10 Makeup Dupe Hacks That Will Save You a Lot of Money

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So as women, it’s a given that our life expenses are going to be relatively expensive. Now I understand that there are those who are a bit more simplistic (shout out to you guys!), but for some of us, things like makeup are a must. And these makeup companies that have the “best” products, aren’t helping us out with prices either. So that’s why I went on the search for some of the most recommended makeup dupes so you can save a little (I mean a lot) of cash.

 I really wanted to find the best sources and give you great options when it came to saving money on makeup. Because let’s get honest, some brands may look worth it, but they make us cringe when we see the receipt total at the end.

Now below are makeup dupe lists, but I went through each list and found the ones that I would definitely recommend. I kept a link to the whole list for each one just in case you wanted to see the rest. I hope this helps and let me know if you have any suggestions in the comments below!

Side Note: Some of these I haven’t personally tried, but are recommended by different bloggers.

Splurge vs. Steal: 20 Amazing Drugstore Makeup Dupes

From Jordan Hick’s list of 20 drugstore dupes on Society19, I can tell she picked some great makeup duplicates. They’re all awesome prices and I honestly can’t wait to try out the rest of them.

But with Maybelline The Nudes Palette ($10 as opposed to the $44 LORAC PRO Palette), I can’t recommend it enough! I’ve been using it for over a year (maybe I should be replacing it by now?), and I don’t regret the purchase at all. This eye shadow palette really offers some great shades for making your eyes pop, no matter what color they are. I’ve had so much fun with it and it always completes my look.

You can buy Maybelline The Nudes Palette here.

Read the rest of her awesome makeup dupes here!

Drugstore Makeup Dupes

Now this post by Meg from Meg O. On the Go is great because she gives a great description of each product and how one compares to the other. I really appreciate this instead of just being given a product and then told to go buy the dupe just because it’s cheaper (I need to know how it holds up to the more expensive brand!).

Now one of the products she recommends is Rimmel Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner ($4.17) as opposed to Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil (currently $25). Rimmel always has great makeup products for such a small price, so I’m not surprised that she mentioned this one.

With a savings of nearly $15 (not so sure why just a stick of eyeliner would be so expensive), you’ll get a great deal for your buck.

You can buy Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner here.

Also, read the rest of her money saving dupes list here!

Splurge or Save: The Best MAC Drugstore Makeup Dupes

I’m pretty sure that when I was a teenager, I thought MAC was the end all be all (that’s how the saying goes right?). And I’m also pretty sure that my taste was too expensive and my mom probably encouraged it.

But now that I’m living more frugally (thank goodness), I really appreciated this list of MAC makeup dupes. And I especially like Revlon’s “Really Red” here as opposed to MAC “Russian Red”(currently $19.99). It’s a good savings and I feel that MAC’s “Russian Red” is a bit dry. Don’t get me wrong, it stays well, but I do like it if my lipstick glides on my lips more.

Revlon’s “Really Red” makes your lips pop with some awesome color action, so as a cheaper makeup dupe to MAC, I would definitely recommend it.

You can buy Revlon’s “Really Red” here.

Make sure to check out the rest of Azalea Pena’s makeup dupe list here!

Splurge Steal Beauty

Again from Meg O. On The Go, she’s created another awesome makeup dupe list. I really can’t thank her enough for this. As a person with oily skin, I really appreciated her find on e.l.f’s High Definition Translucent Powder ( $5.77). It’s a way better price than Makeup For Ever Microfinish Powder. It’s a big savings and gives you a great matte finish (and helps your makeup last longer). Now gone are the days of hot summer afternoons where all of your foundations seems to melt right off your face!

You can buy e.l.f’s High Definition Translucent Powder here.

Now check out the rest of Meg’s money saving makeup dupe list here!

Budget Friendly Beauty – The Best Drugstore Dupes

Now with Casey’s (from the Blondeshell) list of makeup dupes, I can’t help but talk about the e.l.f. product she has as well. The Candid Coral Studio Blush by e.l.f is only $5.99 as oppose to the $42 NARS blush. With a little less shimmer, it’s definitely a steal (besides, to me, blush is blush, just find the right shade for your skin tone).

