Makeup is great, but it can cost a buttload of money, which is why we decided to test out a bunch of drugstore makeup brands to see what works best.
But first things first: Meet our makeup testers.
First up, Wet n Wild.
Augusta: Applying the eyeshadow, lipstick, eyeliner and blush was WORK. I had to go over my lips about seven times because it goes over lips like a car goes over speed bumps. Filling in the cracks took some time. 5/10
Essence: Definitely wouldn't rush to try any of these products again. 4/10
Lindsey: I was having an identity crisis. On the one hand, I felt like a wannabe guest on Toddlers and Tiaras, and on the other hand I felt like a 90-year-old crypt keeper with my pale face and scaly lips. Isn't makeup supposed to make you feel ~beautiful~? 3/10
Monique: When it came to the blush, well, I know this is cheap shit but I wasn't expecting anything this bad. And the eyeshadow: It was hard to put on because it wouldn't adhere to my eyelid. I'd just get a rainstorm of powder showering down on my innocent eyes. A high note was the lipstick though. I was expecting dry and chalky, so this was a pleasant surprise. 4.5/10
Augusta: Applying the eyeshadow, lipstick, eyeliner and blush was WORK. I had to go over my lips about seven times because it goes over lips like a car goes over speed bumps. Filling in the cracks took some time. 5/10
Essence: Definitely wouldn't rush to try any of these products again. 4/10
Lindsey: I was having an identity crisis. On the one hand, I felt like a wannabe guest on Toddlers and Tiaras, and on the other hand I felt like a 90-year-old crypt keeper with my pale face and scaly lips. Isn't makeup supposed to make you feel ~beautiful~? 3/10
Monique: When it came to the blush, well, I know this is cheap shit but I wasn't expecting anything this bad. And the eyeshadow: It was hard to put on because it wouldn't adhere to my eyelid. I'd just get a rainstorm of powder showering down on my innocent eyes. A high note was the lipstick though. I was expecting dry and chalky, so this was a pleasant surprise. 4.5/10
Augusta: Applying the eyeshadow, lipstick, eyeliner and blush was WORK. I had to go over my lips about seven times because it goes over lips like a car goes over speed bumps. Filling in the cracks took some time. 5/10
Essence: Definitely wouldn't rush to try any of these products again. 4/10
Lindsey: I was having an identity crisis. On the one hand, I felt like a wannabe guest on Toddlers and Tiaras, and on the other hand I felt like a 90-year-old crypt keeper with my pale face and scaly lips. Isn't makeup supposed to make you feel ~beautiful~? 3/10
Monique: When it came to the blush, well, I know this is cheap shit but I wasn't expecting anything this bad. And the eyeshadow: It was hard to put on because it wouldn't adhere to my eyelid. I'd just get a rainstorm of powder showering down on my innocent eyes. A high note was the lipstick though. I was expecting dry and chalky, so this was a pleasant surprise. 4.5/10
Then we tried E.l.f. makeup. E.l.f. runs around $2 for mascaras and $6 for foundations.
