to expect gripping primers to feel like fly paper for foundation. This one does not. There is a slight tack to the skin, but it feels more like a normal hydrating primer than one of those ultra-grip formulas where you could probably affix the primer tube to your forehead.

Makeup applies completely normally over top of it. No pilling, no weird patchiness, no fighting with foundation application.

As far as wear time goes, I did not notice improvement or decline. My makeup wore basically the same as it normally would.

One thing I really appreciated is that it did not make me oily. That happens to me pretty often with gripping primers, especially hydrating ones, so I was waiting for the mid-day grease slick to appear. It never really did.

This ends up being less of a “gripping” primer and more of a lightweight hydrating prep product with a tiny bit of tackiness.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shimmer Setting Spray

The bottle makes this look like a disco ball in liquid form, but the actual shimmer on the face is surprisingly subtle. It’s more concentrated in the swatch, of course.

The glitter particles are very fine and dispersed. On the skin, they are barely noticeable unless you are really looking for them. On clothing, however, the shimmer absolutely announces its presence. My shirt knew this setting spray existed immediately.

The mist itself is fine and pleasant. No aggressive water droplets attacking the face.

There is a slight cherry scent when spraying it, but it disappears pretty quickly and does not linger around long enough to become annoying.

Performance-wise, it sets makeup perfectly fine. I did not see improved wear time, but I also did not see my makeup break down faster. It basically maintains the status quo.

I also appreciate that it does not make the skin look greasy or overly shiny. The finish stays pretty natural and does not really alter the final appearance of your makeup.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cream Eyeshadow Stick

The eyeshadow sticks took me on an emotional journey.

This category is where the collection fully split into winners and losers.

The formula itself is super creamy and easy to blend, but it never fully sets down. That is the core issue here and the reason the creasing starts almost immediately.

I could literally feel my eyelids sticking together for a while after application.

The shades are buildable to a point, but layering too heavily just makes the formula more unstable.

Shimmer Pink and Shimmer White work best as topper shades because the pigmentation stays fairly sheer. Unfortunately, they also sort of erase themselves while blending. You apply it, blend it out, and suddenly half the product has seemingly vanished into another dimension. They are both headed to the bad bin.

Even with eyeshadow primer, the creasing started immediately. The lighter shimmer helps disguise it somewhat, but it is still happening.

Rating: ⭐️

Shimmer Pink

Shimmer White

Shimmer Chocolate

Shimmer Chocolate somehow became the survivor of the group.

I actually managed to get this one to work without creasing, which genuinely shocked me because I tested the exact same method with the previous Ioni shadow sticks from older collections and this collection but could not make any of them work.

Here is exactly what I did:

* Applied a generous amount of Urban Decay Primer Potion

* Let the primer fully dry and set for a few minutes

* Set the primer using the wet n wild 5-in-1 Essence Primer + Finish Powder with a dense but fluffy crease brush

* Applied a light layer of the shadow stick across the lid

* Used that same brush to blend upward into the crease

* Added another very light layer on the eyelid

The key seems to be extremely light layers over an intensely prepped base.

Oh yeah, if you want to read or listing to my scathing review of their other eyeshadow sticks I’ll drop that below.

For whatever reason, Shimmer Chocolate cooperated with this method while the other shades absolutely refused.

I am keeping this one. The other two are being exiled.

Melting Lip Balm

These are probably the easiest products in the collection to throw on without thinking.

They have a very glossy, shiny finish while still giving the lips a visible wash of color.

The texture is slightly sticky, but not in a heavy uncomfortable way. You can sometimes see the product pulling slightly at the inner lip area, though it never became overly messy or gross-looking.

The thicker texture actually works in the formula’s favor because it fades gracefully instead of vanishing awkwardly.

Even after the visible color mostly wears off, I still feel a bit of hydration and a hint of shine left behind on the lips.

Reapplying also works well because the formula naturally wears down enough that it does not build into a gummy mess.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shortcake

Wild Cherry

Soft Lip Veil

These are intentionally soft blur matte lipsticks with buildable medium coverage.

The finish creates that diffused lip effect that looks softly blurred around the edges instead of sharply defined. “Just bitten” is probably the best way to describe the look.

The formula itself does not dry out the lips, which I appreciate because soft matte products can sometimes start feeling like powdered chalk after an hour.

That said, they can accentuate lip lines slightly depending on lip texture.

Wear time gets a little weird around the upper lip line specifically. I noticed some slight crumbling there while the rest of the lipstick continued holding on relatively well. I still cannot fully explain why that specific area struggled more than the rest of the lips.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mon Cherie

Nude

Poppy

Blush Butter Balm

These blushes are tiny.

Make sure you actually own a brush small enough to comfortably fit into the packaging because larger blush brushes are going to feel ridiculous trying to work with these little pots.

The formula itself is soft, creamy, and easy to blend. It spreads nicely across the cheeks without lifting foundation underneath, which immediately earns points from me.

The finish has a slight dewiness and remains a little tacky to the touch.

Pigmentation stays fairly natural. You can build the color somewhat, but it seems to hit a ceiling where adding more product does not really intensify the blush much further.

The subtle finish also makes it a little difficult to judge fading throughout the day because the color is intentionally softer to begin with. I’d say they do what they are supposed to. An aquired taste if you like to see your blush from space like me.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cherry Spritz

Sweet Rose

Final Thoughts

The strongest category in the Cherry On Top collection is definitely the Melting Lip Balms that feel cohesive with the collection theme and perform solidly overall.

The blushes are cute and easy to wear if you enjoy softer natural cheek products.

The primer and setting spray are perfectly serviceable products that do their jobs without dramatically changing your makeup experience one way or the other.

The eyeshadow sticks are where things get messy. Shimmer Chocolate narrowly escaped disaster through an oddly specific application method, while Pink and White fully lost the battle against creasing.

This collection feels very wearable, casual, and soft glam overall. Nothing here screams ultra-long-wear professional makeup artistry. It feels more like fun everyday beauty with cute packaging and approachable formulas.

Sometimes that is exactly the mood.

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Suddenly we have pudding blushes. Pudding bronzers. Glosses with cooling metal applicators. Lip oils that tingle like they just drank an energy drink. Brow pens giving suspiciously realistic fake brow hairs. Somehow all of it is still sitting firmly in the “grab it while buying shampoo at Walmart” tax bracket.

Yeah, some of it is dupes. Others are innovations, and the rest fall in the category of it’s about darn time.

The brand is clearly leaning hard into texture right now. That’s the most interesting thing happening in drugstore makeup at the moment. Everything is whipped, blurred, glossy, airy, mousse-y, or designed to melt into the skin without looking heavy. It feels very trend-aware without the boring repetition we’ve been fed for years.

The Mother Fluffer Pudding formulas especially feel like wet n wild looked at the beauty industry’s obsession with cloud skin and soft matte makeup and said, “We can do that too. For the price of a coffee.” For all of those that think it’s just another Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse disaster… get outta town.

Meanwhile the lip category is basically an entire buffet. Matte liquid lips, jelly glosses, lip liner stains, plumping oils… they really said no lip preference gets left behind. Matte lips in 2026. It feels random. Or is it?

Can we discuss the ultimatebrow Pen for a second? A brow pen WITH A SPOOLIE? I genuinely had to pause. It’s one of those oddly practical ideas that makes you wonder why more drugstore brands haven’t done it already, or I’m not testing the right pens.

I put together a full hub covering every wet n wild 2026 makeup launch so far, including pricing, quick breakdowns, what’s actually worth paying attention to, and links to all my deeper reviews if you want the swatches, wear tests, and details.

My annual master list got a glow up this here. Come see what it’s all about.

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Not everything is meant to be bold or dramatic here. A lot of it lives in that soft, wearable, everyday space. Probably intentioned for the clean girl aesthetic. Is that dying? Is it holding it’s own? The internet seems just as confused as me.

This is the kind of makeup you reach for when you still want to look put together but don’t feel like trying too hard.

Let’s get into it product by product, with all of the swatches!

Tinted Lip Oil

This is one of those formulas that feels like it knows exactly what it’s supposed to be doing. No overpromising, no weird texture surprises.

The applicator is tiny, so getting a full, even coat takes a few dips. Slightly annoying, but not a dealbreaker once you know what you’re working with.

The formula itself is where this shines. It doesn’t feel heavy, sticky, oily, or greasy. It just sits comfortably on the lips with a nice shine. Reapplying doesn’t cause buildup, it doesn’t gunk up, and it doesn’t feather. When it wears off, your lips don’t feel dry or coated in leftover residue. It just disappears cleanly.

Classy in Clear

Tiramisu

Tomato Girl

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (giggling here because when I insert emojis on Reddit I get called AI. Oh no, I must be a robot again! Ya’ll I’ve been using a star rating system for YEARS lol.)

Liquid Blush

This is easily one of the strongest categories in the collection. If you like control and flexibility, this formula delivers.

The formula is buildable, which means you’re not punished for going in a little heavy-handed. You can keep it soft or build it up to something more noticeable without it getting patchy.

It dries down to a matte finish, but not a flat one. Skin still looks like skin. It doesn’t disturb whatever is underneath, which is huge for base makeup. No lifting, no weird separation.

Blending with a brush works beautifully, and once it’s set, it stays put. This does not fade throughout the day. What you applied in the morning is what you’re still seeing hours later.

Amore

Ciao!

Grazie

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Liquid Highlighter

This is where expectations matter. The packging screams Rare Beauty, but if you’re looking for intensity, this will disappoint.

Across the board, this is not glittery, shimmery, metallic, or wet-looking. It’s a true lit-from-within glow. Not buildable either, so what you see is what you get.

Blending with fingers works best here. It dries down, lasts all day, and doesn’t interfere with coverage underneath.

Just a Prosecco

Limoncello Lies

Let’s Go Aperoling

Too deep for my skin tone, so this one didn’t work for me personally. I picked it up to test the full collection and will be donating it based on shade alone.

I did try mixing it into foundation just to see what would happen, and there wasn’t a noticeable difference. That lines up with the formula overall being subtle. At least it didn’t alter the depth of my base.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Auto Lip Liner

Sometimes you just need a reliable lip liner that does its job without making a scene.

The formula hits that middle ground perfectly. Not too creamy, not too waxy. It glides without skipping or tugging and gives immediate matte pigment.

It’s easy to use, which is exactly what you want from a retractable liner. One of the more surprising things is how well it holds up under the lip oil. There’s still noticeable product left after the gloss wears down, which is not always the case at this price point. The lip oils aren’t breaking down the lip liner and pushing it past the lip line with feathering.

A genuinely solid basic. Simple as!

Amalfi Coast

Iced Coffee

Linen Nude

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Final Thoughts

The Ciao Bella collection doesn’t try to be everything. It sticks to soft, wearable, everyday beauty, and for the most part, it executes that well.

The liquid blush is the standout. Long-wearing, easy to control, and beginner-friendly without being boring.

The lip oils are comfortable and low-maintenance, even if the applicator could be larger.

The highlighters are for a very specific preference. If you like subtle glow, you’ll appreciate them. If you want impact, keep looking elsewhere.

The lip liners are dependable, no notes, exactly what they should be.

It’s a cohesive collection that makes sense together. Nothing feels random, and most of it earns its spot.

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The L.A. Colors Very Cherry collection somehow sits between it’s cute and aesthetic, and accidentally outperforms your expecations. Plus, a few confusing aspects.

On paper this collection seems mostly cohesive. Cherry everything. Matching tones. Multi-use vibes. An fffortless, juicy, monochromatic makeup moment.

The reality is you don’t need all of it, even for a 4-piece collection.

Allow me to break it down properly, because there are clear winners here… and a couple of “why does this exist?” moments.

Very Cherry Blush Balm

I went into the Very Cherry Blush Balm expecting sheer, glossy, barely-there color. Something cute but forgettable. I was pleasantly wrong.

This is a real cream blush formula. You get buildable pigment that can go from soft flush to actually bold cheeks without fighting it. It blends easily, doesn’t lift your base underneath, and settles into this natural finish that leans matte without looking flat or dry.

There’s the slightest bit of tack, but it’s not sticky in a problematic way. Just enough to remind you it’s there.

It wears well. It doesn’t fade into nothing halfway through the day, which is usually where products like this lose me.

If you buy one thing from this collection, this is it.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very Cherry Lip Gloss

She’s confusing, but she’s also your favorite! She’s the elephant in the room that you didn’t even realize.

The flavor is not cherry.

I don’t know what it is. It’s artificial, slightly off, and not something you’ll fall in love with. But it’s also not bad enough to stop using the product… which is exactly why it’s annoying.

The shade looks like that perfect in-between of biting your lips and eating a popsicle. It’s flattering in that effortless, “your lips but better… but also a little flushed” way.

The shine is mild, not glassy. Paired with the sheer wash of color, it ends up looking like a glossy lip stain rather than a standard lip gloss.

Which… it basically is even though it doesn’t claim to be exactly.

