Thursday, June 2, 2011

Designer Perfect Brushes at Big Lots for $1!

Periodically (maybe a couple times a month) I like to check out my local Big Lots and Dollar Tree stores for great deals. It's always a hit or miss. Half of the time I walk out with nothing and the other half of the time I find something good. If one of your favorite drugstore items became discontinued, Big Lots or your local dollar store are good places to check periodically for those items. 

They seemed to have a lot of ELF items, which was most likely an overstock. They were all still a dollar each, so no real deal on them. If you're a fan of Maybelline's Color Sensational Lipstick in the shade Pink Please, there were several tubes for $1.50. (View my past review here) I actually gave my tube to a friend because I didn't wear it much. Of course every store will have a different selection, so what I find at my Big Lots.. you may not be able to find at yours - and vise versa.

Cosmetic Aisle at Big Lots
Cosmetic Aisle at Big Lots
Something that did catch my eye though were some brushes, more specifically, a whole brush set for $1. None of the bristles felt stiff and scratchy, so for $1, who could go wrong? I also picked up a few single brushes. (I apologize in advance if the photos aren't the greatest quality. They are taken indoors with flash)
From left to right: Powder Brush, Duo Eyeshadow Brush, Wiper Blending Eyeshadow Brush, Five Brush Mini Kit with Zip Purse.
Five Brush Mini Kit with Zip Purse
The Five Brush Mini Kit contains a blush/powder brush, foundation brush and three double sided brushes for the eyes, brows and concealer. I've already used each of the brushes and they are surprisingly good quality for $1. The only brush I find useless is the brush on the opposite side of the angled brush. It's an angled sponge for smudging.. and I find the sponge too dense (and rubbery?) to work well. Also, the angled brush is a little stiff so can't really be used to line the eyes... but it works great for the brows.

Brushes included in the Five Brush Mini Kit (excluding the powder & foundation brushes)
What's cool is that the kit comes with a little zip around carrying case which is perfect for travel. It's great to pop in your bag, use for traveling or even to keep in your glove compartment in your car for emergencies!

Carrying case for the Five Brush Mini Kit
Left to Right: Powder Brush, Wiper Blending Eyeshadow Brush and Duo Eyeshadow Brush.
The three brushes I purchased separately are also great quality. The Wiper Blending brush is like a dupe for the MAC 224 or Sigma Tapered Blending Brush. 

The only thing I dislike about these brushes is the appearance of them (*cough* ugly). I prefer black brushes to match all of my other brushes. Nevertheless, these brushes are great for travel, or like I mentioned good to keep in your car, etc. 

Have you found any "too good to pass by" deals lately? Do share!

20 comments:

  1. What a GREAT Deal on those brushes. I went on the hunt for them at my big lots but only found an angled liner brush..i should go back and peep the scene! Thanks for the post! xoxo

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  2. i do the same thing at Big Lots but it looks like yours is a lot more Organized! Ours is a large bin and alot of mixed up makeup on the wall. I didn't know that Dollar Tree had a selection too, im gonna have to go check that out lol thanks for the heads up (:

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  3. awesome finds! my big lots and $1 store is always hit or miss too.

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  4. Anytime I decide to walk into my local Big Lots, it's always a waste of time...because everything is always gone and a huge mess. Yours looks incredibly organized!

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  5. What brush do you recommend for blending? I've had a hard time finding one that's juuussttt right...have been using a Smashbox blending brush.

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  6. omg im so jealous- the big lots near me has a bunch of fugly stuff -Becca

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  7. I gotta get my butt to big lots now!!! Thanks for the info.

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  8. I don't even think we have a Big Lots here in Hawaii, but what a great find.

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  9. LOVE your new header!

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  10. Posts like this make me wish we had stores like Big Lots here in the UK :(
    We have Pound shops (like your dollar stores) but they hardly ever have any decent make up in them - so unfair! Lol
    xo

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  11. I have to say that Big Lots is probably the best for brushes. I was able to get all the nice long handled Revlon brushes before they started popping up in our big box stores...all for a dollar each! Thanks for the post!

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  12. omg lucky! my big lots is so puney - they use to carry loads of stuff but last I went there was nothing. Those would make nice little gifts...

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  13. Those brushes look so nice! I wants! New follower!

    http://mynewestaddiction.blogspot.com

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  14. i bought a few of those a couple of days ago and i hate to say they bleed worse than ANY brush i've ever had. like the water is straight up black when i rinse. i tried using on my face today and came away with a gray cast! have you had this problem? any tips?

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  15. Brittany Landers - For blending, a tapered blending brush works great (I use the MAC 224 or Sigma E40, although the E40 is a little large to blend out precision areas. The E45 would probably work better, as it's a bit smaller) I also love using the Sigma Medium Angled Shading Brush E70 or Eye Shading E55. http://www.sigmabeauty.com/searchresults.asp?cat=27

    leahhg - Thanks!! I love it too!

    Sara- Really?? That's so weird! I haven't had that problem! Actually the only brushes that tend to bleed for me are my MAC SE brushes. Mainly the 187. Some brushes will bleed at first, but with continued washes they will stop.. and then some will continue bleeding for a long time. I guess it's the cheap dyes they use. I read on makeupalley though if you let it sit in salt water, it will "set" the dye so it won't bleed. Not sure if it will work or not, but it's worth a try!

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  16. im so glad im not the only one who found & snagged these babies up! i love em & use these brushes almost everyday.. theyre not scratchy & wash nice w/ hardly any shedding or bleeding. i think washing them repeatedly helped alot too! i bought a whole bunch that way i can send them to friends & have backups for days im washing & waiting for brushes to try! they are exactly the same as POSH brushes ive seen talked about!

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