As much as I'm all for splurging from time to time and treating yourself (I know girl, I want that all YSL everything too!), I also encourage people to try cheaper alternatives that are basically the same thing!
The beauty industry is a business and the amount you're paying isn't always worth it. So much of what you pay goes into marketing, packaging and so many other factors that have nothing to do with the actual product itself. Spend your money on things that you really love and save where you can. From foundations to lipsticks, I've found 9 super cheap drugstore alternatives to high end makeup favourites that you absolutely need to try if you haven't already.
Choose a makeup product to dupe:
Face Primer
Eyeshadow Primer
Foundation
Concealer
Setting Powder
Bronzer
Blush
Highlight
Eyeshadow
Eyeliner
Lipstick
Or click through "Next" to see all the quality drugstore dupes.
Face Primer
Veil Mineral Primer // Hourglass
Cost: $63
After being named InStyle Magazine's Best Primer of 2016 Award, beauty geeks have been flocking to this product. Hourglass's Veil Mineral Primer blends out fine lines, can be worn alone, creates a beautiful dewy finish and has incredible staying power.
Drugstore
Poreless Face Primer // ELF
Cost: $10
As much as the Hourglass Primer is amazing, it's pretty expensive. So the perfect drugstore dupe for this product is ELF's Poreless Face Primer. It does an amazing job of minimizing the pores so that foundation can sit smoothly on the skin.
Click "Next" for eyeshadow primer.
Eyeshadow Primer
Primer Potion in Eden // Urban Decay
Cost: $26
The Urban Decay Primer Potion is an OG cult favourite. After all the beauty community hype on Youtube since probably like 2009, everyone on Youtube has tried this product. But the hype is pretty worth it because this primer is bomb.
Drugstore
Shadow Lock Eyelid Primer // ELF
Cost: $2
However, $26 for an eyeshadow primer can be pretty hefty on a student budget. So an great alternative is ELF Cosmetic's Shadow Lock Eyelid Primer. The quality of the product is comparable to that of the Primer Potion, with excellent staying power that does not crease.
Click "Next" for foundation.
Foundation
All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation // NARS
Cost: $60
NAR's All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation is a beauty community favourite. It's long lasting, very buildable, oil free and works for many different skin types. There are also tons of colour options to match any skin tone. But it's $60.
Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation // L'Oreal
Cost: $14.99
This is a gem among many beauty bloggers. It's super affordable and is one of the best long lasting foundations out of many drugstore products. The foundation is super blendable, very light-weight with a matte finish, a perfect dupe for the NARS foundation.
Click "Next" for concealer.
Concealer
Radiant Creamy Concealer // NARS
Cost: $37
NARS' Radiant Creamy Concealer is another cult favourite at Sephora. Everyone swears by it as it is smooth, highly pigmented and is soooooo good for hiding dark circles under the eyes. As a loyal NARS Creamy Concealer user myself, I would never let go of this product, but it is a bit of a luxury to have as it is a bit pricey.
HD Photogenic Concealer // NYX
Cost: $5
When you're in need of a really good concealer but don't want to spend almost $40 on the NARS Creamy Concealer, NYX's HD Photogenic Concealer is an amazing dupe - the coverage is great, it blends beautifully, and there is a wide range of shades to match your skin tone.
Click "Next" for setting powder.
Setting Powder
Ultra HD Microfinishing Loose Powder // MAKE UP FOR EVER
Cost: $44
The MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Powder is a holy grail product of many well known makeup artists. It is light-weight, oil absorbing and reduces overall shine on the skin. It doesn't look chalky or clog your pores, and keeps your foundation in place all day long.
High Definition Powder // ELF
Cost: $6
If you can't bring yourself to fork out $44, you must try ELF's High Definition Powder. The product itself is highly comparable to the MAKE UP FOR EVER powder, is perfect for setting concealer under the eyes, oil absorbing and costs only $6! Super bang for your buck product right here.
Click "Next" for bronzer.
Bronzer
Soleil de tan Chanel // Chanel
Cost: $66.28
Chanel's bronzing makeup base is super creamy and gives your skin a gorgeous sun-kissed look. It is incredibly smooth, very pigmented and looks very natural as a bronzer or even as a contour.
