Makeup products are getting more and more expensive with each new product launch. Luckily for you, I have spent ENTIRELY too much money on makeup and I am here today to share with you some products that I have found to work just as good if not better than the expensive brands. Everyone’s skin is different, and products work differently for different people. Did I say “different” enough there? Anyway, here are some awesome drugstore makeup products that I recommend you give a shot, before splurging at Sephora.
1. Brushes and Sponges
If you want some good makeup tools but can’t bring yourself to spend over $20 on a beauty blender every few weeks, I recommend that you try the Real Techniques “Miracle Complexion Sponge.” I have put Real Techniques up against my high-end beauty blenders and brushes, and I always reach for these things. The brushes are insanely soft, softer than my Morphe and Makeup Geek brushes, and they work just as good. I HIGHLY recommend trying these tools out. You won’t regret it.
PRICE COMPARISON:
Beauty Blender- $20
Real Techniques- $5
2. Foundation
For foundation, I put the Make Up For Ever “Ultra HD” foundation up against the Maybelline “Dream Matte Mousse.” In the category of coverage, Maybelline was the definite winner, by a landslide. Not only was the coverage better, but it felt like I wasn’t even wearing makeup, which is hard to find in a full coverage foundation. It also stayed in place all day, without using a setting powder which is perfect for me because I have dry spots and the less powder that I have to use, the better. The Makeup Forever foundation started separating the second that I put it on, and by the end of the day, I looked about 20 years older. I am not hating on Make Up For Ever, I love their products, but considering the price difference, I’ll be sticking with the Maybelline for now.
PRICE COMPARISON:
Make Up For Ever: $43
Maybelline: $13
3. Setting Powder
This one is a SERIOUS money saver. The makeup community rants and raves about this high-end powder. This is pretty much the ONLY powder that you will see being used in YouTube makeup tutorials. It is the Laura Mercier Setting Powder. Now before I did this I thought, “Now Marina, this is the holy grail of powders, are you sure that you want to claim that there is a drugstore powder that is better than this?” The answer was no, not really, but here we are. The Coty “Airspun Loose Face Powder” is the only one that I would say even compares to the Laura Mericer. I know, it sounds crazy, but give it a try. I don’t know if I would go as far as to say that the Coty powder works BETTER, but it is definitely, just as good.
PRICE COMPARISON:
Laura Mercier: $40
Coty: $6
4. Setting Spray
I went with another holy grail on this one. I put the MAC “Prep + Prime Fix+” up against the Milani “Make It Last” setting spray. Again, it sounds crazy, but once again, the drugstore came out on top. My makeup lasts twice as long with the Milani spray. I also noticed that the MAC spray was actually taking my foundation OFF in places where the drops from the spray were a little larger. This could have totally been a “just me” thing. I am no Jeffree Star, but I was blown away with how effective the drugstore brand worked. This one is definitely a lifesaving dupe.
PRICE COMPARISON:
MAC- $27
Milani- $8
5. Eye Shadow
I LOVE a good eye shadow. I also LOVE a good eye shadow that is cheap, which is why I HAVE to mention ColourPop Cosmetics. This brand is COMPLETELY under-rated. While it is not technically a “drugstore” brand, it’s prices are just as low and even lower than some brands at the drugstore, and their eye shadow is AMAZING!
I put my ColourPop eye shadow pallet up against the queen herself, Kylie Cosmetics. I personally am not a huge Kardashian/Jenner fan, but I will say that their makeup line is pretty awesome. However, ColourPop eye shadows are EXACTLY the same, if not better. There was a rumor going around in the beauty community, that Kylie’s eye shadows are actually ColourPop shadows, and they planted her name and face on the packaging to sell more and charge more for it. I ALMOST believe this. If you look at the palettes side by side, the pans are the exact same shape and size, the layout of the pallets are exactly the same, even the creamy texture of the shadows are identical. Check this one out for yourself, because it is hard to deny this scandal.
PRICE COMPARISON:
Kylie Cosmetics: $42
ColourPop: $12
Save your hard-earned money and do some research on dupes for your favorite high-end products. The results very well may shock you, and you may end up having a new favorite for less than half the cost. I have no idea how these products and brands don’t get the recognition that they deserve. The drugstore makeup brands are stepping up their game, and they are keeping up with the big dogs. High-end makeup is awesome, it better be for the price, but sometimes, our middle school makeup brands can really save the day.
Maybe it’s Urban Decay? Maybe it’s Maybelline.
