Byrdie / Reese Herrington
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There’s something about a trip to Target that hits different than any other run to the store. The retailer somehow transformed traditionally daunting errand-running into a highly-anticipated weekly adventure full of possibilities. Maybe it’s the hard-to-believe dollar deals that greet you when you walk in, or the simple fact that you can check off your weekly grocery list while browsing on-trend fashion styles, fancy-looking home décor accents, and some of the best makeup brands available today. The friendly price points also instantly settle any hint of buyer’s remorse, which keeps us coming back for more.
As the makeup aisle continues to welcome new and Target-exclusive beauty brands to the lineup, it can be intimidating to know which steals actually deliver on quality and performance. That’s where we come in to help. As beauty editors, we are here to help you find the best makeup that money can buy—and thanks to retailers like Target, that means stretching your pennies further than you ever thought. We scoured the overwhelming selection of Target makeup offerings to help you cut through the clutter and find the brands worth your time and investment.
As if you need another excuse to sneak in a Target-run, here are 12. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or looking for a cosmetics gift for your bestie, this guide is to introduce you to the hidden gems. We know how great drugstore favorites like Maybelline and CoverGirl are, but you might not have discovered these options. Explore these editor-favorite makeup brands gracing the Target beauty aisle today—plus shop our must-try product pick from each.
Best Natural: Well People
Target
Buy on Amazon Buy on Target
What We Like
- Skincare-spiked formulas
- Plant-based ingredients
- Good for sensitive skin
What We Don't Like
- It’s more expensive than typical drugstore
As one of the first organic indie beauty brands to enter the space back in 2008, their once ‘hard-to-get-your-hands-on’ products are now available at Target, making them more accessible than ever before. The brand is the brainchild of a makeup professional, wellness expert, and cosmetic dermatologist, so it’s not surprising that every product in the lineup and every ingredient in their formulas is intentional and good for your skin—and honestly, your soul.
There’s something undeniably refreshing about their minimalist chic white – and sustainably-sourced—packaging, with formulas that are equal parts gentle on your skin, and the environment. Their pigments are luxe, rich, and creamy, and despite the color palette steering more ‘natural’, their lineup of products for eyes, lips, and face—including chubby sticks, pressed powders, and award-winning mascaras—are perfect for everyday wear.
Byrdie Verified Product: W3ll People Expressionist Mascara
W3LL People
Buy on Amazon $31 Buy on Ulta $20 Buy on Wellpeople.com $20
We love how gentle and smooth this formula is. It applies wet, layers beautifully, and dries quickly giving elongated, lifted flutter. Plus, since it uses pure mineral pigments instead of chemical dyes, it won’t irritate even the most sensitive eyes.
Best Glam Look: ColourPop
Target
Buy on Target
What We Like
- Friendly price points
- Cruelty-free
- Velvety formulas
What We Don't Like
- May have too much shimmer for some
ColourPop may have started as an Instagram-beauty fairytale, but their happily ever after lives on as a mere 11 million brand loyalists across Instagram and TikTok continue to follow their every move. The Los Angeles-based beauty brand first entered our newsfeed in 2014 with a rainbow of eye-catching pigments and has since cemented its place in our beauty bags. The collection features bold products for eyes, lips, and cheeks and a range of base and complexion products, all under $20 (with most products less than $10). Despite the budget price tags, the formulas feel rich and velvety.
Byrdie Verified Product: ColourPop Super Shock Shadow
Ulta
Buy on Ulta $7 Buy on Target $7 Buy on Colourpop.com $7
These sparkling eye shadows are creamy, blendable, and available in a variety of gorgeous neutral and pastel shades. At only $7 a pop, it’s an inviting price point that will inspire you to play with some new colors and looks.
