TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 4.2*
Why: "I have used Wet 'n Wild products because they were affordable for me. This mascara, though affordable, is still a waste of money. The brush is awkward to use, and the product ends up smudging and making you look like a raccoon by the end of your workday. I will not use it again," says a reader. One woman adds, "just because a mascara comes in a big tube doesn't mean it's going to make your lashes look big also. This mascara is one of the worst I've ever used. It doesn't plump the lashes like it claims. It just sticks and clumps instead, and is also a pain to remove. Just spend a little extra money to buy better mascara."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 4.1*
Why: Readers agree there's "not enough color pay-off." "The eyeliner was too light in coverage and I have had to swipe my lids with it at least twice to get the desired opacity. Even with that, it was still simply too light and even though I don't have oily eyelids, the eyeliner faded in two hours." Another reader says, "I too purchased this eyeliner thinking it would be a good buy. Boy was I wrong! The color was so light, it didn't even look like I had any on -- and that was even after going back and forth numerous times on my eye. Not even close to being worth what they charge. It was very disappointing."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 3.3*
Why: One reader says the "application is extremely messy and time consuming because the color is so inconsistent... If you get some on the outside of your lips while applying, forget it! You'll spend the day looking like the Joker." Another agrees saying it "looks ridiculous after a few hours," while one woman says, "this lipstick looked fine when I first put it on (albeit too pink... I think most CG lipsticks are too pink). Anyway, after a couple hours, when the glossy topcoat started to wear off, I was left with clumps of color in the lines of my lips. If I smiled and you looked closely, you could see the tiny little stripes."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 3.3*
Why: "I bought this because Jessica Alba is the spokeswoman and I adore her. But, this mascara is so clumpy and HORRIBLE that I threw it out after three uses. If I tried to put more than one coat on, I would look like a tarantula," says one reader. Another woman says she also, "tried this mascara after seeing the commercial with Jessica Alba. I got waterproof since I tend to get raccoon eyes. It clumped, there was no 3D extreme to be seen, and [it] flaked within two hours. Such a waste... it went straight to the trash where it belongs!" Another reader agrees saying, "this product is such a rip off. Every time I watch the commercial with Eva Longoria and Jessica Alba I want to jump through the screen and rip off the falsies they are wearing to promote this tube of tripe. The product clumps horribly to the brush and is just nasty." One person simply says, "This stuff is garbage."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 3.2*
Why: "This stuff doesn't blend or glide over the lid. Boo-hiss," says one reader.
Another says, "you get what you pay for! I wanted to try some new colors, but didn't want to pay over $10 or drive all the way to Sephora, so I bought this product. I found it to be chalky and difficult to apply and almost impossible to blend. My search for a good inexpensive eyeshadow continues." One woman adds, "this one is a no-no for me!! I bought this because I was attracted to how vibrant the colors seemed to look, well, I should've just headed the other direction because what a total waste of money. It's chalky, so chalky." This eyeshadow gave one reviewer an allergic reaction. She says, "I will never ever ever buy Rimmel ever again. I bought this eyeshadow about a year ago and it was itching my eyelid and made my eye swell up. It was so embarrassing I had to go to work looking like that, I gave it another try a few weeks later and had the same reaction. Something is terribly wrong with their formula."
Isn't it the worst when you are super excited to try out that hot, new lipstick shade or the latest smoky eye gizmo, so you buy it and rush home or -- who are we kidding -- into your car to try it, only to be disappointed? Whether it's a chi chi product or a cheap makeup item, it's a bust either way. Spending any amount on makeup (even if it's only $1.99) that doesn't work is still a waste of money, not to mention it's really annoying. And no matter how affordable drugstore beauty products are, if they don't work, they're never a good deal.
Our readers have had firsthand, bad experiences with cheapie makeup, which, um, make up our list of the 16 worst drugstore makeup products. See the list now. You'll hear them rant about mascara that clumps, makes you look like a raccoon by the end of the day and/or is hard to remove; lament about sticky, gooey, syrup-y, suffocating lip glosses, and complain about powder that doesn't provide sufficient coverage, wears off too fast and is awkward to use. And the list goes on...
We're not suggesting that you have to spend your whole paycheck at a department store cosmetic counter because there are awesome drugstore buys out there too (check out the top 11 drugstore mascaras), we're just saying you might want to avoid the products on this particular list.
While you've got budget beauty on your mind, check out these other stories that'll also help you save a few bucks.
