Upgrading My Makeup Collection - a comparison between Mac Violetta and Milani Violet Volt

When I first got into makeup, I wanted to buy a lot of things, so I was very into finding drugstore dupes for high- end items. If I ever spotted a high- end item I really wanted, I would always google if there was a drugstore version - specifically for lip products. My rationale was that I could buy more for less money.
A few months later, and I have definitely developed a new perspective. I am absolutely not saying that I haven't found loads of amazing drugstore products, because I definitely have. But, I also see the value in purchasing more high- end items, and the price isn't as much of a protuberance to me as it once was. This is because I have learned how long makeup lasts, and how little I actually need. I don't need five bronzers like I had in the past; I need maybe two. So, I can spend more on a quality one that would be more versatile.
A case study: I saw a picture of one of my favorite celebrities wearing a gorgeous shade of lipstick - Mac Violetta. I became obsessed with the color, but I didn't want to spend $16 dollars on the lipstick. I laugh at myself now. So, I googled drugstore dupes. I tried a lot of them, but the only one that really came close was Milani Violet Volt.
Milani Violet Volt is a gorgeous shade, but I never really stopped wanting Mac Violetta. So, I just bought it. And I am so glad that I did!
One thing to note - these shades are definitely dupes for each other. Despite how they look in the tube - even in person, Violetta looks much darker - the differences are quite unnoticeable when swatched. Both lipsticks are a lovely purple shade with a blue shimmer running through it. I really love the shade, because it is so dynamic and interesting. The blue shimmer really makes it look different in almost any light - so catching the fact that these are actually dupes was quite challenging, and you might just have to take my word for it! I must have taken about 20 pictures, but the similarities were hard to capture.

Mac Violetta on top, Milani Violet Volt on bottom

In both of these, it looks like Violetta is much darker. In person, the difference is less noticeable - but yes, Violetta is a little darker. However, if it were just down to color, I could take either one of these and be extremely happy. 

What really sets the Mac shade apart - and in my opinion, makes it the clear winner -  is everything else. Violet Volt has the classic Milani lipstick smell, which is not appealing to me. It smells very cheap and artificial - like bad perfume. I don't like smelling it on my lips. Thankfully the smell disappears rather quickly. Violetta carries the classic vanilla Mac scent, which I enjoy quite a lot. Violet Volt's packaging is cheap - the purple plastic on the bottom could easily pop off, and often came off. I have only owned this lipstick for a few months and it was already showing wear. The Mac packaging isn't my favorite - I find the black bullets classic, but unimaginative, and it is smaller than Milani's. 

Formulation- wise, I feel like the pigmentation was on par for both - just one swipe left gorgeous, pigmented color on my lips, and I didn't have to worry about that with either one. However, Mac's left more of a stain on my lips for longer, and Milani's faded really quickly. Also, Mac's left my lips feeling more moisturized, while Milani's dried them out. They also made my lips look drier when I wore them, and I really don't have a problem with that normally.
All in all, I really do love Mac Violetta, and that would definitely be the one I chose, despite the more expensive price tag. I think the extra money is worth it, considering I will have this lipstick for a long time and be able to use it countless times before it ran out. And in general, that is becoming my stance more and more with drugstore versus high end. Honestly, there are some drug store things I really do prefer over high end - for example, I love my Revlon Brow Fantasy even more than the Anastasia Brow Wiz, which everyone seems to worship. But, I won't be as afraid to get more expensive products in the future!

<3

What are your thoughts on the drugstore versus high end debate?

Xxx Kate