11 Target Makeup Essentials You Need in Your Beauty Arsenal

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You’re already obsessed with Target’s home decor, and you’ve probably discovered their amazing clothing section too. But did you know that its beauty aisles are stocked with almost everything you could need? 

Target overhauled its makeup section in 2017 by creating a more open floor plan, installing better lighting and shelving, and adding a wider variety of makeup brands. Now Target carries everything from Korean beauty products to indie makeup brands like The Lip Bar, which makes it a great place for makeup lovers to shop. 

But the sheer amount of makeup in Target’s new and improved beauty section can get overwhelming. To help you decide which products you need to add to your cart, we’ve rounded up 11 Target makeup essentials. 

Key Takeaways

• Target stocks drugstore favorites, clean beauty and indie brands, so you can build a full makeup kit in one trip.
• Highlights include The Lip Bar lipstick, L’Oreal Telescopic mascara, NYX Micro Brow Pencil, Maybelline liquid liner and e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set.
• “Clean” and “free-from” labels are marketing terms, not safety guarantees, so patch test new products if your skin is sensitive.
• Never share eye makeup, replace mascara every few months and wash your brushes regularly.

Here are 11 Target makeup products you need to take a look at:

The Lip Bar Vegan Lipstick in Cosmo

The Lip Bar is a cruelty-free, vegan brand. Their lipstick is formulated without phthalates and parabens, which appeals if you prefer a shorter ingredient list than some regular makeup. It also has nourishing ingredients like shea butter and avocado oil to keep your lips hydrated throughout the day. 

Although every shade of this lipstick is beautiful, we’re eyeing Cosmo, a bright cherry red color. It’s the perfect hue to go with our spring and summer dresses as the weather warms up. 

Pixi H20 Skintint Foundation

On hot days, the last thing you want to do is apply a heavy liquid foundation. That’s why Pixi’s H20 Skintint Foundation is a Target makeup essential for summer. As the name suggests, it’s a tinted water-based gel, so it’s much lighter than a regular foundation. It also contains rose water and green tea, and it’s formulated without parabens. 

L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara 

L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara is a TikTok favorite for good reason. Its spiky applicator brush grabs onto every lash and coats it in a super volumizing, lengthening mascara formula. You’ll look like you’re wearing a pair of falsies after you put L’Oreal Telescopic on. It also comes in a waterproof version, which is the one to pick for the beach or pool. Like any mascara, replace it every few months and don’t share it. 

NYX Professional Makeup Micro Brow Pencil

Another Target makeup essential is this eyebrow pencil from NYX. It’s cruelty-free, and NYX says it is formulated without parabens. It also has a wide shade range that goes from blonde to black, so you’ll be able to find a color that matches your eyebrows. 

The pencil glides on smoothly and has just the right amount of pigmentation to fill in your brows without making them look unnatural. It also has a spoolie on one end to help you shape your brows and get that sculpted look you’re after. 

W3ll People Biocorrect Multi-Action Concealer

W3ll People is one of the standout clean brands at Target. Update (October 2026): the brand now goes by Well People, and this product is sold as the Bio Correct Concealer. The brand formulates without phthalates, parabens and synthetic fragrances, and it markets this concealer as non-comedogenic, meaning it is designed not to clog pores. It’s also cruelty-free and vegan. 

This concealer is also super effective. Its full-coverage formula evens out your skin tone and does a great job of hiding dark circles. It also contains caffeine and peptides, which the brand includes to help your under-eyes look brighter and smoother. 

Winky Lux Strobing Balm Cream Highlighter

This beautiful highlighter from Winky Lux is one of the prettiest Target makeup finds. It’s also cruelty-free. It comes in two glowy pink shades that would look great with a tan – Bubbles and Radiant Pink. The creamy formula is blendable and buildable, so you can apply just a touch for a natural look or layer it on for a stronger effect. If you want to sport radiant, sun-kissed skin this summer, you need this highlighter in your makeup bag. 

Almay Healthy Hue Blush

Another Target makeup essential you can’t do without is this blush from Almay. It comes in four different shades including berry, peach, and nude to suit a variety of skin tones. This blush has a subtle sheen that will give your cheeks a healthy, radiant glow. It’s also extremely buildable, so you can apply just a little for a subtle flushed look or use a heavier hand if you want to hop on the dramatic blush trend. 

As a bonus, Almay formulates this blush without fragrance, and the brand says it is dermatologist-tested, which can be helpful if you have sensitive skin. 

Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Eyeliner

It’s hard to find a liquid eyeliner that’s pigmented, easy to apply, and long-lasting. But luckily, this one from Maybelline fits the bill. It glides on easily and has an ultra-fine brush tip that allows you to create super sharp, precise lines. So if you like to rock cat eyes and other bold eyeliner looks, this is the product for you. 

This eyeliner is also long-wearing and smudge-resistant, so once it dries down it stays put until you remove it at the end of the day. Maybelline says it is ophthalmologist-tested, but anyone’s eyes can react, so stop using any liner that stings or irritates. Apply it only when you are standing still, never in a moving car. 

Pacifica Moonflower Otherworldly Eyeshadow Palette

No makeup look is complete without eyeshadow. This palette from Pacifica has a good mix of neutral and fun colors, allowing you to create a wide array of different makeup looks. It has brown, pink, purple, and blue shades, so you can experiment and come up with unique color combos. The shadows are creamy, pigmented, and blendable, which makes applying them a breeze. They also have great staying power even without primer and won’t crease over the day. 

Additionally, Pacifica formulates this palette without talc, parabens and phthalates, and the shadows are infused with coconut water. As with any eye product, only use shadows labeled for the eye area and stop if your lids become irritated. 

Elf Makeup Mist and Set

Even if you use high-quality makeup, it can start to melt and look greasy when temperatures climb during the spring and summer. Applying this setting spray from Elf will help lock in your foundation and prevent it from sliding off your face in the heat. It’s also infused with aloe, green tea and cucumber, and it’s cruelty-free and vegan. 

Real Techniques Artist Essentials Brush Set

If you want your makeup to look flawless, you’ll need good makeup brushes. This five-piece brush set from Real Techniques is affordable and high-quality. It contains a lip brush, a smudger for eyeliner, a fan brush, a small blush brush, and a large rounded foundation brush. 

The bristles are soft yet densely packed, which will help your makeup go on smoothly and evenly. The fibers are also completely synthetic, so they’re suitable for vegans and vegetarians. As long as you wash them regularly (the American Academy of Dermatology suggests every 7 to 10 days) and keep them to yourself, these brushes should last for years. 

Final Words…

The Target makeup aisle is full of hidden gems like the 11 products on this list. From Korean beauty brands to drugstore favorites like Maybelline and Almay, Target has it all. 

Which Target makeup products are you going to add to your beauty wishlist? Let us know in the comments section below or on Instagram @offonfrinday. And if there are any that you already enjoy, snap a pic and use #SuccessibleBeauty for a chance to be reposted!

Sources

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Using Cosmetics Safely
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Eye Cosmetic Safety
• American Academy of Dermatology – How to clean your makeup brushes

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