Best Vegan: The Lip Bar
Target
Buy on Amazon Buy on Target Buy on Thelipbar.com
What We Like
- Glamorous finishes
- Skin-conditioning ingredients
What We Don't Like
- More limited shade range
This vegan beauty brand first made a splash—scratch that— a tidal wave, with the launch of their liquid matte lipsticks back in 2012, which have since racked up over 7,500 four and five-star reviews and garnered public praise from Michelle Obama herself. The obsession only continued as their line expanded to include multipurpose tints and complexion-perfecting concealers and finishing-powders that were equally as buzz-worthy. Their formulas are impressively clear and silky, and apply beautifully for a polished, glam look in seconds.
Byrdie Verified Product: The Lip Bar Vegan Matte Lipstick
Amazon
Buy on Amazon Buy on Target $14 Buy on Walmart $14
The colors are bold, full of supersaturated pigments that go on strikingly even with a single application. We love how the color stays put for hours without pilling or fading.
Best Black-Owned: Juvia’s Place
Target
Buy on Amazon Buy on Target
What We Like
- Vibrant color palette
- Blendable pigments
- Vivid across all skin tones
What We Don't Like
- Brights are not as longwearing as neutrals
There are few brands that inspire you to play with color in the way that Juvia’s Place does. Their eye shadow palettes introduce a variety of vivid pigments with playful and complimentary color stories, so you can ease your way into experimenting with more striking hues. The comprehensive product range features products for eyes, lips, and face, with products full of super-saturated pigments that look and feel fancy, despite the more affordable price tags. The colors are made to stand out and compliment the complete range of skin tones, from the fair to deep, and one swipe is enough to recognize they do that impressively well. The velvety textures layer and blend beautifully so you can build up to a desired intensity. Plus, the vegan, good-for-your-skin formulas feel rich and pampering.
Byrdie Verified Product: Juvia’s Place Warrior Eyeshadow
Target
Buy on Amazon $22 Buy on Ulta $20
Juvia's Place 9-shadow palettes (like the Warrior Eyeshadow palette) feature vibrant color stories that inspire you to get creative and try something new. The mix of shimmery colored shadows and matte neutral ones make it versatile for everyday and night out looks alike.
Best AAPI-Owned: Jason Wu Beauty
Jason Wu Beauty
Buy on Amazon Buy on Target Buy on Jasonwubeauty.com
What We Like
- Luxe formulas
- Cruelty-free
- Affordable price points
What We Don't Like
- Limited color range
If you dream about designer beauty that you can actually afford, this line was made for you. It is the brainchild of the celebrated couture fashion designer, Jason Wu, and beauty veteran, Toni Ko (the founder of NYX), and pulls inspiration straight from the runway with products and shades that are on point. The duo bottled up some of the most fashion-forward shades for eyes, lips, and face to help you achieve runway-ready looks at home. The formulas look and feel luxe, with a chic, sophisticated design that makes the application feel extra special, too.
Byrdie Verified Product: Jason Wu Hot Fluff Lipstick
Target
Buy on Target $12
It’s labeled a lipstick, but this multi-use pigment works just as well on lips as it does on eyes and cheeks, and that’s precisely what we love about it. The modern matte finish can be swiped, dabbed, or blended wherever you need touch of color to brighten your look—or your mood.
Best Skincare Benefits: Pixi Beauty
Courtesy of Pixi
Buy on Amazon Buy on Target Buy on Pixibeauty.com
What We Like
- Hydrating formulas
- Makeup and skincare products
- Buildable pigments
What We Don't Like
- Many products contain fragrance
Here’s an OG beauty brand that’s helped beauty lovers master their natural glow for over two decades. Swedish-born makeup artist, Petra Stand, developed the brand with the goal of creating conditioning multipurpose beauty products that looked and felt great on the skin. Pixi was one of the first to rethink their makeup formulations and spike them with good-for-your-skin ingredients like fruit extracts and vitamins that pampered skin, instead of just covering it. Their products work double time to give a healthy splash of color, while also conditioning for a naturally brighter, more supple, revived complexion. Their product range includes moisturizing pigments for eyes, lips, and face, along with a complete skincare collection that enhances skin’s natural glow.
