First Impression
I downloaded MakeupPlus about a year ago because I was sick of wasting money on lipsticks that looked nothing like they did in the store. I wanted a quick way to test shades before buying, especially for work events where I need to look put together without spending hours at a makeup counter. My Pixel 7 handled the initial setup fine, but I remember thinking the interface was way too busy for what I needed. There are ads, pop-ups, and a million filters I’d never use. I just wanted to slap on a red lip and see if it made me look like a CEO or a clown. The facial tracking worked surprisingly fast on day one, which gave me some hope.
What It Does Well
The AR makeup application is surprisingly accurate when you’re in good lighting. I tried it on a Tuesday morning before a big client meeting, standing by my living room window, and the virtual lipstick actually matched my face shape and lip lines better than I expected. The shade range is massive — probably thousands of options from drugstore brands to high-end ones I’d never buy. The real-time tracking keeps up with my head movements pretty well, even when I’m talking or turning slightly. For someone who just wants to try five different eye shadows in two minutes, it saves me actual time. The tutorials are decent too; I learned a contouring trick that I still use. And the skin analysis feature? It told me I’m combination skin, which my dermatologist confirmed later, so that part actually works.
Where It Falls Short
Here’s where my patience runs out. The app is bloated with stuff I don’t need. Every time I open it, I have to close three pop-ups asking me to join a community or share my look. I don’t want to share anything. I want to test a foundation shade and leave. The virtual makeup never looks exactly like real life — that’s a given, but sometimes the colors are way off. I tried a nude lip that looked perfect on screen, but the real product was much darker. Also, the app drains my Pixel 7 battery like crazy after 10 minutes of use. And the interface? It feels like it was designed by someone who loves clutter. Finding a specific brand’s shade took me digging through menus. I’m a busy person. I don’t have time for that.
Is It Worth the Price?
It’s free, so you can’t complain too much. But free comes with a cost: your time and your data. I’ve spent more time fighting the interface than actually testing makeup. If you’re a beauty influencer or someone who enjoys playing with makeup for fun, sure, it’s worth downloading. But if you’re like me — someone who just wants a quick, reliable tool to avoid bad purchases — it’s frustrating. I’ve probably wasted $30 on lipsticks that looked nothing like the app showed me. So no, I wouldn’t say it’s a great value for my specific need. It’s more of a toy than a tool.
Developer & Support
I had an issue where the app kept crashing when I tried to use the skin analysis feature on my Pixel 7. I contacted support through the in-app chat. The response took three days. Three days of me waiting to check if my sunscreen was breaking me out. The reply was a generic copy-paste about clearing cache and reinstalling the app. I did that. It didn’t fix anything. I followed up and got another vague response saying they’d “look into it.” That was four months ago. I never heard back. The crash still happens sometimes. It’s clear the developer cares more about adding new filters than fixing basic bugs. That’s a hard pass from me on trusting them.
Privacy & Safety
This one worries me. The app asks for camera access obviously, but it also wants your photo library, location, and storage permissions. For a makeup app? That’s too much. I checked their privacy policy — it’s long and vague about how they use facial data. They say they don’t store images, but I’m not convinced. I’ve seen enough data breach stories to be paranoid. My advice: only use it when you absolutely need to, and don’t log in with your Facebook or Google account. I use a throwaway email. The app is owned by MeituEve International Limited, which is a Chinese company. That alone makes me cautious about what happens to my selfies. I wouldn’t let this app near my sensitive data.
How accurate is the AR makeup application in real-world lighting conditions?
The AR makeup works best in good lighting, like near a window on a sunny morning. It tracks your face shape and lip lines surprisingly well, but colors can sometimes look different from the real product, so use it as a rough guide rather than a perfect match.
Can I easily find and test shades from specific brands in MakeupPlus?
Finding a specific brand's shade can be tedious because the interface is cluttered with menus and pop-ups. You may need to dig through multiple layers to locate what you want, which can be frustrating if you're looking for a quick test.
Why does MakeupPlus drain my battery so quickly, and is there a fix?
The app uses heavy AR processing and real-time tracking, which can drain your phone's battery significantly after just 10 minutes of use. To reduce drain, try lowering your screen brightness and closing other apps before using it, though the issue is common on devices like the Pixel 7.
How do I stop the constant pop-ups and ads when opening MakeupPlus?
Unfortunately, the free version of MakeupPlus includes multiple pop-ups asking you to join communities or share looks, and there's no built-in way to disable them entirely. You can try closing them quickly, but they are a known annoyance that may require upgrading to a premium version if available.
How does MakeupPlus compare to using in-store testers for trying lipstick shades?
MakeupPlus saves you time by letting you test dozens of shades at home without visiting a store, but it's less reliable than in-store testers because the virtual colors can be off—like a nude lip looking perfect on screen but being much darker in real life. For quick comparisons, it's handy, but for critical purchases, in-store testing is still more accurate.