You can find e.l.f.’s e.l.f.’s Candid Coral Studio Blush here.

Take a look at the rest of Casey’s awesome finds here! Link gone. Page no longer exists.

Prom Makeup Dupes- Splurge vs. Steal

You know those mornings where you wake up and you’re exhausted only to find that you have dark circles from bad sleep? Well that’s where concealer comes in handy! But there’s no need to spend $48 for something like the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer Wand. Instead, opt for the $5 NYX HD Photogenic Concealer Wand. This one is great because it doesn’t cake on your skin and become obvious that you’re wearing makeup.

You can get NYX HD Photogenic Concealer Wand here.

Read the rest of Clarisse’s amazing makeup dupe list here!

Splurge vs. Save – 10 Fabulous Foundations Dupes

Now many of us need a good foundation (not to say that some of us need a bad one, just there are people who don’t need foundation at all… and I’m jealous). On Beauty Tidbits with Harshleen, she gives some great foundation dupes so you aren’t paying huge prices for the main part of your makeup look.

I really do approve of her suggestion for Maybelline’s Fit Me! Matte + Poreless Foundation ($5.99) as opposed to MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation SPF 15 ($28). Maybelline has some good quality makeup for good prices and this foundation gives good coverage and doesn’t dry. Plus, it comes in a wide range of tones so you’ll be sure to find the right one for your skin.

You can buy Maybelline’s Fit Me! Matte + Poreless Foundation here.

Check out the rest of Harshleen’s awesome makeup dupes here!

Best of Dupes

Now when I found this picture that showed me these awesome makeup dupes, I was happy to see makeup setting spray as an option. For someone with oily skin, it get’s pretty tiring to touch up makeup on a hot day all the time. But with e.l.f. Make-Up Mist here for only $6.99 instead of MAC Cosmetics Fix + ($21), I was glad I could keep my makeup in place for such a low cost. Definitely a steal!

You can get e.l.f. Make-Up Mist here.

This infographic was found here. Link removed; the site no longer exists.

Makeup Dupes

As someone with blue eyes, I’ve been told that copper or bronze eyeshadow would make my eyes pop. And it’s true, it does which is why I’m happy about this steal. So instead of paying $20 for a small eyeshadow case of Stila Eyeshadow in Kitten, you can save $11 and buy L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Iced Latte currently for only $7.99 (I know you can do math, I just thought I’d say it so you didn’t have to).

It’s a great neutral shade for many people’s skin tones and eyes colors which makes it an awesome find for such a low price.

You can buy L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Iced Latte here.

Check out the rest of Juliana’s amazing makeup dupes here! Link removed: site is no longer there.

BONUS Makeup Dupes!

Here are my awesome bonuses for this list of great makeup dupes. I love giving my readers a little surprise with a bit more information at the end.

Beauty Doubles: 50+ Amazing Drugstore Makeup Dupes

Have I already mentioned how oily my face can get? Yeah I have haven’t I? Well when you have an oily face like mine, where eye makeup’s prone to smudging under your eyes, you’re gonna need some Milani Eyeshadow Primer to keep it in place. Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion is currently $27, so you’re walking out with a savings of almost $13. Now that’s a great steal.

You can buy Milani Eyeshadow Primer here.

You can check out the rest of Harshleen’s beauty dupes here!

Splurge/Steal: More Awesome Makeup Dupes

Alright so Meg O. On the Go has quite a few makeup dupe posts which is great because they’re all steals (unlike other posts out there that say it’s a steal when it’s still not within our budget).

Now Maybelline rocks mascara with their The Rocket Mascara (no pun intended). This brand always has some great mascaras to choose from and I really appreciate the volume this one gives me. For only $5.99 you can walk out with an awesome mascara as opposed to Benefit They’re Real Mascara which is $29.98.

You can find Maybelline The Rocket Mascara here.

Check out the rest of Meg’s super awesome makeup dupes here!

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Now I really hope that these dupes were some great steals for you. Makeup at any store can get pretty expensive, but you can still save a lot if you know which brand and what product you’re looking for.

Now if you have any awesome makeup dupes that you know about, feel free to tell me in the comments! I’d love to know about them!