The Best Drugstore Makeup Dupes To Rival High End

Do you love getting great makeup at affordable prices by finding the best makeup dupes that perform just as well as high end products?

Drugstore makeup has been getting insanely better over time, so why pay more for a high end brand when you can spend 50-75% less on a drugstore makeup dupe that works just as well (and sometimes better!). Browse some of the best makeup dupes out there to keep your money in your wallet while still looking fabulous! From setting powders, brow pencils, foundation, blush, lipstick and more, never overpay for your makeup products when these dupes are available!

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What Are Makeup Dupes?

The word “dupe” is short for the word “duplicate” and is a beauty lover’s term for a product that is very similar in quality and/or shade to another product that costs more. A dupe is usually a more affordable product that can be found in a drugstore or affordable online shop to save you money from purchasing the more expensive, higher end product the dupe is being compared to.

Another phrase for a dupe would be a “knock off” brand that would replace a higher end product. 

 

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Best Drugstore Makeup Dupes

 

1 . Tatcha The Silk Canvas Protective Primer ($52) vs. e.l.f. Cosmetics Poreless Putty Primer ($9)

Tatcha The Silk Canvas is a luxury primer that promises flawless, poreless skin using three different types of silk (Fibroin, Sericin, and Silk Powder) that leaves skin super smooth for the perfect makeup application. It’s also a beauty influencer favourite and includes ingredients to protect skin from environmental stressors and help support the skin’s barrier function while visibly reducing the appearance of wrinkles and dullness. This primer comes with 0.7oz/20g of product for $52 and has rave reviews to support the hefty price tag.

RELATED READING: How To Apply Primer To Minimize Pores

Not interested in shelling out $52 for a primer? Me neither – so consider the e.l.f. Cosmetics Poreless Putty Primer instead, which has long been touted as the perfect dupe for Tatcha’s pricey primer. Reviewed in more detail here, e.l.f.’s Poreless Putty Primer only costs $9 for 0.74oz of product that promises to leave skin smooth and poreless for the perfect makeup look. It helps makeup grip onto skin all day (which I can vouch for, this stuff is awesome!) and is infused with squalane to keep skin hydrated (which is does) while being cruelty free and vegan. This primer has a balmy texture and can be applied with your fingers or with a foundation/stipple brush for perfect foundation every time. If you want to see these two in action, you can watch Jeffree Star’s YouTube dupe video comparing the two.

You should also know that e.l.f. also has two new formulas in their Putty primer range: the Luminous Putty Primer for a more dewy complexion and a Matte Putty Primer for to keep your makeup look shine free all day.

BUY THE DUPE: AMAZON | ULTA 

 

2. Charlotte Tilbury “Pillow Talk” ($34) vs. Flower Beauty “Spiced Petal” ($8)

If you’ve ever read a top 10 lipstick post for high end brands, Charlotte Tilbury’s “Pillow Talk” Matte Revolution lipstick will always be on the list. This soft pink nude lipstick is a bestseller because the nude shade looks great on so many skin tones and goes on smooth with 0.12oz of product. 

In comparison, save your pennies with the Flower Beauty lipstick in “Spiced Petal” which is a great colour match to “Pillow Talk” and only costs $8 and will give you a similar lip colour for a fraction of the price. These petal pout lipsticks come in a matte or cream finish and promise a great colour payoff in a cruelty free formula. Comes with 0.11oz of product. 

BUY THE DUPE: FLOWER BEAUTY

3. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer ($30) vs. L’Oreal Age Perfect Radiant Concealer ($10)

The NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer retails for $30 for 0.22oz of product and boasts a creamy, lightweight, medium coverage formula that brightens the under eye without creasing or settling into fine lines. It’s radiant, but not overly dewy finish makes it a top performing concealer within the high end makeup market and earned it a beauty award in 2018 from Allure magazine. 

To compare, the L’Oreal Age Perfect Radiant Concealer works as a great dupe if the price point of Nars is too high but you still need, a lightweight, creamy concealer in your makeup routine. L’Oreal’s Age Perfect concealer also has a creamy, lightweight formula that blends seamlessly for a slightly more dewy, creaseless finish. If you blow through your concealers quickly, this cheaper drugstore option will be much lighter on your wallet!

