I compared makeup from Dollar Tree to brand name makeup to see how it holds up

I’m not a huge makeup wearer. Partially because I find it easier to simply not wear any, but also because of the cost. On the rare occasion when I do purchase makeup, I can be paying $20 for just some powder and foundation, which only fuels my aversion to wearing this expensive stuff.

However, I talked to both my friend and my mom on two separate occasions about makeup that they had purchased from the Dollar Tree that they actually found to be pretty good stuff. There was a part of me that was initially skeptical – after all, this is stuff that you’re paying a dollar for instead of $20. But then it got me thinking. Could the cheaper makeup still hold up?

I decided to try three products: B.B. Cream, mascara, and lipstick. I tried each one from both the Dollar Tree and from name brand products that you might find at the drugstore.

Dollar Tree

In general, the Dollar Tree had a fair amount of options for makeup, from powder to eye shadow to eyeliner and lip gloss. I tried to aim for products and colors that I might actually wear again, which meant avoiding the super sparkly blue eyeshadow.

In the end, I tried the Sassy+Chic B.B. Cream, the L.A. Colors Bold Lash Mascara, and the L.A. Colors Lipgloss and Lipstick duo. (I was especially excited about getting the duo for a dollar.)

Putting these products on was a bit of a struggle, mostly because I am someone who wears makeup so rarely. In total, it probably took me about 15 to 20 minutes to put everything on, which seemed like a long time to me but didn’t faze my sister, who wears makeup on a daily basis.

I started with the B.B. Cream, which was easy enough to put on, as the directions said just to blend in with my fingers. It was a little sticky and took some effort to fully rub in, but in the end I liked that it didn’t look like I had caked my face in foundation, yet still gave me pretty even coverage.

The mascara was by far the hardest part. I had some issues with the wand that came from a lack of experience with applying mascara, and not anything specifically about the makeup. On the plus side, the shortness of the wand actually made me feel more in control while I was applying it, but it did get clumpy easily and it was difficult to give both the wand and my lashes an even coat. However, this would probably make for a good travel size if that’s something you’re looking for.

I was the most prepared to like the lipstick, since that seemed pretty hard to mess up. The color itself wasn’t my favorite, but it was definitely easy to apply and didn’t feel too sticky or greasy.

In terms of wear and tear, the lipstick was the first thing to go. I tried eating and drinking with it on, and found that it got clotted and sunk into the lines in my lips. I tried reapplying, but it stayed clumpy, and I ended up taking it off within a few hours. After taking it off, I tried the lip gloss side, which held up well for a lip gloss but seemed super shiny when I initially put it on. The B.B. Cream and the mascara held up much better, and weren’t too difficult to take off.

Name Brand

Since I’m cheap, I borrowed my sister’s mascara and lipstick, and I used a sample of B.B Cream that I had gotten in a magazine. (Garner B.B. Cream, Beauty Moment lipstick, Mary Kay lip gloss, and Almay mascara.)

For application, the Garner B.B. Cream was much easier to put on. It didn’t feel sticky like the kind from the Dollar Tree, and it gave good coverage. In fact, a little goes a long way – I had to take some of it off and start over because I accidentally put too much on. I didn’t even use all of the trial package.

Once again, the mascara was the hardest part. It could just be my lack of overall experience, but I did appreciate the shorter wand of the Dollar Tree mascara. This mascara also got clumpy easily, and I found it hard to touch up.

I loved the color of the lipstick, which automatically helped its cause, as the lipstick from the Dollar Tree had a slightly less satisfactory color. This one also went on easily, and didn’t feel heavy or sticky on my lips.

I’ve used the Mary Kay lip gloss in the past, and I included it here to balance out the lip gloss I got from the Dollar Tree. It’s pretty standard lip gloss – it goes on easily, and stays on well, as long as I don’t eat or rub my lips while it’s on.

In terms of wear, the lipstick was the first to get rubbed off, mostly because I wore it to dinner. However, it held up better than the lipstick from the Dollar Tree, in that it didn’t get clumpy as the day went on, it just sort of rubbed off in places. The B.B. Cream and mascara both stayed until I went to take them off, though the mascara took the most effort to remove.

The verdict?

As someone who doesn’t wear makeup daily, I feel like I could get away with the makeup I purchased from the Dollar Tree if I needed something in a pinch. They wouldn’t be bad if I needed smaller options to travel with, or if I wanted makeup for an event but didn’t want to pay a lot for items I’d only use once.

However, in my experience, the name brand makeup was easy to put on, held up well, and looked better than the makeup from the Dollar Tree. The only item that I had issues with was the mascara, and I could chalk that up to my lack of experience with applying it. Sometimes, it’s worth paying extra, and for this experiment, that seems to be the case with makeup.