DUPE there it is!
As makeup trends and beauty influencers take over the internet, makeup brands are drastically increasing prices in order to take advantage of the growing market. Although the growing market is great for the makeup industry, it is a serious devastation for the consumer’s bank account. Luxury brands such as Natasha Denona, Chanel, Tom Ford, and Nars are selling eyeshadow palettes for eighty or more dollars and small items, such as lipstick, for close to forty dollars. Due to the power of social media and beauty influencers, consumers are still willing to buy these obscenely priced products because the ads they see online create an illusion that it is the best makeup they will ever buy.
Let me let you in on a little secret. Over half of the luxury brands are close to, if not the same, quality as a majority of the makeup you can find in the drugstore. Maybelline, L’oreal, NYX, and Physicians Formula, have all improved the quality of their products over the years to the point that when compared to a luxury look alike, consumers can barely tell a difference. Now, this does not mean that all drugstore products are considered “dupes”. Today, I am going to share the best dupes that I have found, along with dupes I have learned about through several beauty influencer videos and blogs. So, if you want to save money, while keeping your makeup looking fresh and expensive, then you will want to keep reading.
1. Tarte Shape Tape Vs. Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define
I am starting off with the dupe that is the most difficult to believe. Ever since the product’s exclusive release at Ulta Beauty, Tarte Shape Tape has been said to be America’s best concealer by beauty influencers and makeup critics across the nation. The only problem with the concealer, is the price tag. For a tube of shape tape, you will have to pay twenty-seven dollars. For twenty-seven dollars you could buy twenty-seven sodas at McDonalds, twenty-seven lipsticks from E.L.F. or two hundred and seventy meals for the No Kid Hungry campaign. After considering all the worthwhile things twenty-seven dollars can buy, is America’s best concealer really worth the price? In my opinion, not really. This is why, after experiencing how great shape tape performs, I was on a mission to find something that performs just as well; at a much lower price point. Finally, after hours of watching dupe tutorials on YouTube, I discovered the Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define. This concealer has a similar, large doe foot applicator that shape tape does with a highly similar thick, full coverage formula. After hearing about the product, I could not wait to try it, and it held true to the claims. I put shape tape on one eye, and conceal & define on another and after a full day of errands I could not tell the difference. So, if you are in the mood for a product with the quality of a luxury brand and the price of a product at the drugstore, I highly suggest you give my favorite dupe a try!
Tarte shape Tape; $27.00
Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define; $7.99
2. Two Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Vs. L’oreal Lash Paradise
This claimed dupe surfaced almost immediately following the release of lash paradise. It all started with the similar packaging, which you can see in the pictures below. Within weeks, the sales of the L’oreal mascara skyrocketed and lash paradise became one of the best-selling mascaras at the drugstore. Both mascaras have “flake free” formulas that provide intense volume while also increasing the length of your lashes. Better than sex mascara is only available in two formulas, black and waterproof. Lash Paradise is available in multiple shades ranging from brown to blackest black, and it is also available in a waterproof formula. I have never tried these two products personally, but almost every review that I have read, comparing the two, has claimed that they actually prefer the wear of lash paradise over better than sex. So, if you need a trustworthy mascara that performs similar, if not better, to its luxury twin, then lash paradise is the product for you!
Two Faced Better Than Sex; $23.00
L’oreal Lash Paradise; $11.99
3. NARS Orgasm Blush Vs. Milani Dolce Pink Baked Blush
NARS Orgasm blush has been a cult favorite since its debut in 1999. The popular beauty brand is well known for their high performance products, but they are also notorious for an unnecessarily high price tag. Orgasm is the perfect, natural pink shade that compliments almost any completion without fading or unevenly applying on the skin. The only downside is that it will cost you thirty-eight dollars for a small compact of the infamous blush. Thanks to the drugstore find by GlamLifeGuru, Tati Westbrook, you do not have to spend the serious cash in order to get the same blushing look you would get from the orgasm blush. In one of her many drugstore dupe videos, Tati raves about the comparison of the Milani baked blush in the shade dolce pink and the NARS orgasm blush. When put side by side on her cheeks, you could hardly tell the difference; even after she had worn the two products all day long!
NARS Orgasm; $38.00
Milani Baked Blush- Dolce Pink; $7.49
4. Beauty Blender Vs. Real Techniques Blending Sponge
Have you ever thought of a sponge as a luxury product? I never did either until the release of the infamous beauty blender. This teardrop shaped sponge became famous for its ability to effortlessly bounce on foundation for an airbrushed effect. Its shape is special because it allows users to contour, blend and bake with one simple sponge rather than using three different brushes. I won a beauty blender in a silent auction basket shortly after they hit the market and I used it religiously. It became my go to tool for foundation, concealer, and powder until about a month and a half into using it. No matter how much you use the product or how much you clean it, it gets stained and rough to the point where it does not perform the same as it does when it is new. That means almost every month you are paying close to twenty dollars for a small pink sponge. That is serious cash. I was too cheap to ever repurchase the beauty blender so, on a whim, I gave the Real Techniques sponge a try. To my surprise, this sponge was amazing and in my opinion, better than the beauty blender. The Real techniques sponge is the perfect combination of firm and soft to the touch, which is perfect for flawless foundation application. There is also an extremely convenient flat edge instead of a rounded tear drop shape like the beauty blender has. This flat edge it perfect for precisely carving out contour or baking under the eye. Another thing I love about the Real Techniques sponge, is that it comes in value packs so that you can purchase two sponges for less than the price of one beauty blender. Do not waste your money on a simple product, such as a sponge. Do your wallet a favor and purchase this great dupe instead.
Beauty Blender; $16.99
Real Techniques Blending Sponge; $7.49
Please remember that not all drugstore products are a dupe for a luxury product. Some drugstore brands and products are a lower quality in order to offer a lower price. I highly suggest watching product reviews on YouTube or reading beauty influencer blogs in order to learn how these raved about products perform on actual people. Another thing to remember, is that everyone’s skin, lashes, eyebrows, etc. react to products differently. A foundation dupe that I thought worked perfectly, could crease and break apart on someone else. Vice Versa, a product that works for you could be a product that influencers and bloggers have completely rejected. So, tread lightly when it comes to dupes, but also try new things, explore and experiment. Save your bank account some heart ache and find some drugstore dupes that you love! What are your favorite dupes that you have discovered in the drugstore? Are there any drugstore products that are not necessarily dupes, but they perform unlike any other product you have used? Let me know! I love suggestions from you.