The tube even warns you that it may stain, and it’s not kidding. The color sticks around through eating, drinking (especially through a straw), and general life. Even hours later, you’ll still see a tint, and a bit of shine hangs on longer than expected.

The formula itself is lightweight, non-sticky, and thinner than a traditional gloss. Easy to wear, easy to reapply.

If the flavor were better, this would be an easy obsession. But, I'll spare it from the bad bin. I like the look and it’s very summer forward and effortless.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very Cherry Lip Balm

This one just doesn’t do enough.

You get the slightest cherry tint, like you had a popsicle earlier and it left a whisper of color behind. It does build a little with reapplication, but it never reaches a point where it feels intentional.

There’s barely any shine. It’s truly a balm in that sense.

But here’s the issue: it doesn’t really condition your lips.

It sits in this weird in-between where your lips don’t feel nourished, and any dryness doesn’t soften the way you’d expect from a good balm. It’s not making things worse, but it’s definitely not improving them either.

It exists. That’s kind of it.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Very Cherry Lip & Cheek Oil

This is the product that made me pause. We have a full on identity crisis brewing here!

Because on the lips, it’s basically the gloss… but without the weird flavor. Same tint, same staining effect, similar shine. You can reapply without it getting patchy or strange, and the stain lasts all day.

So far, so good.

But it doesn’t leave your lips feeling particularly hydrated or treated. It just sits there as a shiny tint.

I was SO afraid to put an oil on my cheeks on top of my full face of makeup. I accepted my fate.

On the cheeks, it works. It doesn’t disturb makeup underneath, and you can build it to a soft cherry flush.

But it’s an oil. It never dries down.

So your hair will stick to your face. Constantly.

The upside is that the sheen makes highlighter completely unnecessary. The downside is that you probably won’t want to layer anything on top anyway.

It doesn’t fade, which is impressive. But the finish is very specific.

When you already have a blush in the same collection that gives you better control, better finish, and less inconvenience… this starts to feel optional at best.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Big Picture: What’s Worth It

Every product here is the same color, and the finishes have similar touches.

If you want cherry cheeks, go straight to the blush. If you want cherry lips, grab the gloss.

Everything else starts to feel a little redundant.

The lip oil is doing an impression of the gloss… and the blush… at the same time. Which sounds efficient, but ends up feeling unnecessary unless you’re into an oily cheek. Needless to say, don’t wear it on a windy day.

The lip balm can be fully skipped.

Final Verdict: Delete From Cart

This collection looks like a full routine, but it’s really a highlight reel.

Get the blush if you want cherry cheeks that actually perform.Get the gloss if you want effortless cherry lips with surprising staying power.

Skip the balm.Only grab the oil if you specifically want that wet/glossy cheek look.

Everything shares a similar tone, so once you have one or two, you’re not missing out on some hidden, unique shade story.

It’s less “collect them all” and more “pick your favorite and move on.”

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This is the kind of highlight where you catch your reflection and immediately turn your head side to side just to watch it shift. Blue flashes into existence. Pink pops out of nowhere. It’s not subtle, and it’s definitely not trying to be.

The formula feels soft, almost creamy for a baked powder, and it blends way easier than you’d expect for something this glitter-heavy. At the same time, you will literally see shimmer particles fly into the air while you apply it. It’s part mesmerizing, part chaos.

The pigment? Immediate. The photos don’t do it justice. No “build it up slowly over five layers” situation here. You touch your brush to the pan and suddenly you have a full chrome effect staring back at you.

I also tested all 4 shades, wore them in different lighting, and pushed them beyond just cheekbones. Eyes. Lips. Full editorial moments.

There are things you absolutely need to know before buying this though. It’s not the most forgiving formula, and it’s definitely not built for every type of makeup look.

If you want the full breakdown, including swatches, wear test results, and exactly how it performs in real life, you can read everything in the article.

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I went into this expecting a cute little dollar store moment. What I got instead was a full-on main character blush experience.

Yes, before you even ask, the packaging is very much “inspired by” Rare Beauty. You’ll see it immediately. That soft, rounded component, the oversized applicator… we know what’s going on here. But formula-wise? It holds its own.

First Impressions: This Is Not a Shy Blush

The shade range alone tells you everything you need to know about this product’s personality.. which again, the names sound very Rare Beauty-esque:

* Captivating

* Cherished

* Charming

* Carefree

* Courageous

* Charismatic

You’ve got soft, barely-there shades and then shades that walk into the room before you do.

Here’s the key: this is a buildable formula, but with a caveat.

The lighter shades will stay soft and subtle. You’re not building those into full glam, bold blush territory. Meanwhile, the deeper or brighter shades? They show up immediately and mean it.

So basically, the range is doing the work for you. You pick your intensity upfront.

Application: Big Applicator, Big Energy

The applicator is large. If you’ve been listening to my podcasts you know nothing sets me off more than those Barbie-sized applicators from the dollar store.

The formula blends easily and, importantly, it does not lift your base. That alone earns major points. You can go in over foundation without that dreaded patchiness or erasing everything underneath.

Swatches & Shades

Below you can see each Blushlighter swatched on clean, dry fair skin as well as on my cheeks.

Captivating

Carefree

Charismatic

Charming

Cherished

Courageous

The Glow Factor: Do You Even Need Highlighter?

This is where things get interesting.

The whole concept of a “blushlighter” is that it combines blush and highlight in one step. For once that claim actually holds up, but of course, that does depend on your personal preference.

It gives a noticeable glow. Not glittery. Not chunky. Just that lit-from-within, slightly dewy sheen that catches the light in all the right places.

For me? I skipped highlighter completely.

Now, is that universal? No. If you love an intense, blinding highlight, you might still layer one on top. But if you’re into a more streamlined routine or a glow that feels built-in rather than added on, this absolutely delivers.

The Catch: Let’s Talk About the Tacky Dry Down

We need to address it.

This does not fully dry down.

It stays a little sticky, a little tacky… and yes, your hair will stick to it if it brushes against your face. Especially if you go in heavy.

But here’s the trade-off: that tackiness is part of why it looks so fresh and glowy. A lot of products that give this level of sheen don’t fully set either.

Interestingly, it doesn’t break down in a gross way. It doesn’t get oily, especially on areas like the nose. It just… stays put.

The wear is actually impressive:

* Lasts all day

* Doesn’t disappear or melt off

* Fades in a way that softens the look without ruining it

It’s the kind of fade you want. Like when you accidentally apply too much and a few hours later it settles into perfection.

How to Make It Work for You

This is one of those products where how you apply it changes everything.

If you:

* Use a light hand → minimal stickiness, soft glow

* Go full glam → more tackiness, but maximum impact

So it really depends on your vibe that day.

Personally? I went a little heavy-handed (on purpose), and I liked the effect enough to deal with the slight stickiness.

Final Verdict: Worth It? 100%

This is one of those Dollar Tree finds that’s absolutely exciting.

You’re getting:

* A true glow-blush hybrid

* A formula that plays nicely with your base

* A shade range that covers soft to bold

* All-day wear with a flattering fade

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Is it perfect? No. The tackiness won’t be for everyone.

But if you like glowy, fresh, slightly editorial skin… this is so worth it.

For the price, the performance, and the overall vibe, it’s giving way more than it has any right to.

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Naturally, I bought all four shades. For science, as always.

But here’s where things get interesting. What looks like a smooth, high-impact metallic in the packaging… is not exactly what you get when you start applying it. The texture? Unexpected. The application? A learning curve. The final result? Kind of stunning… and kind of chaotic.

I put these to a full wear test. Some shades impressed me. Others tested my patience. And one in particular had me questioning everything.

If you’ve been eyeing these and wondering whether they’re worth the $6–$8 price tag, I broke down everything. Swatches, shade breakdowns, real wear results, and exactly how to apply for ideal results.

Trust me, there’s a right way to use these.

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First of all, the packaging. Seashells. Immediate yes. I am exactly the target audience for anything that looks like it belongs in a mermaid’s vanity. But packaging aside, what really matters is how it performs… and I wore this collection multiple times and genuinely loved my makeup every single time.

Here’s the thing: with ColourPop and essence Cosmetics both dropping Little Mermaid-themed launches, this feels like the perfect under-the-radar way to tap into that same vibe without spending a ton.

Is everything perfectly cohesive? No. But is it fun, wearable, and worth it? Absolutely.

Mermaid, But Make It Wearable

When you think “mermaid collection,” you probably expect a ton of shimmer… and that’s exactly what you get here.

The eyeshadows are overwhelmingly shimmer-heavy (with only a couple mattes), but it works. It leans fully into that glossy, wet, dimensional eye look that screams mermaid without being costume-y.

The lip glosses and eyeshadows don’t feel super tied together in terms of color story, but the blushes? They ground everything. Blush goes with everything anyway, so I’m not mad about it.

Lip Glosses: Juicy, Glossy, and Shockingly Comfortable

I’m not a lip gloss girl by default, so when I tell you I enjoyed these… that means something.

Make Waves

This one has a crazy amount of pigment for a gloss. Like, high-medium coverage territory. If you want something that actually shows up, this is it.

Ocean Mist

Clear, but with a milky pearl finish. It gives that glossy, almost ethereal sheen without adding color.

Mermaid Kisses

This is my girl. A true, girly pink that enhances your natural lip color instead of covering it. My favorite out of the trio.

Formula-wise across the board:

* Not thick or sticky at all

* Feels more like a lip oil (in a good way)

* Super comfortable and hydrating-feeling

* Cupcake flavor/scent

* Applies with a large, flat, slanted applicator that actually picks up enough product

* Reapplies cleanly, no gunk buildup

* Very glossy, very juicy

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eyeshadows: Shimmer City, But Make It Pretty

Yes, most of the shades are shimmer. But instead of feeling limiting, it actually creates that cohesive mermaid aesthetic.

Mermaid Vibes

Sirens Call

Tropical Reef

Performance:

* Buildable pigment

* Easy to blend

* Colors show up well on the eyes

* No fallout, kickup, or dusty mess

* Soft formula that picks up nicely

The color stories aren’t the most perfectly curated… especially in conjunction with the glosses, but somehow it still works. You can create looks that feel dimensional, glowy, and just a little bit magical.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blushes: The Star of the Collection

Let’s talk about the real winner here.

L.A. Colors blushes? Criminally underrated. I already reviewed their permanent line and to say I’m obsessed is an understatement. You can read that below.

Magical Mauve (matte)

Coral Flush (slight glow)

Sunkissed Pink (matte)

Sunkissed Pink has already been re-worn multiple times. That tells you everything. She’s my fave.

Why these stand out:

* Huge pan (love)

* Same formula as their permanent line

* Not dusty or powdery

* Buildable pigment that’s easy to control

* Blends effortlessly

* Can be worn bold (which I prefer) but the shades cater to natural, midway, and bold

* Actually lasts… it doesn’t fade away

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Final Thoughts: Worth It? 100%

This collection isn’t about being perfectly curated or editorial. It’s about being fun, wearable, and giving you that mermaid fantasy in a way you’ll actually use.

I loved my makeup every time I wore this collection. You can see those below!

If you’re looking the pricier mermaid collections and hesitating, this is such an easy yes. You’re getting:

* Great gloss formula

* Solid shimmer-heavy eyeshadows

* One of the best blush formulas out there

All wrapped in seashell packaging that I will absolutely not shut up about.

Sometimes, that’s exactly what makeup should be. Fun, pretty, and just a little extra.

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There are two types of makeup launches. The ones you buy because they’re good… and the ones you buy because they’re adorable. The wet n wild x Winnie the Pooh collection? Definitely the second one. At least at first glance.

I mean… honey pots? Tiny eyeshadow keychains? Plush headbands? This collection is aggressively cute. Like, “add to cart before thinking” cute. Naturally, I did what needed to be done. I bought the entire thing. All 19 pieces. For research purposes, obviously. That’s what I do as your WNW authority.

But here’s the thing. Cute packaging can only carry a product so far. Do you want to buy something that looks great on your bathroom counter only?

Some of these formulas surprised me in the best way. One product in particular had me genuinely asking why it isn’t part of the permanent line. Others… let’s just say they tested my patience, my brushes, and my ability to not ruin a full face of makeup mid-application.

We need to talk about the honey pots. Because they look like they should be amazing. They are not what you think.

Several times along the way I’m asking what were they thinking and straight up WTF.

If you’re wondering what’s actually worth buying, what to skip, and whether this collection lives up to the hype, I broke it all down with swatches, wear tests, and four full makeup looks.

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If you’ve ever browsed the beauty aisle long enough, you’ve probably spotted Ioni Cosmetics. They’re famous for dropping these limited-run collections where once the products are gone… they’re gone. Except sometimes they’re not actually gone. The same formulas or colors will randomly reappear later in different packaging with completely different shade names.

Which means if you’re a tenured beauty blogger like me, your brain immediately goes: Okay… but are these actually good?

So naturally, I grabbed every Ioni eyeshadow stick I could find and tested them. They come from two different product lines.

