Discover budget-friendly makeup alternatives & swaps for luxe products. From brushes to skincare, find affordable options without compromising style!
Are you tired of breaking the bank for your beauty routine? Welcome to the world of makeup alternatives—a realm where savvy shoppers find affordable swaps for pricey products.
From influencers to makeup aficionados, everyone's buzzing about these budget-friendly finds that deliver luxe looks without the hefty price tag. So, if you're ready to save time and money without sacrificing style, I've curated the ultimate cheat sheet of makeup alternatives just for you.
Understanding Dupes
Okay, so what exactly are dupes? They're not exact copies, but they're pretty close. Think of them as budget-friendly versions of high-end makeup. They might not have the fancy brand name, but they can still give you that same glow or flawless finish. Sometimes, people even like the dupe better than the expensive stuff!
Makeup Alternatives List
Remember those daunting moments where you left the store empty-handed? Imagine if you had a cheat sheet to streamline your choices. That's where this guide comes in handy. With carefully categorized recommendations, you'll breeze through your shopping journey, armed with confidence and clarity. Whether you prefer strolling down aisles or browsing online, this curated collection ensures you'll find the crème de la crème of makeup alternatives in no time.
I've done a ton of research to find the best dupes out there, with help from popular makeup channels like Tati and Nikki La Rose. From skincare to lipstick, I've found affordable alternatives to some of the hottest luxury products on the market. And don't worry if you don't see your exact shade listed—I've included products that come in lots of different colors to match your style.
Luxury & Comparable Alternatives
Skin Care:
Face Primer:
- LUXURY: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer | BUDGET: e.l.f. Power Grip Primer
- LUXURY: Tatcha The Liquid Silk Canvas: Feathurweight Protective Primer (liquid) | BUDGET: e.l.f. Liquid Poreless Putty Primer (liquid)
- LUXURY: Tatcha The Silk Canvas Protective Primer (solid) | BUDGET: e.l.f. Poreless Putty Primer (solid)
- LUXURY: Saie Glowy Super Gel | BUDGET: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Radiant Primer + Serum
Foundation:
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter Foundation | BUDGET: e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter Foundation
- LUXURY: Very Valentino Light Lasting Perfecting Liquid Foundation| BUDGET: Milani Conceal + Perfect 2 in 1 Foundation + Concealer
- LUXURY: NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation| BUDGET: L’Oréal Infallible Fresh Wear 32HR foundation
Bronzer:
- LUXURY: Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream | BUDGET: e.l.f. Putty Bronzer OR Sol Face and Body Bronzing Balm
- LUXURY: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer (available individually or as a palette) | BUDGET: Rimmel London Natural Bronzer
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Nudegasm Face Pallette (4 shade Limited Edition) | BUDGET: Catrice Holiday Skin Bronze and Glow Palette
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Mini Filmstar Bronze and Glow Contour Duo (2 shade palette) | BUDGET: Catrice Holiday Skin Bronze and Glow Palette
- LUXURY: Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick, Shade: Happy Sol | BUDGET: ColorPop Bronze Stix, Shade Moonstone Beach
Concealer:
- LUXURY: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer | BUDGET: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Radiant Cream Concealer OR Maybelline Fit Me Liquid Concealer
- LUXURY: Tarte Shape Tape Corrector, Shade: Pink | BUDGET: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser, Multi-Use Concealer, Shade 160
- LUXURY: IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream | BUDGET: e.l.f. Camo CC Cream
- LUXURY: Benefit Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer | BUDGET: e.l.f. Hydrating Camo Concealer (White Lid)