Byrdie Verified Product: Pixi Beauty On-the-Glow Blush
Ulta
Buy on Amazon $18 Buy on Ulta $18 Buy on Target $18
Read Full Review: I Reviewed This Cream Blush and The Finish is Fantastic
We love how easy it is to apply this multipurpose cream blush. A swipe along cheekbones delivers beautiful color payoff, and can be blended with fingers or a brush for desired flushness.
Best Minimalist: Thread
Target
Buy on Target
What We Like
- Affordable
- Multi-use products
- Juicy color options
What We Don't Like
- Limited product assortment
This punchy and playful beauty brand is a true celebration of color. It’s designed with inclusivity and authenticity as its core, and offers simple product designs—like easy-to-apply multi-purpose sticks—that inspire self-expression and experimentation with makeup. The consolidated product range is easy to navigate with a variety of fun colors to play with for the whole face. The formulas are impressively clean, and feel velvety and rich when applied. They also blend seamlessly, layer beautifully, and every single product is under $10 bucks.
Byrdie Verified Product: Thread Face It Complexion Stick
Thread
Buy on Target $8 Buy on Threadbeauty.co $8
This creamy complexion stick delivers on comfortable, buildable coverage that is easy to apply, and longwearing. A few swipes over the face is enough to blend for complete coverage, or dabbed along the jawline and side of nose for a chiseled contour and added facial definition.
Best Tools: Sonia Kashuk
Target
Buy on Target
What We Like
- Affordable price points
- Tapered handles for control
- Cruelty-free
What We Don't Like
- Uses plastic packaging
Having the right tools for your makeup application can make the world of difference, and this brand is proof that it doesn't have to be at the expense of your savings account. Sonia Kashuk offers an extensive collection of gorgeous, high-quality brushes and tools at accessible price points. The cruelty-free brand boasts exceptionally high-end-looking brushes made with duo-fiber bristles and tapered handles that give you the same control and professional-feel of pricier ones. The complete product lineup includes brushes, sponges, facial rollers, and organizers that give you a perfect home for elegantly storing and toting your beauty tools with you in style.
Byrdie Verified Product: Sonia Kashuk Essential Collection Brush Set
Target
Buy on Target $40
This gorgeous gold brush arms you with a super-soft brush for every beauty need. They’re pretty enough to leave on display, and while they look and feel as luxe as any, you can get this complete 10-brush set for the price of one high-end brush.
Best for Nails: Olive & June
Target
Buy on Target Buy on Oliveandjune.com
What We Like
- Clever products
- Easy at-home manicure
- Conditioning nail care
What We Don't Like
- Best when used as a complete system
Here’s a brand that understands the struggles of mastering an at-home manicure or pedicure and thought up a clever collection of products to help simplify the whole process. Their cutesy pink tools are the kind that will get you excited for your DIY mani, with products like the Poppy—a genius silicone topper that fits snuggly on top of a bottle of polish to give it an ergonomic, more comfortable grip that makes it easier than ever to paint your own nails. The product assortment includes gorgeous quick dry polishes in trendy colors for any occasions, chic nail stickers to jazz things up in seconds, and the highest quality press-ons that will make you rethink everything you ever thought about stick-on nails. They even rethought polish removal and overall nail care with a gentler acetone-free formula and conditioning quick-dry drops that make an at-home manicure (or pedicure) feel more like a treat than a chore.
Byrdie Verified Product: Olive & June Press-On System
Olive & June
Buy on Target $10 Buy on Walmart $10 Buy on Oliveandjune.com
We love that these press-on kits are available with chic nail designs and different nail shapes. They come with 42 nails (in 21 sizes) so it is easier than ever to find a perfect match for the fastest manicure ever and was the best kit in our press-on nail testing.
