We all wish we could afford to indulge ourselves with luxurious high-end makeup products all the time, but being on a college budget that’s rarely ever the case. Luckily, many makeup products have a cheaper “dupe” that you can easily find at most drugstores. Here are five amazing high-end products and their drugstore counterparts.
1. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer – $29 at Sephora
This bronzer is great for warming up your face during the wintertime or even a bit of contouring to get sky-high cheekbones. It’s matte so you won’t feel like you stepped out of Twilight when standing in the sun. It’s perfect for most skin-tones and even some darker skinned ladies can use it. For those with fairer skin Too Faced offers a lighter, “Milk Chocolate” version. The best part about this bronzer? It has a delicious chocolate smell. It’s also nicely pigmented and velvety smooth.
The Dupe
NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny – $3 at Target
Minus the absence of a chocolate scent, this bronzer is nearly spot-on. At a price like that how could you possibly refuse? This bronzer is also matte which is hard to come across in the beauty drugstore realm. It’s got good pigment but it also has a bit more of an orange tone to it than the Too Faced bronzer. It’s even got a mirror in the compact as well.
2. Too Faced Candelight Softly Illuminated Translucent Powder – $27 at Sephora
This highlighter gives a sweet subtle glow to your face when blended onto your cheekbones. It’s soft in both texture and results and is easy to use unlike some liquids or creams which can easily get messy. It really is gorgeous both in the pan and when applied as it has the perfect amount of shimmer. It’s also good for beginners who aren’t yet so sure where/how to highlight.
The Dupe
Hard Candy So Baked Bronzer in Tiki – $9 at Walmart
This product is only available at Walmart but it makes a good dupe for Too Face’s highlighter. It comes in nice packaging and being that it’s a ‘baked’ product it has a smooth texture and is very pigmented. It’s suggested to be a little more careful when using this highlighter because that’s how pigmented it is. Next to the Too Faced product it appears to be more white while Candlelight shows up a bit more golden or yellow.
3. MAC Fix + Skin Refresher/Finishing Mist – $21 at MAC
This spray clams, refreshes and moisturizes skin and sets makeup so it stays put. It feels great when sprayed onto skin and is perfect for nights out at the bars and clubs when you especially want makeup to stay exactly how it looked when you left your house.
The Dupe
E.L.F Makeup Mist and Set – $3 at Target
Not quite as refreshing but it gets the job done. It comes in a smaller bottle so it’s great to throw in your makeup bag and take it on the go for anytime you need a boost.