- LUXURY: clé de peau Concealer SPF 27 | BUDGET: Revlon PhotoReady Stick Concealer (Shade 4 Medium)
Blush:
- LUXURY: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush (available individually or as a palette) | BUDGET: Milani Baked Blush, Shade: Dulce Pink
- LUXURY: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hour Powder Blush | BUDGET: Music Flower 5 Color Blusher
- LUXURY: Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, Shade: Bliss | BUDGET: Profusion Blush Hour Soft Matte Liquid Blush, Shade: Rosé (need more product to achieve same look)
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Matte Beauty Blush Wand | BUDGET: e.l.f. Halo Glow Blush Beauty Wand
- LUXURY: Benefit Bene Tint | BUDGET: Essence What A Tint! Lip & Cheek Tint
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand, Shade: Pinkgasm | BUDGET: e.l.f. Halo Glow Blush Beauty Wand, Shade: Rosé You Slay
Contour:
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand, Shade: Light to Medium | BUDGET: e.l.f. Halo Glow Contour Beauty Wand, Shade Medium/Tan
Highlighter:
- LUXURY: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette | BUDGET: ColorPop Super Shock Highlighter, Shade: Lunch Money
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Glow Glide Face Architect Highlighter, Shade: Champagne Glow | BUDGET: e.l.f. Metallic Flare Highlighter, Shade: 24K Gold
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand, Shade: Pillow Talk Original | BUDGET: e.l.f. Halo Glow Highlight Beauty Wand, Shade: Rose Quartz
Face Powder:
- LUXURY: Tarte The Silk Powder Protective Setting Powder (Loose Powder) | BUDGET: Maybelline Lasting Fix Banana Setting Powder (Loose Powder)
- LUXURY: Laura Mercier Transucent Loose Setting Powder - Glow | BUDGET: LUXURY: Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder | BUDGET: e.l.f. High Definition Powder
Brow Products:
- LUXURY: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Eyebrow Pencil | BUDGET: NYX Micro Brow Pencil OR L’Oréal Brow Stylist Definer Eyebrow Pencil
- LUXURY: Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Eybrow Definer | BUDGET: e.l.f. Ultra Precise Brow Pencil
- LUXURY: Glossier Boy Brow Volumizing Eyebrow Gel | BUDGET: e.l.f. Brow Wow Gel
- LUXURY: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze Sculpting Wax | BUDGET: e.l.f. Brow Lift
Eyeshadow:
- LUXURY: Natasha Denona I Need a Nude Eyeshadow Palette| BUDGET: ColorPop Blush Crush Eyeshadow Palette OR Moira Sugar Delight Eyeshadow Palette
- LUXURY: Stila Shimmer and Glow Liquid Eyeshadow, Shade: Kitten | BUDGET: e.l.f. Liquid Metallic Eyeshadow, Shade: Flirty Birdie
- LUXURY: Stila Shimmer and Glow Liquid Eyeshadow, Shade: Wanderlust | BUDGET: e.l.f. Liquid Metallic Eyeshadow, Shade: Pinky Swear
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize Cream Eyeshadow | BUDGET: Revlon ColorStay Cream Eyeshadow
- LUXURY: Patrick Ta Major Dimension III Matte Eyeshadow Palette | BUDGET: Juvia’s Place The Coffee Shop Eyeshadow Palette
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Hypnotizing Pop Shot Eyeshadow | BUDGET: Jason Wu Single Ready to Sparkle Eyeshadow
Mascara:
- LUXURY: Benefit Roller Lash Curling and Lifting Mascara | BUDGET: e.l.f. Lash ‘N Roll Mascara
- LUXURY: YSL Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara | BUDGET: Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara
- LUXURY: Milk Makeup RISE Lifting + Lengthening Mascara | BUDGET: Milani Highly Rated Anti-Gravity Mascara
Eyeliner:
- LUXURY: Hourglass 1.5 mm Mechanical Gel Eyeliner, Shade: Canyon | BUDGET: Revlon ColorStay Micro Hyper Precision Gel Eyeliner, Shade: Brown
- LUXURY: NARS High-Pigment Longwear Eyeliner | BUDGET: Maybelline TatooStudio Gel Pencil Eyeliner
- LUXURY: Makeup By Mario Master Pigment Pro Eyeliner Pencil | BUDGET: Sephora Collection 12 Hour Contour Pencil Eyeliner
Lip Color:
- LUXURY: Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss Moisturizing Glossimer, Shade: Caramel | BUDGET: Maybelline Super Stay Vinyl Ink Liquid Lipcolor, Shade: Captivated