* Eyeshadow Stick

* Shimmer Shadow Stick

Despite looking similar, they behave very differently. Let’s talk about it.

Ioni Eyeshadow Stick

My concern started by reading the packaging. It proudly advertises all these nourishing oils in the formula and my immediate reaction was: Uh… won’t that make them too emollient and prevent them from setting?

Yes. Yes it does. My worst fear = confirmed. Ya’ll I didn’t even try Amethyst Shimmer on my eyes. I’ve simply given up at this point because they look so bad.

For the Vanilla Shimmer eye look I used it as a brow bone and inner corner highlight. Obviously the eyeshadow on the lid is an orange color. After the first two shades crased so bad, again, I refused to keep putting them on the eyelid.

Vanilla Shimmer

Cranberry Shimmer

Matte Espresso

Amethyst Shimmer

I really wanted these to work. Especially Cranberry Shimmer. Because the market is missing a good, true red. The color itself is gorgeous.

But the formula? Unfortunately… no.

These sticks glide on beautifully. They’re creamy, emollient, and they blend easily when you first apply them. At first swipe you think, Oh this is promising.

These crease horribly.

I tried everything:

* Eyeshadow primer

* Setting the base

* Setting with powder

Nothing saves them. It’s not even a problem with just the shimmers, the mattes do the same thing.

If you try to set them with powder you completely ruin the finish on the metallic shimmer shades. Even after all that effort, they still crease and move.

Basically, they never fully set down.

The one exception? Vanilla Shimmer. Not as an eyeshadow though.

I’m actually keeping this one because it makes an amazing highlight for:

* Brow bone

* Inner corner of the eye

* Face highlight

Anywhere where your face can’t crease it looks fantastic. The shimmer is bright, smooth, and reflective without looking chunky. It’s the perfect shade.

So technically… one survivor.

But as an eyeshadow formula overall? Sadly, these are basically unusable.

Ioni Shimmer Shadow Stick

When I picked these up I actually thought maybe Ioni had fixed the formula. The packaging didn’t tout all of these so-called wonderful oils.

Coco

Black

Cream

The first swipe felt different. These glide on more like the drugstore shadow sticks I actually like.

So initially I was hopeful.

They also blend beautifully with a brush, which surprised me. I could soften the edges easily without the product disappearing or turning patchy.

The sparkle in these shades is really pretty too.

But unfortunately… the wear test told a different story.

Most of these shades still fade and crease badly.

The interesting exception is Coco.

For whatever reason, Coco is the only shade that doesn’t crease, fade, or move on me. It stays put surprisingly well.

Now I’m skeptical about why. It might just be because it’s a lighter shade, which can make creasing less noticeable. But visually, it does look smoother throughout the day compared to the others.

The other shades:

BlackThis one actually goes on as a really nice full coverage matte black with sparkle. It looks dramatic and smoky when first applied. But again… the wear time just isn’t there.

CreamThis is highly similar to Vanilla Shimmer from the other collection. You don’t need both.

So again, great highlight potential… not amazing longevity as an eyeshadow.

The Final Verdict

This was one of those reviews where I really wanted a different outcome. Because Dollar Tree shadow sticks that actually work would be amazing.

Rating: ⭐️ (1/5) yes I’m crying with you my friend.

The formula across both collections has the same core issue: they never fully set.

The result is creasing, fading, and movement even if you try to prep and set them properly.

However, they do have a few redeeming qualities… or I’m reaching really far:

* They glide on easily

* They blend well initially

* Some shades make fantastic highlight sticks

If you happen to find Coco, that one performs noticeably better than the others.

But if you’re hoping these will replace your favorite drugstore shadow sticks, they simply aren’t worth it.

That said, I’ll still keep checking Dollar Tree because with Ioni Cosmetics, you never know when a completely different formula will show up in a new collection with new packaging and new shade names.

Honestly? The thrill of the beauty aisle treasure hunt is half the fun anyway. They have a new collection that just dropped with cherry and pink hues and there are 3 eyeshadow sticks. You know I’m going to try them for science despite all the disappointment here… when I actually find the display that is.

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This is not your average drugstore gloss. We’re talking full coverage chrome, color-shifting, reflective lip drama. The kind that catches the light from every angle and suddenly your lips look like they belong in a futuristic runway show.

Naturally, I had to test it properly.

I picked up all five shades and ran them through my usual routine: swatches, application testing, and a full wear test (including eating noodles and drinking throughout the day because real life happens). Some shades behaved perfectly. Others… got a little chaotic around the lip line.

The finish? Let’s just say subtlety is not the goal here. Get outta here with your clean girl makeup.

The formula has this thicker gloss texture that somehow manages to be comfortable without that sticky lip-glue feeling metallic glosses sometimes have. But the real story is the chrome shift. Certain shades look completely different depending on the lighting, which makes them ridiculously fun to wear.

Of course, not everything is perfect. A couple shades definitely have their quirks, and I found some clear differences between the lighter and darker colors once I started really testing them.

So if you’re wondering:

* Which shade looks the most dramatic

* Which ones are actually wearable day to day

* Whether a $6 chrome gloss can survive food and drinks

* Which shade unexpectedly became my favorite

I break down swatches, wear test results, pros and cons, and my full review.

Trust me… if you love weird, shiny, slightly chaotic makeup (the fun kind), you’ll want to see these swatches.

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Over time, I kept spotting different Ioni Cosmetics lip oils at Dollar Tree. Not just new shades, but entirely different packaging styles and product lines. Popsicle tubes. Zodiac themes. Vintage-inspired tubes. Square tinted oils.

So naturally, the only logical next step was to test every Ioni lip oil I could find and see if these $1.25 glossy little temptations were actually worth the hype.

Let’s break it down.

Lip Oil

These are the ones that immediately catch your eye because the packaging looks like a little frozen treat. It’s playful, colorful, and exactly the kind of thing that makes you stop mid-aisle.

Peaches ‘n’ Cream

Pink Coconut

Formula-wise, these are extremely sheer. Think barely-there color, almost clear on the lips, but with a super glossy shine that makes them look juicy and healthy.

The biggest quirk here is the applicator. The doefoot is noticeably smaller than average, which means you’ll be dipping back into the tube a few times to get enough product for a full lip. Not the end of the world, but definitely something I noticed.

The other thing that threw me? The scent situation. One of them had a watermelon flavor, which felt a little confusing considering the shade name was Peaches ‘n’ Cream. My brain was like… wait, what?

That said, once it’s on the lips it feels nice. Not sticky. Not heavy. Just shiny and comfortable. It doesn’t really leave your lips feeling extra moisturized afterward, but it’s pleasant while it’s on.

This is firmly in the “reapply as needed and enjoy the shine” category.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Lunar Zodiac Lip Oil

These are easily the most aesthetic of the bunch. The details that feel a little more elevated than you’d expect from a Dollar Tree find.

Red

Purple Gold

Despite the dramatic shade names, the color payoff is very subtle. Both oils give a sheer wash of tint rather than anything bold.

Formula-wise, these are very lightweight. No stickiness. No thick gloss feeling. Just smooth, glossy shine that catches the light nicely.

My only real complaint is the applicator again. I wish it were bigger because it would make application faster and more satisfying.

Otherwise, these are perfectly pleasant little lip oils. Comfortable, shiny, and easy to toss on without thinking too hard about it.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lip Oil

This one stood out immediately because the packaging looks like something straight out of a vintage vanity. It has this subtle Art Deco vibe that feels very 1920s glam.

Red

Pink

Now here’s the funny part. The tube looks like a translucent pinkish red, but when you actually apply it, it goes on completely clear.

The applicator itself is a normal size, but it doesn’t seem to pick up much product. I had to dip back into the tube several times to fully coat my lips, which made me suspect the stopper might be a little too tight.

As for the formula, it’s quite nice. It’s not heavy, not sticky, not greasy. Just a comfortable glossy oil that sits nicely on the lips.

Again, though, once it wears off your lips don’t feel dramatically different. It’s not a treatment product. It’s more about the shine while it’s there.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tinted Lip Oil

These were the surprise favorites of the bunch.

The packaging is a square tube with a larger applicator, which immediately makes application easier and more satisfying. One swipe picks up the perfect amount of product for glossy, juicy-looking lips.

Pink Doll

Sweet Honey

Plumberry

Even though they’re labeled as tinted lip oils, the color payoff is still extremely sheer. We’re talking barely-there tint. Almost clear, but not quite.

Where these really shine is the texture.

These feel a bit more substantial than the other Ioni oils, but not in a bad way. They feel like an actual oil formula, rather than a thin gloss pretending to be one. Still not sticky, but slightly richer.

They also don’t clump or get weird when you reapply throughout the day, which is a huge plus.

Full disclosure: one of these has absolutely earned a permanent spot in my purse.

When a Dollar Tree product graduates to purse status, you know it’s doing something right.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Overall Verdict

After testing all these Ioni lip oils, a clear pattern emerged.

Across the board, these products are:

* Very shiny

* Extremely sheer

* Comfortable on the lips

* Non-sticky

They’re not heavy-duty moisturizing treatments, and they don’t leave behind lasting hydration once they wear off. But as simple glossy lip oils for quick shine, they absolutely get the job done.

For $1.25, they’re fun little beauty finds that make great throw-in-your-bag products. Honestly, part of the appeal is the packaging. Ioni clearly loves a theme, and the variety makes the hunt at Dollar Tree surprisingly entertaining.

Because let’s be real.

Half the fun of Dollar Tree beauty shopping is never knowing which random gem you’re going to find next.

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Naturally, I had to test that claim.

So I swatched the shades, wore them all day, drank coffee, ate actual food (not just the influencer version of a wear test), and paid attention to the things that really matter. How dark do these stains dry? Do they actually last through drinks? Do they get patchy? Most importantly… do they leave your lips looking bomb or like you lost a fight with a berry popsicle?

The results were… interesting.

Some shades lasted 13+ hours on bare lips, which is frankly impressive for a $5 product. Others? Let’s just say they had a little personality. There are also some big differences between the original 2025 shades and the newer 2026 releases that expand the line. If you’re thinking about picking one up, that distinction actually matters.

I also tested the applicator (which is surprisingly unique), the comfort level, how the stain fades, and whether layering a lip oil changes the wear.

Because as much as we love a cheap beauty find, we also love knowing exactly what we’re getting into before we swipe it on our faces.

If you want to see the swatches, shade breakdowns, wear test results, pros and cons, and my full honest review, you can read the complete post here:

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This is your official deep dive into the Ioni lipstick lineup. Every finish. Every shade I found. All for $1.25 each.

Let’s get into it.

First Things First: The Ioni Formula Game

Ioni is one of those brands that quietly rotates collections. The Shea Butter line tends to stick around. The others? Limited drops. But here’s the twist: they absolutely recycle formulas and shades. New packaging. New names. Same colors. Same textures. If you’ve followed them for a while, you’ve probably noticed.

So yes, there may be other shades out there. I know for sure there’s a standard red with no sparkle floating around somewhere. But I tested every bullet I could physically find.

Honestly? I’m impressed.

Shea Butter Lipstick Line

Swatches & Shades

Pink

Nude

Mauve

Sparkle Red

Note: Sparkle Red comes in different packaging and does not have the heart-shaped applicator.

Let’s talk about that heart tip for a second. It’s not just cute. It actually hugs the lips beautifully. The shape makes it easy to line and fill without needing a lip liner. For $1.25? That’s wild.

Formula Breakdown

These are super creamy. They glide on like actual butter. Zero tugging. Zero dragging.

* Buildable to full coverage

* Satin finish that leans shiny

* Lightweight and comfortable

* No heaviness

* No weird residue feeling

They don’t dry down, which means they will transfer. But they wear off gracefully. No cracking. No patchy center lip situation. Most importantly, they do not dry your lips out.

If you like that classic, comfortable lipstick feel. The kind you can reapply without needing lip balm underneath. This is that.

For a dollar twenty five. I’m still not over it.

Matte Lipstick Line

Swatches & Shades

Warm Toffee

Plum Rose

Lola’s Sangria

Pomegran’ Margarita

Now let’s talk about the matte formula because this is where I was ready to be disappointed.

I was wrong.

These are true matte. Not satin pretending to be matte. Not demi-matte. They are matte.

But here’s the part that matters. They are not dry.

* Full coverage in one swipe

* Lightweight

* Easy to work with

* Minimal to no transfer

* Long wearing

I drank an entire cup of hot tea wearing these. Not a sip. The whole cup. And the lipstick stayed put. Very minimal breakdown.

That’s impressive at any price point. At $1.25, it’s borderline suspicious.

They don’t feel heavy. No tight, crusty matte situation. Just comfortable, set lips.

So… Are They Worth It?

Let’s be honest. At $1.25, the barrier to entry is low. But that doesn’t automatically make something good.

What surprised me most is how consistent the quality is across finishes.

