I love a good drugstore dupe; anytime I can get away without paying full price for high end products, I will. I’ve bought a ton of drugstore alternatives to some of Sephora’s most expensive bestsellers, and I’ve compiled a list of the ones that I think worked the best!
1) Lime Crime Venus and Venus II Palettes versus Okalan Fire and Earth Palettes
If you want that grungy look but don’t want to break the bank, you can purchase the Okalan palettes at Shophush.com for $8 a piece as opposed to the $34 price tag for either the Venus or Venus II palettes!
2) Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer vs Maybelline Fit Me Concealer
The Maybelline concealer has slightly less coverage than the Nars concealer, but has a really nice radiant finish too it that is comfortable to wear and looks great on drier skin. And at $7.99 compared to Nars’ $30 price tag, the Maybelline concealer is a great option! I use it to cover blemishes and dark circles, and every time I’m blown away by the quality at such a low price.
3) L’oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara vs Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
I absolutely love the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, and the L’oreal version comes pretty close. Both have a great volumizing, long wearing formula, but the drugstore version comes in at (price here). Even the packaging is similar! If you want the benefits of Better Than Sex without the $20 price tag, you should definitely add Lash Paradise to your wish list.
4) Nyx Micro Brow Pencil vs Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Pencil
I use the Nyx Micro Brow pencil in Ash Brown religiously; it’s the perfect cool tone color so my brows don’t end up looking orange. It’s also the perfect consistency, as it is not too creamy or pigmented. It’s that great waxy consistency best suited for imitating hair like strokes so you can get natural, fluffy brows. And at $9.99, its almost half the price of the ABH version!
5) Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture and Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palettes vs Bad Habit palettes in Retro Love and Royals
I love the Modern Renaissance palette, but when I saw that Shophush.com was carrying a palette that recreated it almost to a tee, I had to buy it. I also tested out their Subculture dupe; I don’t own Subculture, as I heard it was very pigmented but very hard to work with. I will always have a special place in my heart for Modern Renaissance, but at $42.00, it’s definitely not a cheap palette. For the price of the Bad Habit eyeshadow palettes; however, I’d say they did a pretty good job emulating the iconic ABH palettes. If you’ve been wanting to try out the ABH palettes but don’t have the money for it, I would recommend picking up one or even both!
6) Real Techniques Miracle Sponge vs Beautyblender Makeup Sponge
The Real Technique’s sponges are amazing and you can get two for 10.99! I have about 4 in my collection that I use on rotation. They are super high quality and blend liquid and cream products like a dream. It’s much more reasonable than the $20 Beautyblender!
7) Nyx Glitter Primer vs Too Faced Glitter Glue Shadow Primer
If you’re like me and love glitter, the Nyx Glitter Primer is a must. It has that same tacky, sticky feeling as the Too Faced primer but is only $5.99 as opposed to $20. This drugstore purchase is practically a no brainer!
8) Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick versus Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom All-in-1 Nude Palette for Face
Bobbi Brown is all about emphasizing and enhancing natural beauty, but with such a high price tag, it’s not always worth it to buy her products. However, if you’ve been eyeing her beautiful shimmer bricks but can’t bring yourself to spend $48, invest in the drugstore version from physicians formula! Their shimmer brick costs $13.99 and is smooth, buttery, and highly pigmented!
9) Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner versus Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner
If you want enzy worthy winged liner, the Maybelline liquid eyeliner is the perfect affordable product. It features a sharp felt tip that allows for amazing precision, and it’s longwearing matte formula is super black! I’ve found that my KVD eyeliner is a little watery at first use, but my Maybelline one never fails me! At 48.99, the Maybelline liner is a great buy.
10) Essence Make Me Brow Gel vs Benefit Gimme Brow
I love a voluminous, feathery brow, and the Essence Make Me Brow gives amazing texture and holds my brows in place all day. I use either blonde or dark brown depending on how subtle or bold I want my brows to be. The price ($2.99!) and quality definitely converted me from a Benefit girl to an Essence girl!
I love Sephora and the brands they carry, but sometimes the price tag is just too much for my college budget. That’s why I love hearing about and testing drugstore versions of similar products because you never know when you will stumble upon a product that does the same job for half the price! In fact, I like some of the cheaper products better. It just goes to show that price doesn’t dictate quality, and that you don’t need to break the bank to have some amazing makeup!