‘I swapped all my makeup for Il Makiage — here’s what I thought’

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Good Housekeeping / Cameron JenkinsYou may know Il Makiage for its viral shade matching ads or its try-before-you-buy option. But my first introduction to the brand was through my mum, who’s been a devoted customer practically since it first started circulating on social media. Though she raved about the brand after being reeled in by a Facebook ad, I was skeptical.

Il Makiage first launched in 2018 and has a range of cosmetics spanning face, lips, eyes and brows. Most recently, the brand expanded to include skincare. I tested seven of the brand’s makeup offerings:

After more than a week of wearing each of the products, I can say that I now truly understand the hype. But to see for yourself, check out my full experience with each item below.

I’m not typically someone who wears eyeshadow every day. Usually a quick swipe of bronzer over my lids will get the job done, but this may have converted me. It comes in six colour options with four shadows in each palette. I tried the Make Moves quad, which featured two matte shades (Clapback, a plum shade, and Mood, a mauve shade) and two shimmer shades (Hold Up, a Champagne shade, and Entourage, a bronze shade).

I was really impressed with the colour payoff, as the hues didn’t appear ashy on my lids. They were extremely easy to blend. I applied the shades with my fingertips and didn’t notice any fallout or difficulty melting the colours into one another. I also loved that the shades complimented each other, making it super easy to get a quick eye look that you don’t have to think too much about.

In terms of the packaging, the full mirror included with the palette was a huge plus, because it makes it so easy to throw in my bag while travelling or if I need to touch up on-the-go.

Truthfully, I found this mascara to be just okay. It didn’t do a great job of lifting or curling my straight eyelashes, which is something I gravitate towards with my preferred mascaras. However, I did find that this mascara was great at separating my lashes and didn’t make them clump together.

I think it would be a great option for pared-down makeup days when you want to look more natural. But, if you’re looking to get a full glam look, I’d opt for a mascara that adds more volume, which I didn’t experience with this.

Finding a matte lipstick that doesn’t dry out my lips is notoriously difficult. But this product definitely impressed me. Though it isn’t your typical lipstick, this plush liquid lip cream still provided a matte look without a drying or cracking effect. It comes in 29 shades, ranging from reds and purples to oranges, browns and nudes. Each colour is opaque, which adds to its staying power.

Through trial and error, I learned that correct application is key with this product. In order to get the longest-lasting results, I found that applying a thin amount and allowing it to dry before reapplication worked best to avoid the lip colour pilling or smudging.

Even with eating and drinking, I experienced minimal transfer. But I did notice slight fading over time when I wore it for a full day.

With acne-prone skin, I’m constantly battling texture and the blurring effect the primer provided was truly unmatched. It’s a silicone base, which also locked my foundation in place and minimised the amount of oil in my T-zone. I wore it during a four-hour train ride, to an event that lasted three hours, and when I got home, my makeup was still in place and I didn’t look greasy at all.

A little goes a long way. I applied a small pea-sized amount to the centre of my face and that was enough to keep my oils controlled.

I preferred this mascara over the other. It actually lifted my straight lashes and provided more curl. Pairing it with the Icon Mascara gave my lashes the right amount of volume overall.

It features a sickle-shaped applicator that’s great at applying the mascara evenly to each lash and helps to lift them. The one thing I didn’t like about this mascara was that it flaked after a few hours of wear.

With a shade range that includes 50 hues that account for undertone, I was pretty sure I’d be able to find a pretty decent shade match in this foundation line. I tried out the shade match quiz that promises customers they can return the product free of charge if it doesn’t work for them. I answered a series of questions including my skin type, the kind of coverage and finish I was looking for, selected from a range of photos of models with skin closest to my tone and disclosed my undertone and skin concerns.

What I got was actually one of the best foundations I’ve tried in a while. And that says a lot, considering I’ve tried and tested multiple foundations over my time as a writer. I tried shade #165, which didn’t look too orange on my skin or run the risk of looking grey since I have a neutral undertone. This shade honestly got it just right.

The formula is lightweight, yet full coverage, as it seamlessly covered my hyperpigmentation. I was also surprised to see how it was able to conceal texture on my acne-prone skin. It has a natural matte finish that kept my oils under control. I wore it for eight hours straight and very minimal oil peeked through the foundation in my T-zone.

Once I was shade matched for foundation, the website gave me a shade match recommendation for concealer as well. I tried shade 13.

I found the concealer to have a lightweight, creamy consistency that was very easy to blend and didn’t settle into any fine lines under my eyes. It also had a buildable coverage that was great to use on my acne scars. I also really liked that I was able to set the concealer with a loose powder without it becoming patchy or separating.

If long-lasting makeup is a major attraction for you, I would say Il Makiage is definitely worth it. The face and lip products I tried had staying power and required very minimal touchups, even though I wore them for over eight hours.

The complexion products would have to be my favourite, because I was able to achieve full coverage without feeling cake-y or my acne-prone skin feeling irritated. The foundation paired with the primer did an excellent job of concealing my problem areas. Not to mention, finding my shade match was so easy with the quiz. I really appreciated how thorough the questions were and how they directed me to a truly perfect match.

I will admit that each product is pretty expensive, but Il Makiage offers a subscription option, providing shoppers with 10% savings and 20% discount on future purchases, which helps offset costs a bit. Overall, if you’ve been thinking about giving Il Makiage a try, I would say go for it!

Cameron (she/her) is a staff writer for Good Housekeeping, where she covers everything from holidays to food. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she received a B.A. in magazine journalism. In her spare-time she can be found scrolling TikTok for the latest cleaning hacks and restaurant openings, binge-watching seasons of Project Runway or online shopping.

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