Pretty Makeup - Beauty Camera is a photo editing app designed to help you apply virtual makeup and enhance selfies. I've been using it for a few months now, and it's become my go-to for quick touch-ups before sharing photos. The app launched a while back and is available for free download on both Google Play and the App Store. It has millions of installs, which shows how popular it is. You can install it without paying anything upfront, and you don't even need to register to start using most features, which I really appreciate for simplicity. However, to unlock some of the more advanced filters or remove watermarks, there are in-app purchases. You'll also see occasional ads, but they're not too intrusive during regular use.

Using the app is pretty straightforward. After you download and install it, you just open it and either take a new selfie or choose a photo from your gallery. The main screen has all the tools neatly laid out. I usually start with skin smoothing to even out my complexion, then move on to adding virtual makeup like lipstick, eyeliner, and blush. The app uses AI to detect your facial features, so the makeup applies quite accurately. A simple tip from a regular user: use natural lighting for your original photo for the best results. The sliders for intensity are sensitive, so subtle adjustments look more realistic. I often use the 'before and after' toggle to make sure I haven't overdone it. It's perfect for creating a polished look in seconds without any real makeup.

Compared to other beauty camera apps on Google Play, like YouCam Makeup or Perfect365, Pretty Makeup holds its own. I chose it because it feels less cluttered and the virtual makeup colors seem more vibrant and true-to-life. Some similar apps have too many complicated menus or require subscriptions for basic features. With Pretty Makeup, the core editing tools are strong and accessible right away. For someone who just wants to enhance selfies quickly without a steep learning curve, this app is a great pick. It doesn't try to do everything, but what it does—applying digital makeup—it does well and simply.

• 💄 The core virtual makeup application is excellent. You can try on different lipstick shades, eyeshadows, and blushes in real-time. Compared to a similar popular app like YouCam Makeup, the color palette here feels more modern and the application is slightly faster, with less lag when switching between tools.
• 💄 The skin retouching features are powerful yet simple. It offers one-touch beautification for smoothing skin, removing blemishes, and whitening teeth. While apps like Facetune offer more granular control, Pretty Makeup provides a perfect balance for quick, everyday edits that don't look overly airbrushed.
• 💄 The hairstyle and color try-on feature is a fun standout. You can preview how you'd look with different haircuts or colors. This is something many similar beauty camera apps lack or offer as a premium-only feature, but here it's quite accessible and works surprisingly well.
• 💄 The AR live makeup mode lets you see your enhanced look in real-time through the camera, which is great for testing looks before applying real makeup or for fun video calls. This feature performs more smoothly on my device than the equivalent mode in some competing apps I've tried.

• 👍 The user interface is incredibly intuitive and clean. Everything is where you expect it to be, making the app very easy to navigate compared to some rivals that feel cluttered with options.
• 👍 The speed of processing and applying effects is impressive. Filters and makeup layers load and render much faster than in several other beauty apps I've downloaded from Google Play.
• 👍 The quality of the virtual makeup, especially the lipstick application, is top-notch. It follows the lip line accurately and looks more realistic than in many similar applications, which often have a painted-on, artificial look.
• 👍 The 'one-touch beautify' feature delivers consistently good results with a single tap, saving a lot of time. Other apps often require manual tweaking even after using their auto-enhance button.

• ⚠️ The free version includes a persistent watermark on saved photos, which can only be removed via in-app purchase. Many competing apps either don't have a watermark or offer a less obtrusive one.
• ⚠️ Some of the most attractive filters and advanced makeup styles are locked behind a paywall. While common, the selection in the free version feels slightly more limited compared to some other popular beauty camera apps available for install.