Augusta: Blush, primer, and foundation are AWESOME and the E.l.f. packaging is incredibly innovative. 6.5/10
Essence: Some days I just don't feel like trying but I don't want to look dead either, so mascara and liner are my saviors. I'd lean on E.l.f. on those kind of days. The shadow and blush were decent, but highly doubt I'd buy them. 5/10
Monique: Meh city. Nothing impressed me. I feel very Mckayla Maroney toward the whole line. 5/10
Lindsey: The eyeliner was crazy. After taking it out of the box, I discovered a cap with a built-in sharpener. Genius! Take notes, cosmetic companies! It applied OK — more like a smudgy smokey liner, which I think is what the product was going for. I also LOVED the blush, but everything else was a thumbs down. 5/10
Augusta: Blush, primer, and foundation are AWESOME and the E.l.f. packaging is incredibly innovative. 6.5/10
Essence: Some days I just don't feel like trying but I don't want to look dead either, so mascara and liner are my saviors. I'd lean on E.l.f. on those kind of days. The shadow and blush were decent, but highly doubt I'd buy them. 5/10
Monique: Meh city. Nothing impressed me. I feel very Mckayla Maroney toward the whole line. 5/10
Lindsey: The eyeliner was crazy. After taking it out of the box, I discovered a cap with a built-in sharpener. Genius! Take notes, cosmetic companies! It applied OK — more like a smudgy smokey liner, which I think is what the product was going for. I also LOVED the blush, but everything else was a thumbs down. 5/10
Augusta: Blush, primer, and foundation are AWESOME and the E.l.f. packaging is incredibly innovative. 6.5/10
Essence: Some days I just don't feel like trying but I don't want to look dead either, so mascara and liner are my saviors. I'd lean on E.l.f. on those kind of days. The shadow and blush were decent, but highly doubt I'd buy them. 5/10
Monique: Meh city. Nothing impressed me. I feel very Mckayla Maroney toward the whole line. 5/10
Lindsey: The eyeliner was crazy. After taking it out of the box, I discovered a cap with a built-in sharpener. Genius! Take notes, cosmetic companies! It applied OK — more like a smudgy smokey liner, which I think is what the product was going for. I also LOVED the blush, but everything else was a thumbs down. 5/10
Monique was not feeling it.
Next up: The Prestige makeup line. Products start at $3.95 for eyeshadows and lip liners.
Augusta: All of the eye products I'd actually buy and use, but the lipstick was a joke. 7/10
Monique: The mascara was very nice! If you had put a fancy brand name on it, I easily would have paid $26 dollars for it without batting a lash. I liked the eyeshadow, too. It felt very sexy and sophisticated with my smokey eye and polka-dot dress. 5/10
Essence: I was underwhelmed. The name "Pretige" is misleading — I was underwhelmed. I'd never purchase anything from this brand. 4/10
Lindsey: The lipstick is so glittery, it made me feel like a Bratz doll. It's a crayon, so it wasn't as smooth as a lipstick or lip creme. I was hoping that eating lunch and drinking water would help it to wipe off because I was honestly embarrassed to have it on. The mascara was pretty underwhelming. I had to do a couple of coats before I noticed any noticeable volume or length. But the eyeshadow felt realy silky and nice. The color payoff was also pretty amazing. 5/10
Augusta: All of the eye products I'd actually buy and use, but the lipstick was a joke. 7/10
Monique: The mascara was very nice! If you had put a fancy brand name on it, I easily would have paid $26 dollars for it without batting a lash. I liked the eyeshadow, too. It felt very sexy and sophisticated with my smokey eye and polka-dot dress. 5/10
Essence: I was underwhelmed. The name "Pretige" is misleading — I was underwhelmed. I'd never purchase anything from this brand. 4/10
Lindsey: The lipstick is so glittery, it made me feel like a Bratz doll. It's a crayon, so it wasn't as smooth as a lipstick or lip creme. I was hoping that eating lunch and drinking water would help it to wipe off because I was honestly embarrassed to have it on. The mascara was pretty underwhelming. I had to do a couple of coats before I noticed any noticeable volume or length. But the eyeshadow felt realy silky and nice. The color payoff was also pretty amazing. 5/10
Augusta: All of the eye products I'd actually buy and use, but the lipstick was a joke. 7/10
Monique: The mascara was very nice! If you had put a fancy brand name on it, I easily would have paid $26 dollars for it without batting a lash. I liked the eyeshadow, too. It felt very sexy and sophisticated with my smokey eye and polka-dot dress. 5/10
Essence: I was underwhelmed. The name "Pretige" is misleading — I was underwhelmed. I'd never purchase anything from this brand. 4/10
Lindsey: The lipstick is so glittery, it made me feel like a Bratz doll. It's a crayon, so it wasn't as smooth as a lipstick or lip creme. I was hoping that eating lunch and drinking water would help it to wipe off because I was honestly embarrassed to have it on. The mascara was pretty underwhelming. I had to do a couple of coats before I noticed any noticeable volume or length. But the eyeshadow felt realy silky and nice. The color payoff was also pretty amazing. 5/10
Then we gave Nyx Cosmetics a try. Single eyeshadows start at $4, and blushes are $5.