The Shea Butter line is perfect for:

* Everyday comfort

* Glossy satin lovers

* Dry lip days

The Matte line is perfect for:

* Long wear

* Minimal transfer

* Full pigment

Both formulas feel intentional. Not rushed. Not chalky. Not that weird waxy cheap lipstick texture we’ve all experienced.

If you’ve been sleeping on Ioni because it’s dollar store priced, I get it. But the performance says otherwise.

Final Thoughts Before You Run to the Store

If you see them, grab them. Especially limited collection shades. Ioni rotates fast and rebrands often. That berry you love today might come back next year wearing a different name tag.

Would I repurchase? Yes.Would I recommend? Also yes.Would I pay more than $1.25? Yeah they are worth it.

If you want affordable lipsticks that perform like they cost two times more, this is one of those under-the-radar finds that deserves attention.

Now I want to know. Are you team creamy satin or team true matte?

Because apparently… at $1.25, you don’t have to choose.

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2 years after that life changing release, we now have a new line of oils with a twist.

Ever wondered if a lip oil could actually give your lips some oomph? I put the wet n wild Lip Oil Injector to the ultimate test, and spoiler alert: it’s not your typical gloss.

We’re talking plump, shiny, and just a hint of spice that wakes up your pout without sending you running for water. Listen man, after trying the Too Faced Lip Injector you can do anything.

I swatched every shade, tested the wear, and endured the tingling sensation so you don’t have to. From “your lips but better” pinks to luminous clear shine, there’s a shade for every mood and every makeup bag. The applicator is big, the color is buildable, and the finish? Glassy, glossy, and very Instagram-ready.

Are they just as good as the original? Do they leave your lips conditioned like the original?

I break down which shades stand out, which retailers carry them, and how this plumping lip oil stacks up against the originals. Trust me, this one is a little spicy, a lot shiny, and surprisingly affordable.

If you’re ready to meet your new lip crush and see which shade might become your everyday go-to, the full wet n wild Lip Oil Injector review is waiting. Click through for swatches, wear tests, and all the juicy details. 👇

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In a world where palettes have 18 shades, they are all repeat neutrals, a mirror the size of your face, and a price tag that requires emotional preparation, there is something wildly satisfying about four shades that just get the job done at $1.25 each.

Enter L.A. Colors 4-Color Eyeshadow. I’m not exaggerating when I say this is the best eyeshadow formula I’ve tried from the brand (and DT). Yes. The best.

I’ve already covered their #2 formula which are the L.A. Colors 3 Color Eyeshadows that have been around for a while.

I have five of the shade stories that I could find:

* Tailored

* Queen’s Desire

* Classics

* Sweet Princess

* Fashionista

…and every single one makes sense.

First Impressions: Small but Mighty

The packaging is sturdy. Not flimsy. Not squeaky. Not “one drop and she’s done.” Best of all, no silly sponge applicators in sight.

If the look of these palettes seem familiar, they are excellent dupes for the elf Bite Size Eyeshadows, wet n wild coloricon 4-pan palettes, and Hard Candy Moods Eyeshadow Palettes. All of which take notes from Natasha Denona, so we are all in good company here. Whenever I see eyeshadows in this format/packaging I immediately sesne they will be good, because they always are.

Compact, secure, and perfect for tossing into a travel bag without fear.

This is the kind of quad you bring on a weekend trip when you refuse to overpack but still want options.

Here’s what I love most: the color stories are cohesive. You’re not sitting there wondering what the random pop of neon is doing in your neutral palette. Each quad is curated to create a complete eye look without needing outside help.

Four shades. Full look. No confusion.

Let’s Talk Formula

The formula requires a little building. But here’s the thing: that is normal. That is expected. Especially at this price point.

You build. You blend. You layer. You end up with a perfectly pigmented eye.

There is a little kickup in the pan. A tiny bit of dust if you’re heavy handed. Nothing dramatic. Nothing chaotic. Just tap your brush and move on.

Most importantly:

* Not patchy

* Not muddy

* Not chalky

* Easy to blend

The mattes diffuse beautifully. The shimmers add just enough glow without looking gritty. Everything works together instead of fighting each other on your lid.

When an eyeshadow blends easily and doesn’t turn into a murky mess halfway through? That’s when I start paying attention.

Each quad makes sense as a standalone. You never feel like you’re missing a crease shade or a lid shade. They are thoughtfully arranged, which is something I do not take lightly in affordable makeup.

Swatches and Shades

Below you can see every palette swatched on clean, dry fair skin, as well as on my eyes. They don’t name the shades.

Classics

Fashionista

Queen’s Desire

Sweet Princess

Tailored

The Reach Test

Here’s my unofficial but very real review metric: do I want to reach for it again?

The answer is yes.

When I’m getting ready and scanning my collection, these don’t feel like “backup” shadows. They feel like real options. That says a lot.

Because once something starts collecting dust in my drawer, it’s basically on borrowed time.

These have survived the drawer purge.

Are They Luxury? No. Are They Solid? Absolutely.

If you’re expecting one-swipe editorial pigment that blends itself while you sip coffee, this is not that. Save that for Urban Decay and Anastasia Beverly Hills, ok.

But if you want:

* Affordable

* Reliable

* Travel friendly

* Easy to blend

* Cohesive color stories

Then these quads are worth a serious look.

For the price, the performance is impressive. They are on par with some well-loved drugstore options that get far more attention. Honestly, that makes them even more satisfying to use.

It feels like you discovered something “secret” but here I am blabbing it to you.

Final Thoughts

The L.A. Colors 4-Color Eyeshadow quads prove that you do not need a giant palette to create a polished, blended, complete eye look.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sometimes four shades is all you need.

Often the most unassuming product in the aisle ends up being the one you reach for the most.

Would I recommend them? Yes.

Would I repurchase? Also yes.

Would I happily pack one for travel without a second thought? If the chance arises, yes.

Now tell me. Have you tried these yet? What if your favorite quad?

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But here we are.

The wet n wild Chameleon Chrome Liquid Eyeliners came in looking shiny and dramatic, and I was fully prepared to enjoy them for five minutes and then find glitter flakes on my cheeks by lunch.

Instead? Bold, light-shifting chrome that actually stays put. No smudging. No cracking. No flaking. Just unapologetic shine that catches the light every time you blink.

And the color shift is not subtle. These are the kind of liners that make you turn your head slightly in different lighting just to admire the effect. Worn alone, they’re statement-making. Layered over black liner, they’re next-level dimensional.

Of course, they’re not perfect. There are a couple quirks you’ll want to know before you swipe. I tested application, layering, and all-day wear so you don’t have to guess whether these are hype or hidden gem status.

If you love high-impact eye looks without high-end prices, you’ll want the full breakdown. Swatches, wear test results, pros, cons, and whether they’re actually worth adding to your cart are all waiting in the full review.

Go see which shade stole the show!

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I know, they look scary. Like chalk in a plastic case.

Today we’re talking about the L.A. Colors 3 Color Eyeshadow trios. I picked up six shades: Tumbleweed, Water Lily, Lotus, Desert Rose, Lily, and Iris. All from Dollar Tree. All three pans each. All very unassuming.

And yet… these are not bad. In fact, I’d rank them as L.A. Colors’ second best eyeshadow formula.

Let’s get into it.

First Impressions: Tiny But Functional

These are classic three-pan trios. They’ve actually been around for a while. The layout suggests a complete look in one compact. Lid, crease, deepen. Although, the color storys are not the most coheisve. I make them work (more on that later).

The shimmer shades do have an overspray. You’ll notice it immediately. That top layer looks extra shiny and smooth. Once you get through that first swipe or two, the intensity settles down a bit.

But here’s the thing: even after the overspray wears off, the shimmers are still pretty. They’re not metallic foils. They’re not high-impact wet-look shadows. But they’re flattering. They catch light. They don’t look gritty or chunky.

For a dollar store trio, that’s already a win.

Formula Performance: Better Than You’d Expect

Let’s break down the performance because this is where they surprised me.

* Buildable color

* Not much fallout

* Minimal kickup in the pan

* No dusty mess

* Nothing patchy

* Blends fine

That’s the summary.

The pigmentation is buildable rather than intense. You’re not getting one-swipe opacity. I expect this at this price point. But you can layer them without things getting muddy or heavy. That’s important, especially for beginners.

Iris is the only palette that is rather lacking on pigment and is hard to build up.

There’s also not much fallout, which I appreciate at this price point. A lot of inexpensive shadows can be powdery and messy. These are relatively controlled. They don’t crumble when you dip your brush in.

And most importantly, nothing is patchy. I did not struggle to blend. I did not get weird bald spots. I did not have to fight the shadow to make it work.

They behave like normal eyeshadows. That alone makes them usable.

Swatches & Shades

There might be more shades. You know how it is. You find what you can find. Every Dollar Tree is like a treasure hunt.

Desert Rose

Iris

Lotus

Moonflower

Tumbleweed

Water Lily

The Biggest Issue: Color Stories

Here’s where I’m going to be honest.

The biggest issue with these trios is not the formula. It’s the color stories.

They don’t always inspire me. Some of them feel slightly off. Like they technically work together, but they’re not cohesive in a way that makes you excited to use them.

The trios can just feel slightly mismatched. Not bad. Just not thoughtfully curated in a way that makes you go, “Yes, this is a complete vision.”

That’s the main critique. They’re usable. They’re fine. They’re decent. But they’re not cohesive mini palettes in the way higher-end brands often design their color stories.

Who Are These For?

I think these are great for:

* Beginners learning how to do eyeshadow

* Someone building a super budget-friendly makeup kit

* Teens just starting out

* Anyone who wants low-stakes experimentation

* Content creators who love testing dollar store makeup

They’re also good for travel. If you lose one, you’re out $1.25. That’s it.

Because they’re buildable and not overly intense, they’re forgiving. You’re less likely to overdo it in two seconds.

Ranking Them Within L.A. Colors

If you’ve tried L.A. Colors eyeshadows before, you know they can be hit or miss.

I would not call these their absolute best formula. But I would confidently say they’re their second best eyeshadows.

They’re more consistent than some of the larger, cheaper-feeling palettes. The texture here is controlled. The blend is reliable. The shimmer isn’t embarrassing.

For Dollar Tree makeup, that’s a strong endorsement.

Final Thoughts: Are They Worth It?

For $1.25 each, yes. I collect them!

They are not revolutionary. They are not Instagram glam in a compact. They are not buttery indie shadows.

But they are functional. They blend. They build. They don’t patch. They don’t explode into fallout. The shimmers, even after the overspray is gone, still look nice on the eyes.

The only real downside is that the color stories don’t always feel cohesive or inspiring. Sometimes you may want to pair them with other singles or pull in a deeper shade from somewhere else.

If you want an affordable, low-risk eyeshadow option from Dollar Tree, these are solid. Not the best thing L.A. Colors has ever done. But definitely not the worst.

And honestly, that’s kind of the sweet spot for a dollar aisle find.

Have you tried these before? Do you have a favorite trio?

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So when I saw wet n wild Jelly Drip Lip Glaze, I was skeptical. Could a $6 drugstore gloss really stand out in the crowded world of jelly formulas?

Spoiler: it does. This one isn’t just another shiny tube. It has a cooling metal applicator (yes, a real cold metal tip) that glides smoothly over lips, giving a mirror-like, glassy finish without the sticky drama.

The shades, Berry Squish, Blush Guava, and Raspberry Crush hit that sweet spot of punchy medium pigment without being over the top. We just need wet n wild to drop more shades for us.

I wore it for hours, talked, sipped water, ate, and the shine may fade, but the color lingers with minimal transfer. Lightweight, non-sticky, and reapply-friendly? Check. Fun, K-beauty inspired vibes in a drugstore price range? Big check.

I will say they are packed with watermelon taste and smell. It’s not disgustingly artificial, but may not be your thing.

Want the full details, swatches, wear test results, and my honest take on whether this gloss is worth your collection? Read the complete review on the blog 👇

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Like most DT brands, the shade options are dispicable. One option here, two shades there if you are lucky. I’m annoyed that this brand doesn’t put the shade name or product name on the packaging, only their logo.

I tested a good assortment of products across face, eyes, and lips with full-day wear in mind. There are still many that I skipped because they didn’t interest me.

Here’s how each one actually performed with swatches, reviews, and star ratings!

Sunlight Bronzer

This was one of my bigger surprises.

I expected the shade to pull orange, especially on fair skin, but it didn’t. It reads natural with a subtle warmth that works instead of overwhelms. The color in the swatch looks far more suspect than it does on the face when applied with a brush.

The formula is a soft, smooth powder with a faint shimmer that does not translate glittery on the skin. It blends easily, builds without going muddy, and wears evenly. There is slight fading by the end of the day, but nothing patchy or strange.

For a Dollar Tree bronzer, this one is solid. However, I’m planning to donate it only because it adds nothing special to my collection. If you are in the market for a powder bronzer then it’s a good deal.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hydrating Lip Stain in Fuchsia Sensation

This product is one big fat lie. I was so excited when I bought this. From reading the package I was sure this would be a glossy lip stain to dupe Nyx or elf. It promised high shine and a hydrating finish.