BUY THE DUPE: AMAZON 

 

4. Tatcha The Silk Powder ($48) vs. e.l.f. Cosmetics Halo Glow Setting Powder ($8)

This uber pricey The Silk Powder from Tatcha is a fan favourite for setting and finishing your foundation for a flawless, airbrushed finish. With an average customer rating of 4.5 stars from 1.3K reviews on Sephora, it comes with 0.7oz/20 grams of talc-free product that provides a poreless, radiant finish to the skin. It’s made with silk extract to maintain’s skin moisture balance and silk powder to blur the look of pores and imperfections while helping makeup last longer on the skin. Need more? It also contains blue-light ingredients to prevent skin aging from blue light exposure – wow!

RELATED READING: 5 Reasons To Set Your Foundation With Powder

But if this pricey powder doesn’t float your boat (or your budget) may I suggest the e.l.f. Cosmetics Halo Glow Setting Powder instead? For $8, you get this fabulous setting powder that contains 0.24oz of product that provides a silky, weightless finish for your foundation. It’s cruelty free and vegan and contains mica within a super finely milled formula to give skin a boost of glow while keeping your makeup in place all day. Given the radiance factor, either powder is recommended for normal to drier skin types looking for some glow.

BUY THE DUPE: AMAZON

 

5. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder ($48) vs. essence Cosmetics Pure Nude Highlighter ($5)

Hourglass’ Ambient Lighting Powders are the gold standard for face powders that provide skin a soft, ethereal glow without going over the top. These powders are designed to perfectly illuminate your skin as if it was in its most flattering light all the time. They’re infused with innovative Photoluminescent Technology, which allows the powder to diffuse and soften the look of the skin by refracting light. The full size compact includes 35oz/10 grams of product for $48.

No doubt, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders are magnificent, but if you’re in need of a more affordable makeup dupe to this classic, I suggest the essence Cosmetics Pure Nude highlighter instead. This highlighter is only $5 for 0.28oz/8 grams of product that will provide a light glow to your face that is buildable if needed. I own this highlighter myself and it never cakes up or brings attention to my pores and is seriously a fabulous drugstore find.

BUY THE DUPE: AMAZON

 

6. NARS Blush in “Orgasm” ($40) vs Milani Baked Blush in “Dolce Pink” ($10)

NARS blush in “Orgasm” has long been a makeup fan favourite because of how gorgeous the shade is and how effortlessly the formula applies. With 0.16oz/4.8g of product that’s made with superfine micronized powder pigments in matte and shimmering shades that ensure a seamless application and features a subtle pink undertone for a natural-looking blush.

If a $40 blush makes your wallet cry but you really want to get that NARS Orgasm flush of colour on your cheeks, go out and grab the Milani Baked Blush in “Dolce Pink” Milani baked blushes are simply fabulous! I own a couple myself and would never hesitate to buy more – these blushes are well pigmented and highly buildable, with a touch of shimmer in the cruelty free formula for a gorgeous glow at a great price! The e.l.f. Cosmetics Blush in “Twinkle Pink” is also a well known dupe for the NARS blush.

BUY THE MILANI DUPE: ULTA

BUY THE e.l.f. DUPE: AMAZON

7.  Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Setting Powder ($39) vs. Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder ($8)

Laura Mercier’s Loose Translucent Setting Powder has been around for ages and touted as one of the best setting powders for finishing off your foundation look. This setting powder has the softest, most finely milled texture to set your foundation for up to 16 hours in the most lightweight way possible! It absorbs oil and reduces shine all day for a flawless matte finish with no flashback in photos and creates a soft-focus effect to subtly blur fine lines and imperfections with 1oz/29g of product.

But a great drugstore makeup dupe to the Laura Mercier powder is the stellar Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder. It offers a similar finely milled powder to set your foundation and help it last all day with a soft matte finish. But beware, these Fit Me Powders come in various shades, so be sure to select the right shade for you skin tone.  This powder offers 0.7oz of product that sets foundation for 12 hours, while softening the look of imperfections and reducing shine.

BUY THE DUPE: ULTA

8. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz ($23) vs. NYX Cosmetics Micro Brow Pencil ($9)

We all love perfect brows and the ABH Brow Wiz has been a holy grail brow pencil for what seems like forever for many beauty  lovers. This brow pencil comes in 12 shades with 0.003oz/0.085g of product and works using a precision enhancing pencil made from a creamy formula that glides over skin. The buildable formula applies easily and is long lasting and oil-free. The durable pencil is great for drawing on individual brow hairs or filling brow gaps in seconds while the other end of the pencil has a sturdy spoolie brush to help you brush your hair into place.

