I've loved makeup since I was a preteen and my mom got me one of those "starter" kits so I could practice "painting my face" (which is literally what I did until I got the hang of it!). To this day, I just feel better, prettier, more confident, when I've taken the time to put on mascara, liner, powder, lipstick…. But often, while I'm feeling better, my budget is feeling worse. And since I don't wear makeup every day, often I don't feel I get full use out of mine before it is time to replace it. If you can relate, check out these awesome ways to find cheap dupes ("duplicates") for pricey favorites!
1. Dupe That (Instagram, Website)
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/DUPETHAT/ (or @dupethat)
- Website: http://www.dupethat.com
If you love a certain brand or shade and you are just sure no other product can match it, check out Dupe That's beauty swatches. You can see exactly how they stack up, side by side.
Within Instagram, just click on the image of interest to get a more detailed review of how the products compare.
Inside the website, use the drop-down menu to navigate to the brands you want to find dupes for.
2. KCL's Beauty Board (Pinterest)
Of course, you know the KCL community is working hard to help you find the best for less! The KCL Pinterest page covers this topic from every angle—whether you want to make your pricey brand name makeup last longer, make your own DIY makeup dupes, organize your stash and more.
3. Dupe Up
Dupe Up is a curated community of reviewers offering unbiased feedback about the best makeup dupes. All you need to do is sign up (it's free) and start browsing.
Dupe Up also has a blog that covers new releases (high price brands and dupes) and a feature where you can request a review of the best dupes of a product you are trying to dupe. Pretty cool!
4. The Dupe List (Temptalia)
Temptalia is another curated online community that includes member-reviewers. The site makes it super-easy to find the dupes you need with its detailed search parameters (type in the name free-form, search by brand, search by makeup type, search by color).
Perhaps best of all, each dupe presented is given a rating by percentage match (for example, the dupe is an 85% match with its higher priced original). And you can view color swatches to see for yourself how well they stack up. And when you’re ready to buy, clicking "buy the dupe" will give you a list of retailer links where the dupe can be found.
5. Drugstore Dupes
Unfortunately Drugstore Dupes does come with a fee ($2.99), but it may be worth it if you’re in the store looking for a dupe and you want to find out if it’s worth your money ("cheaper" still isn't "free!"). Allure called it one of the "7 Beauty Apps You Need to Download Now"—if it works for you, the app can quickly pay for itself in savings!
6. Match My Makeup
While Match My Makeup focuses on foundation only, foundation is also one of the hardest makeup types to successfully dupe. The site offers a number of ways to find your dupe, including by brand, by color, and by entering the product you now use (and wish to dupe).
Each dupe has been professionally curated by skin and makeup experts who have manually tested the matches before recommending them.
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