High-end skincare and makeup products are one of the pinnacles of luxury. They are high quality and beautifully packaged. But not everyone can afford such hefty price tags. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get something just as good for a better price?
You can – they’re called dupes. Dupes give the same results as high-end beauty products for a fraction of the cost. A lot of high-end products are at that price point due to branding or marketing. Most of what you’re paying for is packaging or a designer name.
Here are five of our favorite drugstore and lower-cost alternatives to cult-favorite luxury beauty products. You can thank us later.
- The Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer is beloved by makeup enthusiasts and artists alike. It’s a soft, luxurious balm that smooths the skin so makeup can glide on, last longer, and look fresher. This primer will also cost you more than $50.
The ELF Poreless Putty Primer is an exact dupe. Of course, the packaging may not be as luxurious, but for $8, what more could you want? You’ll get the same effect as the Tatcha.
ELF Poreless Putty Primer, $8 (shop here)
- If you’ve visited a Sephora or Ulta in the last five years, you’ve heard of Tarte Shape Tape concealer. It’s a full coverage concealer with a smooth and flawless finish. With 35 shades, this best-selling concealer went unmatched for years.
That was until ELF knocked it out of the park, again. They launched their version of a full coverage concealer called Camo Concealer. With crease-proof long wear, a matte finish, intense coverage, and almost as many shades, this concealer gives Shape Tape a run for its money. Some say that this $6 dupe may even be better than the original.
ELF Camo Concealer, $6 (shop here)
- Too Faced’s Better Than Sex Mascara has a devoted following. People love it. It has a full hourglass brush and a voluminous formula that just about everyone loves.
But over $20 for a mascara that dries up in 3-6 months seems like a hefty price to pay. Why invest when you can get the COVERGIRL Exhibitionist Mascara for half of that? Plus, the COVERGIRL option comes in black, black-brown, and very black, so you have options.
COVERGIRL Exhibitionist Mascara, $11.99 (shop here)
- Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm has been a benchmark for makeup removers for ages. This lightweight formula is efficient and effective at breaking down makeup, sunscreen, and more. It goes from a solid to a silky oil with a bit of massage and rinses off easily.
At over $30, this option is a little more expensive than you may want to pay for a cleanser. For half the price, Good Molecules Instant Cleansing Balm contains even more good-for-your-skin ingredients than the OG.
Good Molecules Instant Cleansing Balm, $15 (shop here)
- We all remember the amount of hype around the launch of Kylie lip kits. They would sell out like hotcakes. But for nearly $20 for one tube, is it worth it? Kylie liquid lipsticks can be pretty drying. If you wear one all day, you’ll need a heavy-duty lip treatment that night.
Instead, you could go for a drugstore alternative that’s half the cost and more comfortable to wear. The Maybelline Superstar Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks come in more than 40 colors, stay put for up to 16 hours, and feel featherlight on the lips.
Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick, $9.49 (shop here)