Butter Bronzer // Physician's Formula
Cost: $20
This bronzer has been named one of Women's Health Magazine's top beauty products of 2016. The Butter Bronzer is super smooth and creamy, and looks basically the same as Chanel's Soleil de tan. It's hypoallergenic, paraben-free and dermatologist approved, so you can wear all the makeup without feeling like your torturing your skin.
Click "Next" for blush.
Blush
Love Flush Long-Lasting 16-Hour Blush in I Will Always Love You // Too Faced
Cost: $32
Not only are Too Faced's blushes super cute to look at in the package, they wear beautifully on the skin. The I Will Always Love You shade is a gorgeous peach shade with gold and pink undertones. It is super long-wear and highly pigmented.
Color Icon Blush in Apri-Cot In The Middle // Wet n Wild
Cost: $3.99
And when you don't have $32 to spare, you can trust Wet n Wild with your money. The Color Icon Blush in the shade Apri-Cot In The Middle is an exact dupe of Too Faced's I Will Always Love You. It's the exact same peachy colour with hints of pink and gold, and costs a fraction of the price!
Click "Next" for highlighter.
Highlighter
Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlight in Moonstone // BECCA
Cost: $46
A super popular highlighter that Youtuber have been raving about is BECCA's highlight powder in Moonstone. The product is a champagne pink shade, highly pigmented and looks so beautiful on the skin. But again, pricey AF.
Glow-y Powder in Santorini Sunset // Pixi x Aspyn Ovard
Cost: $21.10
This summer, Pixi came about with four collabs with big time beauty gurus, one being Aspyn Novard. Her Glow-y Powder in Santorini Sunset is the perfect dupe for BECCA's Moonstone. The highlighter is just as creamy, just as pigmented and essentially the same colour as Moonstone. You have to get your hands on this.
Click "Next" for eyeshadow.
Eyeshadow
Naked Heat Palette // Urban Decay
Cost: $66
Urban Decay's Naked Heat Palette is probably the beauty community hottest (pun intended) and most hyped eyeshadow palette right now. It's the perfect combination of rusted deep reds and browns as well as shimmery tan colours. It's the perfect fall eyeshadow palette you have most likely already got your hands on.
35O 35 Color Nature Glow Palette // Morphe
Cost: $37.10
So this Morphe palette may not be an exact dupe of the Naked Heat palette, but it comes pretty close. It is an awesome alternative if you're looking for similar rustic red and deep brown shades that the Heat palette offers, AND you get almost four times as many colour options at almost half the cost. More colours to play with for less!
Disclaimer: This is not an actual drugstore product, you have to purchase online.
Click "Next" for eyeliner.
Eyeliner
Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner // Stila
Cost: $29
Stila's Liquid Eyeliner is one of Sephora's best selling products and probably one of your go-to high end eyeliners. The eyeliner is very black, very pigmented and is very long wearing. The only thing is, you often have to replace eyeliners, making $29 every few months pretty tough on your wallet.
Epic Ink Eyeliner // NYX
Cost: $12
If you use NYX products, you already know that their makeup is the bomb. Though I can't say I'm always a huge fan of their eyeliners, the Epic Ink Eyeliner is one that I can say I love. The formula is very black and pigmented like the Stila eyeliner. The brush tip can be a bit hard to control in the beginning, but you get used to it and it becomes a breeze to apply.
Click "Next" for lips.
Lips
Matte Liquid Lipstick in Exposed // Kylie Cosmetics
Cost: $29
There was and still is so much hype around all the Kardashian makeup lines. A beauty community favourite is Kylie's Matte Liquid Lipstick in the shade Exposed. It is a light nude shade with pink and tan undertones. But $29? Come on. As if Kylie doesn't already make enough money.
Soft Matte Lip Cream in London // NYX
Cost: $10
NYX Cosmetic kills it again with beautiful makeup at super affordable prices. An exact colour and quality dope of Kylie's Exposed is NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade London. The colour pay-off is impeccable, it lasts all day and isn't drying. We definitely recommend trying the NYX Lip Creams before getting the Kylie Lip Kits.