First, the shade name is misleading. This is not fuchsia.

Next, the formula dries down completely matte and you can feel it on the lips. It’s lightweight, but present. It’s basically a matte liquid lipstick.

I know the swatch looks wet, so you probably think I mixed up the images and the product names. Alas, I did not. The products from this brand are that weird and confusing.

The applicator is too large for a non-gloss product and the stopper lets out too much product, so wiping off excess is necessary. Without lip liner, it’s very easy to make a mess.

That said, the coverage is excellent. It applies evenly, isn’t streaky, and does not dry out the lips. The wear time is impressive. No transfer, survived eating chili and drinking tea with no issues.

Uncomfortable, but effective.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stunning Satin Lip Stain

This is essentially the more wearable version of the Hydrating Lip Stain.

It’s the same color, but this one does not dry down fully. The formula feels more like a velvet matte liquid lipstick. Smooth, lightweight, and comfortable.

It’s full coverage with no ability to build, but it doesn’t need it. There is slight transfer at first, though coverage stays intact. Long wear, no streaking or patchiness.

It did dry out the inner lip very slightly, even after exfoliation, but it wasn’t enough to be a real issue.

If you like matte lips but hate tightness, this is the better choice of the two.

I’m really disappointed about the colors being the same. It’s not even a color that I see myself reaching for in practice, but that’s more of a personal note.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ultimate Control Eyeliner in Brown

This eyeliner feels more expensive than it is. It comes in black but I wanted to switch it up.

The packaging is sturdy, the brush tip applies smoothly, and there’s no skipping or tugging. It dries down matte with a deliberately subtle brown pigment, not a harsh dark line.

It’s easy to control and to work with, plus it lasts. No complaints here.

Honestly, this is a good dupe for Nyx Epic Ink. Easily the best liquid eyeliner at Dollar Tree! It’s a must have.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Perfect Hydration Lip Gloss

This gloss is… confusing?

It has a mild taste or scent that isn’t bad, just indistinct. It dispenses as a sheer pink but looks clear on the lips. It’s not very shiny and the texture is thicker without being sticky.

It stays on through meals, which is unusual for a gloss. You can feel it, but it doesn’t look glossy after a while. It ends up wearing more like a lip balm visually, but without any actual hydrating benefits.

It doesn’t dry out the lips, but it doesn’t improve them either. Neutral, long-wearing, and basic.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Makeup Setting Spray

This spray does what it claims, but nothing more.

You don’t get much product per spray, but the mister is fine and evenly dispersed. It doesn’t change the finish of your makeup. Matte stays matte, glow stays glow.

It sets makeup but does not make it transfer-proof and does not extend wear time. It also doesn’t harm wear time.

Functional, not transformative.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hydroglow Setting Spray

Despite the name, this does not add glow.

It keeps your makeup finish exactly the same while helping everything melt together. The mister works well, product amount is limited, and performance mirrors the regular setting spray.

It sets makeup without extending or reducing wear. If you’re expecting added radiance, this isn’t it.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Metallic Shimmer Liquid Eyeshadow

This one is a miss.

While wet and drying down, it feels uncomfortable, almost burning, though nothing actually happens to the skin. The formula applies sheer and patchy, leaving large areas of the lid bare.

It does not build, contains small chunky particles that collect at the edges, and looks uneven no matter how it’s applied. Once it sets, it does last, but it never looks good enough to justify the wear time.

I would skip this entirely.

Rating: ⭐️

Pressed Finishing Powder

This is as basic as it gets.

There is a slight white cast, though less than other Dollar Tree powders. The finish is matte, the formula is lightweight, and it doesn’t look cakey.

It wears normally, sets makeup, and doesn’t stand out in any direction. Not bad, not memorable. Destined for the donate box. Which I also call the bad bin when I’m feeling spicy.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Vibrant Shimmer Metallic Liquid Eyeshadow

This is the standout product from Le Mercerie. Everytime I look at it I think of those stacking pencils that we all had in grade school!

It’s the most opaque liquid eyeshadow I’ve tried from Dollar Tree. It dries down fully while staying shiny and intensely pigmented.

There was no fading, cracking, creasing, or movement. It looked exactly the same at the end of the day as it did on application.

The black shade reads more like a cool metallic gray. Once applied, it does not move. Blending into the crease with a brush didn’t work, even when picking up product directly. Layering doesn’t dramatically increase intensity either.

I know the black shade looks like crap in the swatches, but I had no complaints about the eye look.

This is a place-and-leave-it formula, but if you work within that limitation, it performs exceptionally well.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shape Defined Brow Pencil in Deep Brown

The shade runs lighter than expected.

Deep Brown reads more like a medium brown, but the pigment level is appropriate for brows. The formula is slightly waxy but usable, and the brush performs fine. The shape of the pencil is trying to dupe Maybelline and ABH, while the brush end we’ve seen from Nyx. However, I much prefer the drugstore brands.

It’s not remarkable, but it works.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Final Thoughts

Le Mercerie is inconsistent and mostly lackluster.

The bronzer, eyeliner, and vibrant shimmer liquid eyeshadow are genuinely good for the price. The gloss and powders are basic but usable. The metallic shimmer liquid eyeshadow is the one product I would not recommend.

If you shop Dollar Tree makeup selectively, Le Mercerie has a few items worth pulling off the shelf. Just don’t grab everything blindly.

The best brands remain Ioni and B Pure, with select hits from L.A. Colors.

Out of everything here, I’m going to keep the setting sprays and eyeliner and donate everything else. The stuff that is decent is not noteworthy enough to keep in my oversized collection.

Have you tried this brand before? Do you have any favorites?

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I know what you’re thinking. Even if it exists, it’s probably miles outside of your budget.

Folks…. it’s $7 at the drugstore. Total K-Beauty vibes for less than your lunch.

wet n wild just dropped their Chameleon Chrome Eyeshadow (not to be confused with their Eye Foil). It’s wildly reflective, and somehow manages full color payoff with zero fallout.

I swatched all six shades. On bare skin. With no dark base. Then I wore them as eyeshadow, highlighter, and yes… even a lip topper.

Some shades are full-coverage chromes. Others are sheer, sparkly toppers that make every eye look instantly cooler. They will travel into the crease. I still love them. No regrets.

If you want to know which shades are calling your name, which ones are toppers vs. standalone, and how they actually wear, I put all the proof on the blog. Swatches, wear tests, photos, and my brutally honest take included.

This first-of-its-kind drugstore launch deserves it’s own moment. The moment is now.

Click through if you like shiny things, low prices, and makeup that looks expensive but isn’t.

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It’s been at Dollar Tree since the stone age, but the packaging has recently changed from black to beige. They have been changing their appearance, but I believe this is the same formula. I’m not 100% sure.

I always heard good things about it, so I bought 5 shades. There is a 6th but I haven’t found it yet. I’m ready to scoop it up.

Swatches & Shades

The blush comes in 6 shades that vary between matte and shimmer. Here is the breakdown:

* Peony Perfect (matte and my fave!)

* Berry Plum (matte)

* Toast (shimmer)

* Creamsicle (shimmer)

* Sweet Cheeks (matte)

* Berry Pretty (the shade I’m missing)

Berry Plum

Creamsicle

Peony Perfect

Sweet Cheeks

Toast

Texture & Formula

There is no texture difference between the mattes and the shimmers.

I never encountered kick-up in the pan. They are not chalky. They feel like standard blush.

They are comparable to mid-range drugstore blushes.

Pigmentation

The blush has buildable pigment. If you want that BAM visible blush look, you can do it if you want.

The shades are not patchy. I find that they are easy to control and it’s never an oopsie I overdid it situation.

There is no pigmentation difference between the mattes and shimmers.

Application

You can apply these with your favorite blush brush. The powder picks up evenly so that you have control over the placement. They blend very softly.

I never apply powder blush over unpowdered foundation, so I did not try that with these.

The blush never looks like a harsh line on the skin. I don’t have issues with pores or texture on my cheeks so I can’t comment there.

The shimmers are like that lit from within glow, not a sparkly or metallic look. Since it’s not over done I sense there is a chance it won’t look bad on texture.

Wear Test

On an average day I wear my makeup for 10+ hours and they don’t fade! At the end of the day they look the same as when they were first applied. The mattes and the shimmers wear the same.

Final Verdict

The blush is suitable for all skin types. They are hard to mess up, which makes them perfect for all skill levels. The color variety makes them much more than just another pink blush.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

The best part is that they don’t fade! My only critique is the packaging. I wish they would do away with the awful brush and make the blush be the full size of the package.

I have to admit I really enjoyed my makeup on the days that I tested these and I want to keep reaching for them instead of what I’m working on panning. I said that about their Sculpting Duos too, so L.A. Colors is 2 for 2 right now. The reasons are the ease of application and it simply works. The colors are pretty. There is no fuss, and I know it will last.

In this same format they also have a bronzer which I definitely need to try.

You might not like them if you want a sheer, barely there look or are seeking a trendy baked blush.

They are worth your $1.25! At this price point, I expected chalk, fallout, or fade. I got none of that. Perfect for a certified blush queen. Have you tried these? Which shade is your favorite?

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In that year we got legendary releases that are still the top products that those brands have ever come out with. Think the Sweet Peach line from Too Faced (which might be coming back!), Modern Reniassance from Anastasia Beverly Hills, and the list goes on.

Back in those days we loved color, a bold brow, a serious lip, and a huge wing. Full coverage, matte liquid lipsticks were all the rage.

In fact, wet n wild’s megalast Liquid Catsuit Matte Liquid Lipsticks were released in late 2016. They were a staple for me in 2017. I graduated college in Rebel Rose.

The past few years have been about the “clean girl aesthetic” and that means a lot of lip glosses, balms, oils, and everything in between. Color and coverage is lacking. There seems to be a hunger for the return of 2016 makeup, but, will that actually happen?

It’s still a bit pre mature for consumers to fall into line with wearing matte liquid lipstick again, but wet n wild is doing it. I wonder how they predicted it. The formulation would have come well before the social media trend. Needless to say, the wet n wild Mega Inky Lip Color surprised me.

Maybe not a full on surprise beacause they also released a variant in 2025 which is a line of glitter reveal lippies. They always play it safe by releasing 3 shades at a time.

And if you’re thinking oh no, 2016 was scary, you are remembering that full coverage matte liquid lipsticks usually come with baggage. Drying. Cracking. That tight, uncomfortable feeling that makes you regret putting it on by hour two. Not these.

This is a true one-swipe formula with intense pigment that dries down fast, stays put, and does not fall apart on the lips. I wear tested it for hours, pushed it through real-life talking, drinking, eating, and touch-ups, and paid attention to the details that actually matter. Texture, stickiness, comfort, and whether it behaves at the inner lip.

I break down how it applies, how it wears, and why the formula feels more like a modern long-wear matte than a typical drugstore liquid lipstick. I also share swatches of all three shades on fair skin and explain who this formula will love and who should skip it.

If you want the unfiltered take before adding another matte lip to your makeup stash, this one’s worth the read. Read the full article now.

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Sure, the color of the plastic kind of hints at the shade, but that’s not always reliable. My curiosity was finally piqued after seeing a few Reddit comments and some swatch photos floating around. They looked… fine. Not amazing, but not bad either.

So I went for it. I picked up one bronzer, two blushes, and two highlighters. Much to my surprise, every shade worked on my fair skin, and once applied, the products actually looked good on the face.

Because these are rectangular cream sticks, it’s hard not to assume Dollar Tree was at least inspired by Pixi. Dupe or not, the shape and application style feel very similar.

Overall Formula & First Impressions

Before getting into individual products, there are a few things worth noting that apply across the board.

The formula does not fully set. It stays slightly tacky throughout the day. That said, after a full day of wear, they only fade a little. Nothing alarming or patchy.

I apply these sticks directly to my face, and they have never lifted or disturbed the base makeup underneath. They layer well over liquid and cream foundations. If you’re wearing a fully set or powder base, using a brush instead of swiping directly will give you better results.

The formula is soft, creamy, and very blendable. Fingers, brushes, or sponges all work well, which makes them beginner-friendly and great for quick makeup days.

Most of the shades are buildable, but they also give a solid amount of color right away. You don’t have to fight with them to get payoff.

Wear Test & Longevity

On my combo skin, these wear well for a cream product at this price point. The tacky finish remains, but the color holds on nicely.

* Bronzer fades the least and looks natural even after several hours

* Blush fades slightly but still leaves a healthy flush

* Highlighter stays visible all day without turning greasy

If you prefer a fully set face, these may not be your thing. But if you enjoy cream products with a skin-like finish, they perform surprisingly well.

Bronzer Stick in Soft Tan

It’s with great pleasure that I present to you my most used cream bronzer of 2025! I reached for this constantly because it’s easy, reliable, and foolproof when I’m short on time.