However, if you fill your brows daily and whiz through your brow pencils quickly, maybe a more budget friendly option is in order? Try instead the NYX Cosmetics Micro Brow Pencil – an ultra skinny brow pencil that also allows you draw in individual hairs or fill in sparse brows with a smooth application. While the Micro Brow pencil is the most famous ABH Brow Wiz dupe, other super fine brow pencils I’ve enjoyed include the L’Oreal Brow Stylist Definer pencil and the e.l.f. Cosmetics Ultra Precise Brow Pencil . Both offer super small brow pencils that are easy to use for defining brows at a fraction of the cost of Brow Wiz!

BUY THE NYX DUPE: AMAZON

BUY THE L’OREAL DUPE: AMAZON

BUY THE e.l.f. DUPE: AMAZON

9. Natasha Denona Glam Eyeshadow Palette ($65) vs. Alter Ego Shadow Kiss Palette ($16)

Eyeshadow palettes can be a great investment because they usually take a while to use up (I have yet to get through an entire eyeshadow palette myself!). The cream of the crop of eyeshadow palettes definitely goes to Natasha Denona and her Glam Eyeshadow Palette is no exception. This cool-toned palette includes 15 shades (5 mattes, 10 shimmers) for a glamourous eye makeup look, day or night. But while these palettes are known to be amazing, they’re also super expensive, with this palette costing $65!

If Natasha Denona’s palettes are out of your price range, consider this Alter Ego Shadow Kiss Palette instead. At only $16, this palette is considered a great dupe from Ms. Allie Glines herself (you can see both palettes in action here). Alter Ego also has a great dupe for the Natasha Denona Love eyeshadow palette in their Bloom Eyeshadow Palette.

10. IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream SPF50 ($40) vs. e.l.f. Cosmetics Camo CC Cream ($14)

I love the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream (reviewed here) for its lightweight, medium coverage that blends easily into the skin. This Best of Beauty Allure winner provides 1.08oz/32mL of product provides medium to full coverage on skin without emphasizing pores or texture. It’s also infused with an antiaging serum made of hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacin, hyaluronic acid, vitamins and antioxidants that work to diminish the appearance of wrinkles and pores to create a more radiant, flawless-looking complexion.

 

But you can get great coverage at a cheaper price with the e.l.f. Cosmetics Camo CC Cream.This drugstore gem provides similar medium to full coverage with a SPF30 formula infused with hyaluronic acid to help hydrate and lock in moisture for a plumped up complexion, while peptides and niacinamide help even out skin tone. This similarly-packaged tube and pump combo includes 1.05oz/30g of product and makes an awesome dupe to the IT Cosmetics CC Cream.

BUY THE DUPE: AMAZON

11. Thrive Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara ($32) vs. Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara ($12)

Thrive Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara has received rave reviews for its ability to create super long, voluminous lashes in just a few swipes. Its vegan, cruelty free formula is infused with Shea butter and castor seed oil to nourish lashes and is made with a Flake-Free Tubing Technology™ for voluminous lashes that won’t clump, flake or smudge while the brand’s Orchid Stem Cell Complex™ encourages + supports longer, healthier-looking lashes.

On the drugstore end, Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara comes in as an amazing dupe to Thrive’s Liquid Lash. For only $12, your lashes can look like falsies using this lightweight formula that promises never to flake or smudge (although it’s not cruelty free).

BUY THE DUPE: ULTA

 

12. Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray ($33) vs. NYX Cosmetics Matte Finish Spray ($9)

You can’t read a post about awesome setting sprays without coming across Urban Decay’s All Nighter Setting Spray. This stuff is the OG Holy Grail of setting sprays and keeps makeup looking flawless and unsmudged for 16 hours. It has a patented Temperature Control Technology that  lowers the temperature of your makeup for smudge-proof, waterproof, and transfer-resistant wear. It’s also cruelty free and vegan and comes with 4oz/118mL of product. 

If the thought of shelling out $38 for setting spray doesn’t make your day, check out the NYX Cosmetics Matte Finish Spray instead – it’s great! It will lock your makeup in place while fighting shine for a flawless look and also boasts a cruelty free formula. 

BUY THE DUPE: MACY’S

What are some of the best makeup dupes you’ve tried?