Best Budget: Makeup Revolution
Target
Buy on Amazon Buy on Target
What We Like
- Velvety textures
- 50-shade range
- Accessible price point
What We Don't Like
- Inconsistent shade availability at Target
Here’s a brand that’s mastered the art of the affordable alternative. They rethought some of the most coveted splurge-worthy beauty items—like big, velvety shadow palettes and long-wear, lightweight foundations—to bring you high-quality products at a fraction of the price. Their formulas are proof that quality makeup isn’t exclusive to high-end price tags. The pigments are rich, the formulas silky and comfortable, and they're all bottled in pretty rose gold packaging that make it look fancy too.
Byrdie Verified Product: Makeup Revolution Full Coverage Foundation
Amazon
Buy on Amazon $7 Buy on Ulta $12 Buy on Target $12
The long-wear formula is incredibly versatile and that’s precisely what we love about it. It’s comfortable enough for full-coverage all over wear, and blendable enough for more targeted concealing and defining. Plus, it’s available in a whopping 60-shade options. The inclusion of niacinamide makes it a great choice for a drugstore foundation for acne-prone skin.
Best Cruelty-Free: Pacifica
Pacificabeauty
Buy on Amazon Buy on Target Buy on Pacificabeauty.com
What We Like
- Vegan formulas
- Offer makeup, skin care and hair care
- Eco-conscious packaging
What We Don't Like
- It’s more expensive than other Target beauty brands
Pacifica is the brand that’s been prioritizing eco-friendly products since 1996, long before it was the popular thing to do. Their vegan formulas are gentle on the skin and the planet, with an extensive lineup for makeup, skin care, and hair care products that continue to woo shoppers decade after decade. An airy-tropical vibe resonates off their colorful packaging and makes their products particularly eye-catching when browsing the Target aisle.
Plus, their high-performance formulas and silky textures are equally as enticing. Their makeup assortment includes a handful of lash lengthening mascaras, shadow palettes, pampering lip oils, glosses, and sticks, along with complexion perfecting tints, concealers, bronzers, and foundations that highlight your natural radiance. They are the types of products that feel good to apply—both in physical form and in a clean conscience.
Byrdie Verified Product: Pacifica Glow Baby Brightening Setting Spray
Ulta
Buy on Amazon $18 Buy on Ulta $18 Buy on Pacificabeauty.com $18
We love that this setting spray is spiked with SPF 45 sun protection, making it perfect for everyday wear. A quick spritz over your face is all you need to keep makeup from budging throughout the day, and gives your complexion a natural glow-y finish.
Best for the Whole Family: Honest Beauty
Target
Buy on Amazon Buy on Target
What We Like
- Conditioning formulas
- Paraben-free
- Cruelty-free
What We Don't Like
- More limited color options
Honest Beauty was founded by the beloved Jessica Alba in Los Angeles in 2015, as a means of delivering high-performance products made without harmful irritants like parabens, phthalates, artificial fragrance, and sulfates. The goal was to give people products they could feel good about what they were slathering all over their family’s faces and bodies. And boy, did she deliver! The Honest brand spans multiple categories including makeup, skincare, and baby care (including clothes, diapers, wipes, and other baby essentials), giving shoppers better-for-you alternatives for the whole family. All Honest products are designed and formulated in two in-house laboratories at the company’s LA headquarters, and Jess herself is hands-on in the action with real-time feedback.
Byrdie Verified Product: Honest Beauty CCC Tinted Moisturizer
Amazon
Buy on Amazon $27 Buy on Ulta $27 Buy on Honest.com $31
We love this tinted moisturizer for everyday because it’s comfortable and conditioning on skin, evens out any redness, and has a substantial dose of SPF sun protection.
FAQ
- What is Target’s return policy?
Target accepts returns within 90 days when accompanied by a receipt—even if the product is opened. Target RedCard holders have up to 120 days for returns. Funds are credited to the original form of payment. Without a receipt, items can be returned for merchandise return card (similar to a Target gift card to be used at your next purchase).
Why Trust Byrdie
Lindsay Colameo is a freelance writer for Byrdie. She combines her product obsession and deep understanding of the beauty industry throughout her coverage.