The very first time I used it, I managed to drop it while it was twisted up, which deformed the stick for a while. After continued use, the rectangular shape eventually bounced back, but it’s definitely a softer formula that needs gentle handling.

The finish has a subtle glow that gives a sun-kissed look without any glitter. The shade itself is excellent. It’s not orange, not muddy, and not overly warm. On fair skin, it blends seamlessly and looks natural.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Highlighter Sticks

These highlighter sticks give a true lit-from-within glow. They are not glittery and don’t emphasize texture. Simple as that.

They melt into the skin best when applied with fingers, but a small stippling brush also works well. Both shades look smooth on the skin and wear comfortably throughout the day without slipping around.

Golden

Champagne

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blush Sticks

Out of all the sticks, the blushes are the most boldly pigmented. If you overapply, don’t panic. They fade slightly as the day goes on, which helps them settle into a more natural look.

They’re somewhat buildable, but they’re bright right away, so a light hand is your friend.

The finish is natural. Not matte, not overly shiny. I’ve seen comments on Reddit saying these look greasy or wouldn’t work for oily skin, but that hasn’t been my experience.

Both shades blend easily and give a healthy flush that lasts.

Raspberry

Rose

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Skin Type & Shade Considerations

These worked beautifully on my fair skin, but it’s worth mentioning that the shade range is limited. Some deeper skin tones may struggle to shades that show up correctly.

If you have very oily skin or dislike tacky finishes, these may not be for you. Dry and normal skin types will likely enjoy them the most.

Packaging & Practicality

The packaging looks basic, but it functions fine. The twist-up mechanism works, the caps stay on, and they’re easy to toss in a makeup bag.

Final Thoughts

There you have it, my friends. I judged a book by it’s cover and I almost missed out on some jems. That’s why momma told you never to do that.

If you are in the market for some cream makeup sticks and want to save that cash, I can’t think of a better bargain basement option than B Pure. They have a basic look but the bold appeal is under the hood.

They will easily become your daily go-tos!

Have you tried these? I would love to hear your experience, especially on different skin tones.

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The mousse-like texture melts into the skin, giving a natural, sun-kissed matte finish without feeling heavy or cakey.

What makes this bronzer stand out is how easy it is to use. You can apply it with your fingers, a stippling brush, or even a sponge, and it blends seamlessly over foundation or sunscreen. It’s lightweight, buildable, and even lasts 10+ hours on my skin. Definitely impressive for a $6 drugstore product.

I also put it to the test in different ways: as a bronzer, for contour, and even as a soft brow pomade. Some shades work better on fair skin, others on medium to deep tones, so I break down which shades are the easiest to use and how to apply them for the most natural look.

Curious which shade will work best for you? Or, whether this bronzer lives up to the hype? I’ve got full swatches, wear tests, and my honest pros and cons in the review.

What are you waiting for?! 👉 Read the blog post now.

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* NO lip gloss

* NO LA Colors anything

The brand is very hit or miss, with a reputation of not being the best quality-wise. However, they are upping their game. Still hits or misses, but more home runs.

It’s painfully obvious that LA Colors is trying to dupe the Patrick TA Sculpting Duos and Major Glow Duos (see the images below) for only $1.25 at the tree of many dollars. That’s compared to $42 (eeeek!!). After all, their product is named Sculpting Duos. Leaves nothing up to the imagination.

Sure, the packaging is basic and thin, there is no mirror, but after a decade I have pretty accurate eye for what will be good.

I picked up 3 shades. There might be more, but this is all that I found. They are composed of hues perfect for highlight, contour, and bronzing. Each duo has one powder and one cream, just like the high-end.

How I Applied Them

Before testing the Sculpting Duos, I did some research on how do people apply the Patrick TA Major Sculpt Duos and came to find out that Patrick actually posts both short and long form videos educating us on how to use his products. I love that!

I’ve never tried his product, but, I scoured my collection for brushes that will work like his, and applied his methods to the LA Colors Sculpting Duos.

For contour/bronzer he shows using a contouring fan brush to apply the cream, then sweeping the powder bronzer over top.

Then, for highlighter, he sweeps the powder onto the high points of the face, following that by tapping the cream over it.

Never would I have thought to apply cream over powder. Especially with LA Colors I figured it would be a disaster. I want to say I’m now obsessed with this method and I’ve tried it with other products with great success.

Ok, let me show you the three palettes with swatches. I know everyone wants the dang swatches, then I’ll give you my review.

Swatches & Shades

Get Glowy

So Sunkissed

So Defined

In terms of the shade range, it’s clearly not inclusive. I have fair skin and I can use all of these as either bronzer or contour, and the highlight is spot on.

Review

The creams blend like butter. They melt into the skin and allow you to build them up instead of being BAM in yo’ face right away.

You might have to dip your brush in a few more times than you would with a higher priced product, but that’s to be expected.

The creams set with a slightly tacky finish.

Similarly, the powders are soft, buildable, and blendable. Nothing is patchy or muddy.

The creams and powders layer well together for one coheisve look.

The best part - they don’t fade!

No issues with the packaging either. It’s holding up.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Final Thoughts

I can’t believe I’m here saying that I’m simply over the moon with the Sculpting Duos (but hold UP girl their powder blush is also insane 👀). I have to force myself not to keep reaching for them so that I can focus on the other items that I’m testing plus panning.

Easily the best from LA Colors. Patrick TA who? We don’t need that.

I’m sure that I will give in and they will get a lot of love this year. I’m giving them a cutesy spot on my vanity.

Overall, these are hands-down my favorite LA Colors release to date, and at $1.25, they’re a steal. Will you give them a try?

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The wet n wild Mother Fluffer Pudding Blush is blowing up on social media and Reddit and I get why. It looks like a cream, feels like a mousse, and wears like a powder.

On my oily, fair skin it stayed smooth, blurred, and visible for 8 plus hours without setting powder. That almost never happens with cream blush. Blush that doesn’t fade? Who is she?

The texture is the standout. It dips like whipped cream, blends in seconds with a brush or fingers, and never lifts foundation. It gives that soft matte, filtered cheek look without looking dry or heavy. Even built up, it stays velvety and skin-like.

I also tested it as a lip color since Maybelline and Fwee market their pudding formulas that way. Short version, it technically works but I would not use it that way. It has almost no transfer and the color lasts, but it clings to lip lines and dryness and starts to look patchy over time. It is a much better blush than a lip product.

In my full review I shared arm swatches, wear tests, shade picks for medium skin, and how it stacks up against Maybelline and Fwee. Oh, and you can see every shade on my cheeks. I went all out!

If you are curious whether this $6 version actually holds up, the results surprised me.

Have I enticed you enough? 👉 Read the full article now

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I didn’t buy every single item but I did get most. Some simply didn’t appeal to me and to be honest the stuff is not that great. Consider this to be a selection.

The packaging has a Charlotte Tilbury vibe but don’t let it fool you. These products are average. Everything comes in 1 or 2 shade options.

Total Face Palette

The Natural Charm palette’s blush is soft and smooth. It’s very buildable with a matte finish that lasts all day. The highlighter is also buildable and otherwise standard.

The highlighter in the Smokey Delight palette is a chunky shimmer, so beware if that’s not your preference. It’s not as buildable, rather, it’s sparkle straigh away. The contour can stand to be more cool toned. It might work as bronzer on some skin tones. It’s easy to blend and to build with a soft matte formula.

For both palettes the eyeshadow requires some building up, but you do end up with a perfectly pigmented eye. This is my expectation with DT makeup. You will see a bit of kickup in the pan as well as dust flying around. Nothing is patchy and every shade is consistent and easy to blend. I had no issues.

Ultimately, these palette probably don’t add any new shades to your collection. Nothing really stands out or is unique. The face products won’t work for all skin tones. If you’re in the market for these they do hold up fine.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Natural Charm

Smokey Delight

Liquid Blush

This blush has buildable pigment that gives you control. The formula is creamy and it blends easily with your tool of choice. It doesn’t remove coverage underneath.

While it does not fully dry down, it does last all day with a natural finish. I’m not bothered by the applicator.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dusty Pink

Soft Pink

Contour Stick

It only comes in one shade and that’s not great but this one shade is appropriately cool toned. It requires at least 2 layers to build it up which is not typical of other inexpensive contour sticks in my collection.

The formula is smooth and creamy. It blends well with any tool that you prefer. It does not remove coverage underneath. The finish is natural. It lasts!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tinted Lip Oil

I don’t understand the microscopic doe foot applicators at Dollar Tree. Give me the big daddy. I want to slather oils on like there is no tomorrow.

It’s not tinted. It’s a clear oil packaged in a pink-tinted tube.

I’ve used so many different brands of lip oil but none of them feel like straight oil. This is the first one that literally feels like I dipped my lips straight into cooking oil. Please just get yourself a wet n wild or even Ioni lip oil.

Rating: ⭐️

Lip Plumper

Here is that tiny applicator again. This product functions as a clear lip gloss but it can stand to be more shiny.

It is not heavy or sticky. It has a minty taste wiht a cooling sensation. There is zero pain or discomfort. Zero plumping, too.

The minty cool feeling wears off around 30 minutes.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Setting Powder

This powder is supposed to be translucent but it has a white cast. So much so that I didn’t properly test it. I didn’t want to use it to set my entire face because of the cast, so I can’t speak to the oil control abilities.

The cast is ok for the under eye area to brighten. I find that it sets everything fine without a heavy or cakey look. There is is nothing blurring about it. It’s basic.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eyebrow & Hairline Powder

I’m really amused by the size of this palette. For brows, it’s simply huge. You’ll have to leave this thing behind in your will. Even for the hairline that’s a lot of product.

It has that old eyeshadow smell. That’s the best way that I can say it.

It works as intended. I use it to fill my brows.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Have you tried any of these? What was your experience? Let me know in the comments. I would save your money here for brands like Ioni and B Pure. I’m probably going to donate/give away most of everything outside of the palettes, contour stick, and liquid blush.

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They kicked 2025 off right with a gripping primer, lip liner stains, and finally their own powder puff. Now, don’t you think I forgot that comment about the Mrs. Puff puff being a triangle. It lives rent free in my mind.

If you’re looking to break up with your current brand obsession (elf Cosmetics I’m looking at you) the options are here, the sizes are large, and the prices are smaller.

The curveball is full coverage matte liquid lipsticks that have a special surprise, and a winged liner pen that let’s us know the “trend” is not just a trend but a lifestyle.

I spent time testing everything (well, all of this year) to see how these formulas hold up in real makeup routines. The powder has a finish you don’t expect at this price point. The lip liner stain has its own quirks, but when it works, it really works. The gripping primer might be the most polarizing product in the entire launch depending on how you apply it.

There’s a lot more to say about texture, wear time, shade options, and how these stack up against other drugstore favorites. If you want the full breakdown, swatches, pros and cons, and so much more, what are you waiting for?!

👉 Read the full article here

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If you are new to how I cover makeup, my stance is that I don’t want you to overconsume. I take one for the team. I waste my money on the products so you don’t have to. I want you to zero in on what is best for you and your cash.

One of the biggest shockers of 2025 from a blogging standpoint for me is the quality of Dollar Tree makeup. It is something I’ve always avoided after endless disappointment many moons ago.

Beyond that, I think we all are a bit skeptical of putting lower price items on our faces. Will we get a reaction? Will we break out? How are these products so cheap?

I decided to dive in earlier this year and I am nothing short of shook. Dollar Tree has leveled up their game with products that function the same, if not better, than their higher priced drugstore counterparts. So far, my face has not melted off. Seriously, nothing bad has happened to me.

There are still products to avoid among those to covet. With this series I am starting off with a bang covering Dollar Tree’s best brand and my personal favorite, Ioni Cosmetics. Now, they aren’t exclusive to DT. You can shop from them directly and they also pop up in discount retailers like Burlington and Gabe’s.

Over the years I made a point to collect ALL of their false eyelash collections. Each collection has 15 pairs, times that by however many releases they do in a year. My storage space is overflowing and I no longer collect them. I refuse to keep buying more storage to feed a habit. I know, this is cringe overconsumption.

Needless to say I won’t be reviewing their eyelashes. They are pefection. 99% of the time when I wear falsies they are Ioni. I will buy a pair here and there if they release something unique.

The point of this post is to cover their range of eyebrow products. A recurring theme with all DT brands is the lack of a shade range which you will see here. Everything comes in one, maybe two colors. I tested everything that I can find.

Brow Gel in Clear

I want to take a moment to appreciate the star topper and the sheer amount of product. You will never run out of this stuff!

My one knock is that I would prefer a slightly smaller spoolie, but it is not a deal breaker. It gets the job done.

This formula, while marketed as a clear brow gel, actually behaves as a brow glue. In application you can see that glue-like texture that you get with traditional firm-hold glue-like products. However, it leaves no residue behind. You get firm hold that wears all day.

