Makeup has always been a form of expression for me, ever since I first picked up an eyeliner freshman year of high school. In the beginning, I thought that a higher price tag automatically meant a better product. While this might be true for some products, I have discovered through much trial and error that it isn’t always the case. Through the years, I have compiled a list of my absolute favorite makeup dupes that give me amazing results without breaking the bank, and now I’m sharing it with all of you.
#1 e.l.f. Camo Blush
Blush is one of my favorite makeup products and it has always been important to me to find a liquid blush that not only gives my cheeks a beautiful color but also is pigmented and long lasting. My journey led to using Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Liquid Blush. Now, in no way, shape, or form am I saying that this product isn’t good or even worth the money because it is, and if you have the money, by all means. However, not everyone has $25 to spend on blush. That’s why e.l.f. ‘s Camo Liquid Blush, which has a wide shade range, ultra-pigmentation, and long-lasting color for only $7, has been my saving grace. Since discovering this product, I have purchased multiple different shades and haven’t used any other liquid blush. E.l.f. Cosmetics are known for being the Queen of dupes so there is definitely going to be more of them in this list. If you love having beautiful rosy cheeks, I highly recommend that you check this product out.
#2 ColourPop Fresh Kiss Glossy Lip Balm
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, I am certain that you have heard about Summer Friday’s Lip Butter Balm. This product took the world by storm for being an ultra-moisturizing lip balm that hydrates lips while also giving them shine and tint. As someone whose lips need constant moisturization due to the dry air of Colorado, I love finding new lip balms that not only give me that much needed moisturization but also some tint and shine. However, I could not look past the $24 price tag for one tube of lip balm, no matter how good the product was. Yet, I did some research to see if there was a cheaper alternative and, like always, I found one. ColourPop’s Fresh Kiss Glossy Lip Balm is a peptide lip balm that is available in a variety of colors and gives that same moisturization to hydrate and nourish lips. It retails normally for $10, but ColourPop is always running sales, so there is a good chance that you can get it for even less. I personally have purchased this product and never leave the house without it. And for more than half of the price than the Summer Fridays lip balm, I highly recommend it.
#3 e.l.f. Power Grip Primer
This product is probably one of the first dupes that I ever purchased because, as an oily girly, primer is my saving grace when it comes to ensuring that my makeup lasts more than an hour. Of course, everyone was raving about Milk’s Hydro Grip Primer around the time that I started to take makeup seriously. This primer was considered to be revolutionary for the time as a primer that gripped your makeup to your face and doubled as skincare since it was infused with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. I’ve tried the Hydro Grip primer, and I do think that it does what it says, but the price tag of $38 for a little more than an ounce and a half of product was not something that I was going to be able to keep repurchasing. Cue in e.l.f.’s Power Grip Primer, which is essentially an exact copy of the Milk primer but with a much lower price. This primer retails for $10 and comes in three different types: the original, the pink, which has 4% niacinamide, and the most recent being a matte version. I seriously haven’t used a different primer since discovering this one, and in my opinion, it works better than the original. If you want your makeup to last all day without having to pay an arm and a leg, check out the e.l.f. Power Grip Primer.
These are just a very small few of the dupes that I use on a daily basis for my everyday makeup routine. I think that it is outrageous that makeup has started to become inaccessible due to trends and influencers pushing the idea that something has to have a high price tag to be worth it. Drugstore products are usually very comparable (and sometimes even better) than high-end products, you just have to know where to look. I will continue to be a dupe user no matter how many people try to convince me otherwise and I hope that you will too. Save yourself some cash while still serving face.