I love finding things for a great bargain. I also love seeing if the quality of some less expensive options compare to those of higher price tag items. There have been times where the quality of a dress on Amazon was better than the quality of a designer piece that I have in my closet. I test out this same theory with drugstore makeup vs. brand name makeup.
I’ve found some really good dupes, but I’ve also come to realize that sometimes the quality can be the same, or the higher end item is actually better quality. In this post, I’m going to compare some brand name and drugstore makeup and let you know if I prefer the drug store or brand name. Just as an FYI, I’m not a beauty guru or a makeup artist, so this is purely based on opinion and what works for me. I’m not basing this off of the science behind the product, for example ingredients because I know nothing about that to make an expert opinion.
Foundation
NARS Longwear Foundation ($49) vs. It Cosmetics CC Cream ($39)
Ok, so these two aren’t necessarily a drug store vs. brand name, because they are both brand names, BUT, there is a difference in price and It Cosmetics CC Cream has 0.07 oz more in the tube haha. Hands down, I prefer the It Cosmetics CC Cream on my skin. I love the thicker consistency and I also feel like it moisturizes my skin beautifully. I don’t feel like I’m wearing makeup because it’s a CC Cream and not a full blown foundation.
The NARS foundation is too liquidy for me. I could never get it evenly apply to my face, and it also does not react well with my skin or any primer that I use. I’ve tried a few different primers with the NARS because I didn’t want to have that much money go down the tubes, but it’s too stubborn on my skin. However, a few makeup artists told me that they use NARS, so it might just be my skin being too stubborn.
Who Wins? Bargain Choice: It Cosmetics $39
Brows
It Cosmetics Brow Power ($24) vs. L’Oreal Brow Stylist ($7.99)
Honestly, I love both of these equally. I think they are both great. I would say that the It Cosmetics Brow pencil glides on smoother and is slightly easier to work with, but on the other hand, because it’s not an actual pencil, you never know when you need to go buy some more, whereas with L’Oreal, you will definitely know.
Who Wins? It’s a Tie, however the tie breaker would be the price. Bargain Choice: L’Oreal $7.99
Liquid Liner
Tarte Sex Kitten Liquid Liner ($20) vs. Wet n Wild Megaliner ($3.49)
Tarte severely disappointed me with this liquid liner. I’m usually not a fan of the foam brush tip liners (I like the thin brush), but decided to give this one a try. First of all, there was such a small amount of liner in this tube. It did not last me nearly as long as I would have hoped. I can’t believe they charge $20 for that. It also did not stay on my lid whatsoever. It would flake off or make me look like I had raccoon ideas within 30 minutes.
Maybe because I’m getting older and have more crows feet, caused this issue, but it was absolutely horrible. I used to buy this super cheat NYC liquid liner at Walmart for like $3 and I swore by it for years. Then they discontinued it and I haven’t found a liquid liner that I truly love. However, Wet n Wild really impressed me with their megaliner. It’s $3.49 for an awesome product. It stays on all day, doesn’t smudge or flake off.
Who Wins? Bargain Choice: Wet n Wild $3.49
Mascara
Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara ($25) vs. L’Oreal Lash Paradise ($10.99)
Both of these mascaras are exactly the same. I’m not even going to lie and tell y’all that there is any difference. I mean, even the packaging looks extremely similar.
Who Wins? Bargain Choice: L’Oreal $10.99
Lips
Kylie Lip Kit & Just Lip Color (Full Kit $29, just lip color $16) vs. Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor ($9.99)
As much as I fell into the Kylie Lip Kit craze, I kind of wish I didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I do like the Kylie Lip Kits and I did have 3 different colors, but I won’t be buying them again. They almost never had the color I wanted. Even now on the Ulta site, they don’t have the color I would want if I would just want to get the lip color, not the full kit.
I think that it’s just too hyped up. It’s not that I think the quality is bad, but it’s not worth that kind of money. It does stay on, but I noticed that as the day progresses it starts to flake off a bit. As for Revlon, I like that it’s a lot more moisturizing than the lip kit. It dries into a matte lip, but it doesn’t feel like most matte lipsticks do. They also always have a variety of colors stocked.
Who Wins? Bargain Choice: Revlon $9.99
Running Totals
Brand Name Amount: $147 or $134 (depending on which Kylie to buy, lip kit or just the lip color)
Bargain/Drugstore amount: $71.46
Who Wins Amount: $87.47 or $71.46 depending on if I’d want to splurge a little more money on that tie breaker listed above.
Have y’all tried any of these products? Do you agree/disagree with some of the things I said? I would love to hear your experiences!
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xoxo Monica
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