I want to include that I saw a Reddit review for this product. The reviewer said hers was super thick and made her brows crusty. She even noted that it turned whatever colored product that she used to fill her brows into crystalized chunks. I have had nothing but a flawless performance with this product! I always hate to say that someone “got a bad one” as it can be true but we throw that statement around a lot. I have no idea how much she applied. Some of the replies said that they like to dip a smaller spoolie in or otherwise apply less.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brow Pencil in Medium Brown

This is by no means a fine-tipped brow pencil. It most closely reminds me of the elf Cosmetics Instant Lift Brow Pencil. That is not a bad thing. It enables you to quickly fill a brow without making a mess. It is not intentioned to give you fine, hair-like strokes.

The pigmentation level is exactly what you want for filling a brow. It is right smack dab in the middle of being dry and waxy and too malleable. That is to say it is just right. It lasts all day.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ultra Hold Brow Glue

I told you that the Brow Gel is basically a glue, but this actual glue is somehow even more glue-like! Similarly, it will give you a firm hold with zero residue and all day wear. In application it is thicker than the gel.

When you are applying it you will immediately think it is going to leave residue but trust the process once it dries. They really got the applicator size right on this thing.

So, if you are wanting that lifted and laminated look, even if your brows refuse to cooperate, Ioni has it on lock for you. Trust.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brow Freeze

This is one of those moments where I nearly flipped out in the store. This is an exact dupe for Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze right down to the packaging and freakin’ name. It feels illegal. It is so wrong but so right. There is no reason to go back to ABH.

I hope to do a 3-way comparison with all of the “freezing” products that I have! For now, please enjoy my detailed blog post on the elf Brow Lift vs. Anastasia Brow Freeze.

This is a clear brow gel that locks your brows in place all day with zero residue. No flaking, no shine. It fully dries down and will not move, but your brows don’t feel hard and stiff. I have been wearing it all year on special occasions and I can attest that it holds up to humidity.

I always dip an angled spoolie into the product then wipe off the excess inside of the lid. This product gives you that laminated yet fluffy look that pairs great with whatever colored product you want to use to fill.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Microfilling Brow Tattoo in Dark Bay

This is one of those fork-like products that creates fine, hair-like strokes in the brows. The color is a good match for me. However, with all products in this format, I have the issue where it works a few times then it acts like it is clogged up or dried out. Do you have any tips on how I can prevent that? I did get it going again for the swatch.

Otherwise, it is easy to use. This design often intimidates me but there is no reason to be shy. The pigment is perfect and it lasts all day.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pefect Brow Mini Kit

This is a coated cardboard palette that has a magnent. The product comes packaged open and it wants to stay that way. The magnet is not strong enough to keep it closed. I wrap a rubber band around mine.

The gel is clear. As you can expect with a small pan, after 2 uses I end up hitting pan by smushing the product around. You will run out long before you make a dent in the powders.

The gel does not dry down which equates to a soft hold. When I do my brows I like to apply gel with a spoolie first, let it set, then go in with the filling product. Since the gel does not dry, working in that order means you will create hard pan in the powders. I really do not want to work in reverse order as the gel with displace the pigment.

The shades of brown are personally off as a shade match for me. The matte highlight is pefectly fine. Everything has the right amount of pigment for a soft, sculpted look.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brow Gel in Chestnut

This is a one-and-done brow product that combines a holding gel with tint to somewhat fill the brows. However, this is where Ioni’s large spoolie is a poor choice. With my experienced hands I tried my best to work slowly and gently, but making a mess is unavoidable. I liken it to accidentally coloring outside of the lines in a coloring book.

The shade match is fine. It gives you firm all day hold and color but it is not as stiff as brow glue.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Brow Duo Pomade + Brush in Medium Brown

The pomade itself is virtually the same color as the packaging. That means it’s hard to see down in there. The first time that I dipped the brush in I ended up putting it too deep and getting it covered in product. This is your warning to dip gently.

I have no complaints on the angled brush. The pomade doesn’t make hair-like strokes because of the creamy formula. It’s more on the wet side but I don’t say that in a negative way. The final look will always be sculpted, blocky brows. My personal preference is a more natural brow.

The product lasts all day. The color match is decent.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brow Defining Pen in Medium Brown

This fine brush tip pen gives every other drugstore and high end pen a run for it’s money! It creates hair-like strokes in a flash. The color match is pretty good. The amount of pigmetation is right on and it lasts all day.

With other brow pens I’ve found the formula to turn a red-brown color and even feather and bleed outside of the brow area. That doesn’t happen with this pen. It’s not shiny either.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Have you tried any of these products before? I would love to hear about your experience in the comments!

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I always enjoy when they innovate and I hope that several items make it to the 2026 core line, such as the purple setting powder and the lip liner lipsticks. I’m not a lip gloss gal but those swirl glosses are totally 2000s and they are feeding my inner need for nostalgia.

I tested the full line and the packaging alone is worth the grab. Think soft pinks, purples, and gothic details that feel straight out of Sanrio heaven. But, it’s also the best of what’s trending in K-beauty right now. The purple eyeshadow palette is straight FIRE.

I break down what’s worth buying, share my full swatches, and show how I created each look. I even have a bonus eyehadow look! I always show every item on my face. I think you will be surprised by what doesn’t work so hot.

Now, I am hoping this is their last big release for a while. Pumping out three collections in one month’s time has been a real marathon and your girl needs a rest.

👉 Read the full post on the blog

It’s a tradition that I test their Halloween makeup every year. It simply would not be Halloween without it. I tested all of the new releases. I’m still getting random chunks of glitter appearing on my face.

I really pushed myself to create three artisitic looks that are outside of my comfort zone. They challenge my abilities, as well as the stamina of the products themselves. Let me just say… my crease brush got a workout! The looks are some of my favorite and I can’t wait to share them with you.

Find out which products earned a perfect score and which ones are better left lost in the woods. This was not a full 5/5 star experience this time! Read the full review on my blog.

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Starting off with their Disney Villains colloab. It’s even bigger than expected. We all remember the days of tiny collections. As brands see success with this ‘fast fashion but make it makeup’ trend, collections have simply exploded over the years.

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We’re talking 47 products (with whispers of 3 more unreleased items), bold colors, Jelly Blush, Cream Blush, Plumping Gloss, and even a new Brow Blade tool. The entire collection channels a dark, playful vibe inspired by some of Disney’s most iconic villains.

It’s available now at Walmart and wet n wild’s site, with Ulta, Amazon, and Walgreens coming soon.

But here’s the catch: if you grabbed everything, it would set you back over $400. So which products are worth it? Which ones miss the mark?

I’ve broken down the full collection, complete with star ratings, pros and cons, and shopping links, in my latest blog post. I’m flabberghasted that we didn’t get any bronzer or brushes, but they sure cranked out FIVE $20 makeup bags.

👉 Read the full review here

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In years prior I had worked with online friends with their blogs, writing articles such as is mascara just black gunk? I also created artwork for these blogs. So, I wasn’t unfamiliar with the concept of running a blog.

I felt the pull to start one for years before July 2015. I wanted to connect with like-minded people, and my life was highly bloggable.

One of my fondest memories was using the crappy webcam camera on my tiny college laptop to shoot an photo of my outfit of the day in a poorly lit kitchen. That single picture burned in my mind for some time.

Do you remember when nearly everything from elf Cosmetics was $1 and $3, packaged either in white or black to denote the Essential and Studio lines? They also used to run 50% off sales several times per year. How wild it was to get amazing makeup for 50 cents!!!

I used to buy boxfulls of their product. So much so my first blog post was an elf Haul. It’s the only one that I have haven’t drafted, even though 99% of the products are discontinued. It’s the first. My start.

At the beginning of my blog I was a full time college student with a part time job. I battled the thought that everyone has when they want to start something - I don’t have time. I’m here to tell you what every influencer says - just start.

My goal was to put out a new blog post every Friday, but, that didn’t always happen. School came first.

I had no idea what I was doing. I would write whatever interested me, hoping through the magic of the interwebs that others would find me. For example, I would go to the mall over Memorial Day weekend and shop the sales to do a haul. Or, I would showcase my full statement necklace collection.

As I learned years later, people aren’t really looking for these topics. They don’t get you “found.”

That part time job that I mentioned was also my first job. I was an Apparel Sales Associate at Walmart from 2013-2017. I loved this job! Some of the highlights would be me assembling outfits on the sales floor, then stashing them away in the fitting room to buy after my shift.

A local organization so generously provided me with a scholarship that paid for my college education. I commuted (living at home) and packed a lunch, so, I didn’t need a meal plan or boarding. Walmart covered my gas and supplies, and the rest enabled me to dig into my passions. I grew my wardrobe and makeup collection.

Over the 2016-2017 academic year I came to learn what Search Engine Opitmization (SEO) is. I took Professor Sweet’s (hi!) ecommerce class, where he did one lecture on the subject. He used it as a shameless plug for his SEO course. I was so intrigued, and he is such a cool guy, I had to take his class.

I learned that SEO is exactly what I needed to take my website to the next level. To finally be able to connect with my audience. I also came to find that I have a passion for it. SEO is now my full time career. I work for the #1 large SEO agency in the USA as a manager. I lead a team of the most talented SEOs that you will ever meet. I will forever be greatful to my roots.

In Professor Sweet’s class we had an SEO project to present to the the class, and I used my own website to showcase a list blog post that I created on wardrobe essentials. I also used my blog to land the job that I have today.

He taught us all about WordPress. In 2018 I single-handedly migrated my website from Blogger to WordPress, and my domain from Google to Bluehost (I don’t recommend Bluehost, but that’s a whole other subject). This was the next level of what I do. Not only could I now better optimize my website, but I could really own the design.

I went hard at work revamping all of my blog posts to incorporate what I learned about SEO. I also zeroed in on topics that align with my audience, and started writing better articles.

Around this time I also learned that I could make money blogging, and this opened my eyes. Sure, I had ads turned on from day one, but you can’t live on ads with a small website. I started incorporating links in everything.

It would be as easy as writing “the best contour palettes for beginners,” shooting photos of each palette and a quick write up of why I like it. That blog post ranked #1 on Google for years, bringing me in countless affiliate dollars.

Now, I want to say several important things here.

First and foremost, I’ve never been on a PR list. All of the content that I make, I buy the product out of my own pocket. I spend hundreds of dollars buying each and every item of a collection. Of course, getting on a PR list is always the goal.

Over the years some brands sent me products for free in exchange for a blog post review, or for a simple Instagram post. The majority of these brands were no names. I have actually worked with a few cool brands. I was only paid for a blog post once in a decade. I do use disclaimers on all blog posts.

Yes, a lot of this was my fault. I didn’t know how to advocate for myself. Advocacy has become a hot topic in the influencer community over the past 2 years. You better believe that I now demand my worth.

An example that sticks out in my mind is a skincare company that sent me 3 products for free, and they wanted 3 separate blog posts. They didn’t compensate me. I tried to convice them that one blog post would suffice but they refused. After I published the posts I saw that they sent the same products to my competitor who published a single blog post and disclosed they were compensated. To this day it still stings.

Just to re-iterate. I buy everything with my own money. I test everything on my face. I swatch everything. I tell the truth. I have never, nor will I ever, lie for a brand.

Over the past decade I also dumped my all into social media. I’ve listened to the videos, read the articles, and done everything that I was supposed to do. But, I never blew up. The only platform that brought me success was Google Plus. To this day I don’t know why, but, I had 10k some followers. When Google announced the shutdown of this platform, it gutted me.

My heyday of Instagram was somewhere around 2019-2021. I was able to grow my account to 4,000 followers. I participated in follow trains and exchanged suprise beauty boxes with a group of ladies. The likes and comments were flowing.

So, you can understand why I put all of my eggs in one basket with organic traffic from Google. It just worked for me. It brought the majority of my website traffic. Yeah, I tried SEO for social media but I was never lucky.

chatGPT was released on November 30, 2022. With it being new, and people are skeptical, us bloggers didn’t see much change in our traffic.

Bloggers, such as myself, hit a traffic peak from Google in August and September 2023. Then, on September 14, 2023 Google released their Helpful Content Update. We all took a hit. It was slight, but, traffic never recovered.

Below you can see screenshots of my website, as well as a competitor site, which visually depict the hit from Ahrefs and SEMrush.

Life went on, until it didn’t. On January 29, 2024, everything changed permanently. My website traffic started to steadily drop. It never recovered, as depicted in the screenshot below from Google Search Console (GSC).

Here is a screenshot of my website from Ahrefs showing the full destruction, essentially the same as GSC:

Here is a screenshot of a competitor from SEMrush:

Imagine this. Getting around 1,500 clicks from Google a day, and watching it drop to 800, 700, until it hit around 20. As you can clearly see, the clicks have never rebounded.

I was completely freaked out. My first thought is that I committed an SEO no-no on my website that caused Google to put me on the naughtly list. I spent countless hours racking not just my brain, but analytics, and the internet looking for an answer.

The only thing that I could find were forums where some people were seeing a similar story, predicting that something big was on the way from Google. This prediction was 100% correct.