Monique: If I had to select one brand that got the most right, this would be it. I looked a bit clownish with all the products on at the same time, but individually the products were great. Nyx knows their shit. 7/10
Essence: I liked the finished look; results WAY better than I expected. 7/10
Augusta: OMG this foundation was SO. BAD. When I went to squeeze it onto my hand, I squeezed out about 2 tablespoons of water (or some clear liquid goop?) first. Then, I had to really blend to make the color sit well on my skin tone. This felt like straight-up face paint. The only thing I LOOOOVED from this collection was the eyeliner. Everything else I could do without for the rest of my life. 5/10
Lindsey: I've been a longtime fan of Nyx's, so I knew we'd get along just fine, but I'm sad it betrayed me with it's foundation. I had the same problem Augusta had. Nyx, how can you do me so dirty? 4/10
Monique: If I had to select one brand that got the most right, this would be it. I looked a bit clownish with all the products on at the same time, but individually the products were great. Nyx knows their shit. 7/10
Essence: I liked the finished look; results WAY better than I expected. 7/10
Augusta: OMG this foundation was SO. BAD. When I went to squeeze it onto my hand, I squeezed out about 2 tablespoons of water (or some clear liquid goop?) first. Then, I had to really blend to make the color sit well on my skin tone. This felt like straight-up face paint. The only thing I LOOOOVED from this collection was the eyeliner. Everything else I could do without for the rest of my life. 5/10
Lindsey: I've been a longtime fan of Nyx's, so I knew we'd get along just fine, but I'm sad it betrayed me with it's foundation. I had the same problem Augusta had. Nyx, how can you do me so dirty? 4/10
Monique: If I had to select one brand that got the most right, this would be it. I looked a bit clownish with all the products on at the same time, but individually the products were great. Nyx knows their shit. 7/10
Essence: I liked the finished look; results WAY better than I expected. 7/10
Augusta: OMG this foundation was SO. BAD. When I went to squeeze it onto my hand, I squeezed out about 2 tablespoons of water (or some clear liquid goop?) first. Then, I had to really blend to make the color sit well on my skin tone. This felt like straight-up face paint. The only thing I LOOOOVED from this collection was the eyeliner. Everything else I could do without for the rest of my life. 5/10
Lindsey: I've been a longtime fan of Nyx's, so I knew we'd get along just fine, but I'm sad it betrayed me with it's foundation. I had the same problem Augusta had. Nyx, how can you do me so dirty? 4/10
Here are the Milani products we used:
Monique: I applaud them for at least remembering that white people are not the only people who exist. The only thing I really liked were the liner and lipstick. The money spent on the other things would have been better spent on a burrito. 5/10
Augusta: The mascara was super easy to apply, and the eyeliner was so smooth. The eyeshadow was pigmented and easy to blend. As for the foundation, I loved this foundation so much that I wanted to keep putting it on because it was the first foundation that actually made my skin look awesome and matched my skin tone. Overall, this brand is incredible. I just would like the lipstick to last longer, but everything else was INCREDIBLE. 7/10
Essence: I'm very satisfied with results and would recommend as a more cost-friendly alternative to higher-end makeup. For sure. I'd use this brand again and would buy when I needed makeup but my pockets were trippin'. My favorite drugstore brand that I've ever tried. 7/10
Lindsey: Milani lipsticks always smell amazing, like Jolly Ranchers. The color was also super pretty and applies really nicely. The blush is INTENSE, and the mascara is super easy to apply. 6/10
Monique: I applaud them for at least remembering that white people are not the only people who exist. The only thing I really liked were the liner and lipstick. The money spent on the other things would have been better spent on a burrito. 5/10
