As a college student living on a tight budget, my favorite word has become “cheap.” I’ve been running out of my old go-to products, and I can’t quite afford to repurchase many of them.
Luckily, I’ve found these amazing dupes that help me achieve a similar look. Some of them work even better than their expensive counterparts!
1. No Poreplem Primer $12.48
Photo via 365myanmar.com
This primer rivals Benefit’s “Porefessional” primer, and is actually a lot easier to work into the skin. It isn’t quite as thick and heavy as the Benefit version, but it has the same blurring effect. This dupe has 8mL more product than the overpriced product, and if you buy it on Amazon.com, it only costs $12.48 (and shipping is free through Amazon Prime)!
2. Maybelline Fit Me Concealer $5.60
Photo via https://www.watsons.com.my/fit-me!-concealer-camouflant/p/BP_21595
If you subscribe to any beauty gurus on Youtube, you’ve heard of Nars’ Radiant Creamy Concealer, which retails for $30. I purchased the Nars concealer a few years back, and I immediately exchanged it for the Maybelline version. Maybelline’s shade range was more accommodating to my skin tone, didn’t dry out my under-eye nearly as much, and costs only $5.60 on Amazon.com. You really can’t go wrong with this one!
3. Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder $6.99
Photo via target.com
If you follow Tati Westbrooks, you already know what I’m about to say. Why spend $38 on Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder when you can buy the perfect dupe for $6.99 on Amazon.com. If the price alone isn’t enough to convince you, the Coty powder offers more than twice the amount of product as the Laura Mercier version. Coty Airspun never creases, looks invisible on top of every concealer, and smells like oranges!
4. Morphe Highlight & Contour Sponge $7.00
For the longest time, I struggled to find a decent dupe for the Beauty Blender (which, as you may know, retails for a whopping $20). Each of the sponges I tried from Ulta and CVS were too stiff, so I was sure that the Beauty Blender was the only one that did the job. However, I couldn’t have been more incorrect! Morphe offers a wide array of $7 sponges in all different shapes, and they are absolutely amazing! I have found that while they aren’t necessarily stiff like the other dupes, they hold their shape a lot better than the original Beauty Blender and they are quite a lot larger in size. If there is one item off this list that you choose to dupe, I would highly recommend this one because brushes and sponges should be replaced frequently for sanitary purposes.
5. Wet N Wild Megaglo Makeup Stick $3.99
Photo via wetnwild.com
I discovered this dupe last Summer and I am so overjoyed about it! This is seriously the perfect bronzer stick and it is less than $4! It blends so seamlessly, the shade is not too orange, and it lasts all day. MILK Makeup and CLINIQUE offer similar bronzer sticks for $24, but they are much more chalky and have a more limited shade range, so why not save the $20???
Being on a budget is tough!!! I hope these dupes help you save enough money to go out with your friends and treat yourself once in a while because you deserve it! XoXo
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