Drugstore Dupes
After the popularity of my recent post about the Rimmel alternative to the famous Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat here, I decided to have a rummage through my makeup collection and dig out the items which I feel are good alternatives to high end favourites. Everyone loves a good bargain and in the case of these dupes, some even surpass their high end contenders!
There’s already been a good buzz surrounding these Maxfactor Creme Puff Blush compacts (£8.99). They come in a range of 6 shades and have a similar marbled effect on the pan much like the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushers (£28). Now there was a huge hype around the Hourglass blushes but I wasn’t bowled over when I tried one. It just didn’t really live up to what I expected, especially considering the big price tag! These Maxfactor ones are more shimmery but they actually do what I wished the Hourglass one would. They add a touch of colour and radiance to the cheeks but not in an obvious way. In this instance, the drugstore dupe beats the high end product hands down for me.
The Dior Nude Bronzer (£35) is without doubt in my top 3 favourite bronzers of all time because it’s matte, it’s extremely natural looking and there’s not even a hint of orange in it. The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder (£13) is an absolutely fantastic alternative to the Dior bronzer because it’s also matte, it comes in 4 shades and it also looks so natural on the skin. It’s virtually impossible to overdo it with these bronzers. The Body Shop one is an everyday essential.
I made no bones about the fact that I really didn’t get on that well with the Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation (£32) despite everyone else raving about it. I just tell it how it find it and with this foundation, it didn’t sit on my skin well and therefore didn’t have great lasting power. It seemed to slip off my skin and settle in fine lines. I loved the idea of it but it just didn’t live up to my expectations of such a luxe brand. However, after trying the Maxfactor Skin Luminiser Foundation (£11.99), it turned out to be everything I wanted Light Wonder to be! I actually just repurchased it after using it up pretty quickly. It comes in some nice shades (I use the ‘natural’ one), it blends into the skin easily, gives a very natural ‘skin-like’ finish, it sets beautifully and lasts well with a dusting of light powder. I really like the illuminating effect it has which it manages to achieve without making you look oily or shiny. My only gripe is the packaging because it makes a great foundation look cheap. Don’t always judge a book by it’s cover though!
Everyone and their mother owns an Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette (£38) but the more affordable brands have long since cottoned on to the fact that neutral palettes sell like hot cakes. They’ve all come up with their versions of a nude everyday palette and I especially like the Makeup Revolution Salvation ‘Girl Panic’ Palette (£6) which features a lot of similar shades. It concentrates mainly on rose gold hues, with warm tones and a few cooler ones thrown in. It has shimmer, metallic and matte shades so everything is covered. The pigmentation is great, they last well with a good primer and I’ve found myself reaching for it a lot lately. You can see from the picture that I’ve had a good dig at the rose gold shades which are particularly flattering on blue and green eyes. For the price tag, it’s fantastic value!
I love using cream eyeshadows in the summer and they make a brilliant base for a more dramatic eye or simply to make your eyeshadow last longer. There are many high end versions and I particularly like the Estee Lauder Pure Colour Shadow Paint (£20) shown in the bottom left hand corner of the picture above. But recently, after purchasing a few of the Maxfactor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadows (£7.99), they more than match up to any of the more expensive choices. The copper shade is an everyday essential for me now. I just use my finger to pat them onto my eyelids and they’re easy to blend but set to a long lasting finish. They make a fantastic base for any eyeshadow look and the darker shades can be worn alone for a one-colour lid effect. The shimmer isn’t too in your face so they’re great for daytime or evening wear. Maxfactor really are en point at the moment!
I spent way too much money on the Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Effect Eyeshadow (£33.50) after seeing it used on a Pinterest tutorial. It just seemed so unique and I had never seen an eyeshadow that created such a reflective effect. That was until Makeup Revolution released their take on the product a few months later! The Makeup Revolution Eye Foil in Rose Gold (£4) is actually better than the Stila one. Just imagine my annoyance! It’s much easier to blend, layer and it lasts right up until you take it off with makeup remover. I often use it as a base when I’m doing a neutral metallic eye as well as it looks really pretty on the lower lash line. The Stila one was much more chunky in texture and was quite difficult to layer and blend without becoming patchy and uneven. I’m definitely going to be picking up more!
Do you guys have any drugstore dupes you’ve discovered that you’d like to share?