Augusta: The mascara was super easy to apply, and the eyeliner was so smooth. The eyeshadow was pigmented and easy to blend. As for the foundation, I loved this foundation so much that I wanted to keep putting it on because it was the first foundation that actually made my skin look awesome and matched my skin tone. Overall, this brand is incredible. I just would like the lipstick to last longer, but everything else was INCREDIBLE. 7/10
Essence: I'm very satisfied with results and would recommend as a more cost-friendly alternative to higher-end makeup. For sure. I'd use this brand again and would buy when I needed makeup but my pockets were trippin'. My favorite drugstore brand that I've ever tried. 7/10
Lindsey: Milani lipsticks always smell amazing, like Jolly Ranchers. The color was also super pretty and applies really nicely. The blush is INTENSE, and the mascara is super easy to apply. 6/10
Monique: I applaud them for at least remembering that white people are not the only people who exist. The only thing I really liked were the liner and lipstick. The money spent on the other things would have been better spent on a burrito. 5/10
Augusta: The mascara was super easy to apply, and the eyeliner was so smooth. The eyeshadow was pigmented and easy to blend. As for the foundation, I loved this foundation so much that I wanted to keep putting it on because it was the first foundation that actually made my skin look awesome and matched my skin tone. Overall, this brand is incredible. I just would like the lipstick to last longer, but everything else was INCREDIBLE. 7/10
Essence: I'm very satisfied with results and would recommend as a more cost-friendly alternative to higher-end makeup. For sure. I'd use this brand again and would buy when I needed makeup but my pockets were trippin'. My favorite drugstore brand that I've ever tried. 7/10
Lindsey: Milani lipsticks always smell amazing, like Jolly Ranchers. The color was also super pretty and applies really nicely. The blush is INTENSE, and the mascara is super easy to apply. 6/10
Then, jussssssst for ~science~ we tried MAC for contrast against these drugstore brands.
Augusta: By far the best makeup because every product in every category was amazing. Everything was easy to apply. And even without a brush, the blush went on perfectly. 9.5/10
Lindsey: MAC is the real deal. I was so impressed with every product. With the mascara, I noticed right away that my lashes were standing up STRAIGHT, which is typically my goal for mascara since my stubby little lashes need some serious help to get noticed. The foundation was so light but still provided great coverage. 9.5/10
Essence: I wouldn't wear the foundation every day because I'm more simple than that, but would definitely keep it in my makeup bag for when i'm going out and want to look good. 9/10
Augusta: By far the best makeup because every product in every category was amazing. Everything was easy to apply. And even without a brush, the blush went on perfectly. 9.5/10
Lindsey: MAC is the real deal. I was so impressed with every product. With the mascara, I noticed right away that my lashes were standing up STRAIGHT, which is typically my goal for mascara since my stubby little lashes need some serious help to get noticed. The foundation was so light but still provided great coverage. 9.5/10
Essence: I wouldn't wear the foundation every day because I'm more simple than that, but would definitely keep it in my makeup bag for when i'm going out and want to look good. 9/10
Augusta: By far the best makeup because every product in every category was amazing. Everything was easy to apply. And even without a brush, the blush went on perfectly. 9.5/10
Lindsey: MAC is the real deal. I was so impressed with every product. With the mascara, I noticed right away that my lashes were standing up STRAIGHT, which is typically my goal for mascara since my stubby little lashes need some serious help to get noticed. The foundation was so light but still provided great coverage. 9.5/10
Essence: I wouldn't wear the foundation every day because I'm more simple than that, but would definitely keep it in my makeup bag for when i'm going out and want to look good. 9/10
So what were our picks?