- LUXURY: Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer, Shade Fenty Glow | BUDGET: Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss, Shade: Rosy Future
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Matte Lip Blur Liquid Lipstick | BUDGET: Essence 8h Matte Liquid Lipstick
- LUXURY: Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Heat Universal Luminizer + Plumper, Shade: Hot Cherry| BUDGET: NYX This Is Juice Gloss Lip Gloss, Shade: Pomegranate Clout
- LUXURY: Givenchy Rose Perfecto Tinted Liquid Balm | BUDGET: Catrice Marble-Licious Liquid Lip Balm
- LUXURY: Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Plumping Gloss, Shade: Rose Shimmer Glass | BUDGET: NYX Fat Oil Stick Click Lip Balm, Shade: No Filter Needed
- LUXURY: Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil, Shade: Raspberry | BUDGET: e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil, Shade: Pink Quartz OR Covergirl Yummy Gloss Lip Gloss
- LUXURY: Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil, Shade: Serenity | BUDGET: e.l.f. Glossy Lip Stain, Shade: Power Mauves
- LUXURY: NARS Afterglow Lip Shine, Shade: Turkish Delight | BUDGET: wet n wild Alice In Wonderland Lip Gloss, Shade: We Sing Too
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick, Shade: Pillow Talk | BUDGET: L’Oréal Color Riche Les Nus Intense Lipstick, Shade: Nu Impertinent OR Milani Color Fetish Matte Lipstick, Shade: Secret
Lip Liner:
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner, Shade: Iconic Nude | BUDGET: Milani Color Statement Lipliner, Shade: All Natural
- LUXURY: Mac Lip Liner Pencil, Shade: Strip Down | BUDGET: Morphe Color Pencil Lip Liner, Shade: Sweet Tea
- LUXURY: Mac Lip Liner Pencil, Shade: Spice | BUDGET: Milani Color Statement Lipliner, Shade: Spice
Lip Volumizer:
- LUXURY: La Mer The Lip Volumizer | BUDGET: Buxom Plump Shot Collagen-Infused Lip Serum
- LUXURY: Too Faced Lip Injection Maximum Plump Lip Gloss, Shade: Secret Sauce | BUDGET: e.l.f. Lip Plumping Gloss, Shade: Champagne Glam
Lip Mask:
- LUXURY: Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask | BUDGET: Care:nel Berry Lip Night Mask
Setting Spray:
- LUXURY: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray | BUDGET: e.l.f. Stay All Night Micro-Fine Setting Mist (green bottle)
- LUXURY: Urban Decay All Nighter Waterproof Makeup Setting Spray | BUDGET: Milani Make it Last Original Natural Finish Setting Spray
Makeup Tools:
As I dive back into the world of makeup, I've picked up a few essential tools recommended by influencers like Nikki La Rose. The Real Techniques 4-pack brush set and their "Miracle Complexion Sponge" are must-haves for any makeup lover. These brushes are super versatile, and the sponge is a great dupe for the famous Beauty Blender—perfect for flawless foundation every time.
Makeup Brush Set I Bought and Love:
Real Techniques 4-pack brush set with sponge: A versatile collection that includes the "Miracle Complexion Sponge," offering a wallet-friendly alternative to the famous Beauty Blender.
- RT400 Blush Brush: A multipurpose powder brush suitable for blush, bronzer, and translucent powder application.
- RT200 Expert Face Brush: An ideal contour brush for liquid or cream products, perfect for achieving sculpted cheekbones and defined features.
- RT 402 Setting Brush: A smaller brush designed for precise contouring and highlighting, ideal for intricate detailing.
- RT 300 Deluxe Crease Brush: A versatile brush for liquid or cream concealer, under-eye setting powders, and detailed eyeshadow application.
So, there you have it—a beginner-friendly guide to makeup alternatives. Whether you're shopping in-store or online, remember to keep this list handy. With these budget-friendly swaps, you can slay your makeup game without breaking the bank. After all, beauty is all about feeling confident and empowered, no matter how much you spend.
Now it's your turn: What are your favorite makeup alternatives? Share your go-to finds in the comments below, and don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more beauty tips and recommendations!