On March 5, 2024, Google rolled out a core algorithm update. Perhaps the biggest update of all time. Google claimed this made search results more helpful and relevant. Allow me to unwrap what happened:

* Bloggers, like me, were removed from from search results entirely.

* Or, in some isolated cases, knocked several spots down.

* The search results were replaced with big name publications and brands.

* Reddit became a top ranking result, as well as other forums.

* YouTube results from tenured content creators with huge subscriber lists are prominent.

To this day I have a handful of blog posts that still rank on page 1 of Google, but no longer in position 1. The only thing that I can figure is that these legacy blog posts are viewed as so authoritative to Google that Google believes they still deserve to rank.

I wish I would have screenshotted this from SEMrush, but, it straight up told me that I lost 98% of my traffic. I was gutted.

I spent the past year trying to figure out what went wrong with my website, and how to recover. The most scary part is that industry experts could offer no nuggets. You could - and still can - scroll down your LinkedIn feed and see post after post contradiciting the other.

On May 14, 2024, Google launched AI Overviews in search results. You might remember big scandals over inaccurate results such as it telling people to jump off of bridges or put glue in their pizza cheese. Yep, all of this happened.

What we know now is that users tend to read the AI Overviews and not click through to a website. 40% of searches end in 0 clicks. Many of the links inside of AI Overviews link to more Google search results, and not to our websites.

Google even puts AI results inside of the People Also Ask answers, making the links hard to see for inexperienced eyes.

Think about how you youself use AI (if you do) - you allow it to give you the answer, and you move on. You don’t scroll down past it. If you do scroll down, next you interact with a video.

Imagine how wild that looks on desktop… if you have an AI Overview, a section of videos, Reddit results, THEN website links, and you rank #4. Reading everything that I just said means you’re invisible. If you’re on a mobile it’s even worse.

Over this year I was very upset. It was like having an identity crisis. I’ve always been blogger. Who am I now? Do I quit? Do I double down? I spiraled again and again with these thoughts and questions.

On February 5, 2025 chatGPT launched a web browser accessible to all users to compete with Google. This means more traffic hits for us bloggers.

But, over this year I learned a lot. Not to pat myself on the back, but, everything that I figured out is just now being said by experts. My findings are being validated.

Sorry to jump around with the dates. I’m allowing my brain to spit it all out. In May 2024 there was a Google algorithm leak. Some think it was just a PR stunt to distract us from Google being in hot water over AI results. Google claimed this was old algorithm stuff no longer being used.

A big takeaway is they might mark websites, such as my own, as a small personal website. While we don’t know what that means, it validates that we have been singled out and attacked.

I’ve definitely heard ordinary people complain about the quality of search results, and not wanting to see Reddit. If you feel the same way, and your heart connects with this story, I urge you to use any other search engine. Try Bing. We still rank there.

What burns me to my core is the concept of user-generated content (UGC) such as Reddit. Beyond that, do you know who ranks now for beauty and style queries? Vogue, Allure, brands, etc. You are saying all of this is more helpful than someone like me, a decade-long expert who tests every item, bought with my own money. You are saying we don’t count? I will never believe this.

The industry advice now is that you can’t rely on Google to build your audience. You need to be everywhere that your audience is. You need to build a brand outside of Google.

For one thing, I’m not a physical business. That means I don’t have a profile on Google Maps. I’ll never have a billboard, a print ad, so on and so forth.

What the experts mean is the following. Remember that blog post on “the best contour palettes for beginners?” I used to be able to crank that out in about two evenings after work.

Now, you have to do “the best drugstore contour palettes for beginners with fair skin.” Your article has to be crazy in-depth, covering every potential angle that a reader might think of. You need an article summary at the top, summaries along the way, videos, pictures, and the list goes on.

Besides sharing this article to your social media platforms, you need a long form video, short form videos, and a podcast.

I am one lady. I’ve been doing this for a decade. I am tired. There is no possible way that I can take this all on. It’s not as “simple” as it was.

Google has been telling us, for well, ever that you must write for the human, not for the robot. Learning SEO put me in a weird spot. All of my blog posts are me trying to appease both sides. In doing that, I never got to be myself. I never allowed my personality to shine through (hello Substack - read my About Page to see why I’m here and where I want to go).

Now, with how users interact with AI, they don’t come to websites anymore. They go to AI, which scrapes the internet, and spits out an article. The advice, for the first time ever, is now write for the robot to connect with your audience.

On May 20, 2025 Google launched AI Mode to everyone. It goes deeper than the AI Overviews to give complex answers and be more conversational. Google is hinting that one day this might replace regular search. Google may even have the ability to combine data from Gmail, YouTube, so on and so forth to personalize your AI results so that you see particular brands over and over.

Of course, the other bit of advice is to stop measuring your success in terms of clicks, sessions, impressions, but with AI visibility for brand awareness. But, there are no tools right now that can give accurate reporting on this. I agree with this for a business - as long as the phone is ringing, sales are happening, it’s all good. For a blog, this is a harder translation.

Google doesn’t even offer a solution to see traffic to your website from AI. They claim they are making changes so frequently they won’t provide reporting until the surface calms down. Yeah, they don’t want us to see the zero clicks and games they are playing.

As far as I can tell, my website barely shows in AI tools. It’s always those big publications and brands. I’ll never be a media outlet with hundreds of writers cranking out multiple articles a day. I’ll never be an authority like that.

I asked chatGPT where does my audience go for information and in what order. This is the answer:

* They ask AI tools like chatGPT or Gemini.

* They watch short form videos.

* They go to Reddit.

* They watch long form videos.

* They go to the retailer and read the website reviews.

* If they don’t make the purchase in step 5, they go to a blog such as mine for final validation.

Folks, us bloggers are dead last. That is scary.

Here is the other advice from experts that I heard on repeat so much that I want to puke:

* Use Pinterest

* Use Facebook groups

* Make use of your email subscription list

* Be on every platform

* Use TikTok

* Use all the other social media platforms

I don’t agree with all of this. Again, I did everything that I was supposed to do on Pinterest. I never blew up.

Facebook groups are dead. Facebook as a whole is dead. It’s now a place to scroll and watch endless videos of random stuff that you don’t understand why it’s in your feed.

I opened my email list on day one and can’t get past 200 subscribers. Then the thought hit me - over this decade, how many of those inboxes are dead? Sure, I can clean up subscribers who’s emails bounce. What about active inboxes that have been abandoned? Or people that allow thousands of notifications to build? My audience is full of ghosts.

What about Instagram? My account stopped growing at 4k followers and is stagnant. I haven’t done a follower cleanup in all of these years. The thought of manually doing this is daunting. Beyond that, if you take too many actions in a day you will get banned from taking actions for a period of time. So, yeah, my Instagram followers are mostly dead accounts or ghosts too.

It seems as though Instagram, and well, all social media sites look at a 10 year old account like mine and purposely don’t allow it to grow. They see no incentive in pushing my account. I really feel that I need to delete my account and start a new one to get reach. What do you think? I’ve heard a lot of back and forth on this.

What about Meta Verified? When I post a Reel I get a pop up that I would get more reach if I paid for the subscription. Eat rocks.

Hell, I’m at the point where I do let AI dictate my social media strategy. What have I got to lose? Nothing I’ve done has worked in 10 years!

As you can see, I’ve joined the platforms. I now have a Reddit strategy. I’m here on Substack plus turning these articles into podcasts. I put out 3 short form videos a week. I’m on a new platform called Benable. The list goes on. I refuse to be on TikTok. That is that.

I’ve spent 2025 trying to figure out who I want to be on social media. I finally have my content pillars figured out, after trying tons of weird stuff that doesn’t work. I also have direction with my blog content.

However, it’s not just the Google algorithm that is messed up. Social media algorithms are just as bad. People have been complaining about reach and engagement on Instagram for what, 2 years now? All of the platforms are oversaturated. There are 2.11 billion Instagram accounts, and similar numbers for other platforms.

I’m tired of living a life where I feel stopped by an algorithm at every turn. I can’t find my audience, and you can’t find me, because of stupid games.

I think of this like Sears Kmart syndrome. I took retail management in college and Dr. Powell (hi!) always talked about the death of Sears and Kmart. Differentiate or die. They didn’t change with the times.

Another example would be malls going out of business. Imagine you have a failing mall store, and you keep complaining about it. Where is your customer now? Why not just go there? This was me for the past year. Doing the complaining but not the moving. I have now moved.

Through this experience I’ve learned a lot on a personal level. Over this decade I had a list of catch phrases that I’m sure my friends and family are sick of:

* I’m too busy

* I don’t have time

* I have to work on my blog post

I’m a one lady show. I’m the boss. All of the due dates, deadlines, raising the bar… I’m in 100% control. I’ve burned myself out.

Also, there is nothing wrong with my website. All of the “fixes” that I made over the past year aren’t needed and a waste of time. I have been silenced by big corporations and greed.

I used to do a blog post every Tuesday and Friday. Now I post whatever, whenever. I no longer stress myself out. I also have a manageable social media strategy along with trying to reach out to my email my subscribers. Sometimes months go by without a blog post, and that’s ok.

I know that I won’t be able to do this forever, but I’m not giving up yet. I own this corner of the internet. I love learning and experimenting. One day I’ll be married with kids and I’ll have to throw in the towel.

I’m a real person. I’m a homeowner. I’m in a committed relationship. I have a full time job. I have passions, responsibilities, and hobbies. I now have a cat and a dog. I want time to myself to read, create art, and build legos. I want to fill my dining room with lego plants and make my own botanical oasis. I have goals and dreams. Content creation is on the side.

Needless to say, my life is lifing, and I don’t have as much time to create anymore.

In circling back to the title of this article, it was not until March 17, 2025 that I finally saw another blogger acknowledge what is happening. It seems that everyone is carrying on as if life is not a dumpster fire.

The reality is that blogging will never be the same again. I would not tell someone in 2025 to start a website. What I will tell you is do what you love on your own schedule and terms. If it’s not serving you any longer, let it go.

Again, if any of this resonates with you, the most helpful thing you can do is subscribe. It’s free and it doesn’t take any time. Continue to go to websites to research. Like, comment, share, send a DM. I’m trying to do these actions more. Be the change you want to see in the world.

Here are more numbers that bring home the reality of this situation. I’m putting it all out there. In 2023 I made $4k blogging. Maybe your hustle brings in more money and you scoff at this. It’s never been my full time job. I’d like to think if it was I could have blew up more. In 2024 I made $1200. Let that sink in. I lost my shirt on Google. YTD 2025 I sit at $174.

I want to fully disclose that I do use AI. I see it as a helpful tool, but not a replacement. I DO NOT use it to write blog posts. I like asking SEO questions and bouncing ideas off of it. That’s all. So, I don’t hate it, even after everything that I just said.

Blogging and affiliate income is dead. But, I won’t allow the written word to be.

Let’s start with a bang, shall we? The mustard yellow mascara is a talking point in this collection. Surprisingly, I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback on the look.

I read a Reddit comment that I can’t unsee. The commentator said they imagine this is what pollen coated eyelashes would look like. One of my besties suggested that I make it into a meme.

Well folks, I asked chatGPT to do just that. I’m going to share it with you, alongside of the actual meme that I made. This is a GREAT example of how AI messes up.

The typos and repeated text are wild. But. The picture is SO creepy. I am scarred for life. Now you are, too. You’re welcome!

Backstory

wet n wild originally did a SpongeBob collab in 2021 and they have never repeated a collab before. They are making no mention to that one. I still have it. This one is dubbed ‘round 2’ by the people of the Internet.

The collab is huge — 37 products totaling around $300 if you want it all. This time, they’re not just rehashing old favorites. They’ve added brand-new innovations you won’t find in their core line.

Think: playful, colorful, and seriously fun expansions on what we love from wet n wild.

Release Info

The new 2025 collection — aka round 2 — is bigger and better, hitting Walmart early May 2025, with Amazon and wet n wild’s site following two weeks later. CVS will get theirs later this year, and Ulta, Walgreens, and Target are still “coming soon.”

Pro tip: Walmart has everything right now. Plus, many items have a fruity, pineapple-esque scent — very on brand.

What’s Inside?

The full collection includes 37 items (38 counting the PR box), with everything from collectible makeup sponges shaped like your favorite characters, to innovative setting mists, limited-edition liquid blushes, and even glittery cooling sticks.

Here’s just a taste:

* The makeup sponges? Soft, bouncy, and some of my all-time faves. Collector’s items, really.

* Liquid blushes? Creamy, pigmented, and buildable with a natural radiant finish.

* Lipsticks? Wearable every day with creamy, satin color that doesn’t dry your lips out.

* Eyelash curler? My go-to daily tool, now in limited-edition SpongeBob colors.

* Setting mist? Dual-phase, lightweight, and perfect for extending your look all day.

And that’s just the start.

Want to see the full reviews, swatches, videos, and so much more?

👉 Click here to read the full review on my blog

Shop The Collection