By: Cai Maroket
Crowd favorites and classics are what they are for a reason—products that perform so well for so many people that everybody wants a piece of the action. The problem is that once word gets around about a product reaching Holy Grail status, getting your hands on one of them would no doubt prove difficult. So what’s a beauty girl to do then?
Simple. Research for dupes!
By definition, dupes are usually cheaper, more accessible copies of the originals—copies in color but not necessarily a match in quality. Why waste money on something cheap that won’t perform just as well as the actual product you wanted, though? Mainstream doesn’t always mean good. Here, we have listed a handful of indie products that serve as amazing dupes for popular high-end products. Get your hands on them before they reach Holy Grail status!
CHARLOTTE TILBURY K.I.S.S.I.N.G. LIPSTICK IN SO MARILYN VS BESAME IN MERLOT RED
So Marilyn is definitely one of the beauty industry’s best weapons to getting that perfect red lip. This shade is so good that it’s almost always sold out, even on the Charlotte Tilbury website! Cop that same cool blue, semi-matte yet moisturizing finish with Besame Lipstick in Merlot Red. The packaging is just as beautiful, too!
GIVENCHY NOIR COUTURE 4-IN-1 MASCARA VS BESAME CAKE MASCARA
Weirdly shaped wand aside, Givenchy’s Noir Couture 4-in-1 Mascara is known for giving people beautifully dark yet natural-looking lashes. Its unique applicator helps separate your lashes while giving it intense depth and volume.
Another mascara with unusual packaging is Besame’s Black Cake Mascara. Wet the product and apply and say hello to very dark, natural-looking lashes. It is also long-lasting despite not being waterproof and doesn’t clump at all, which makes it a good dupe to the Givenchy mascara. What makes this better is that cake mascaras do not expire as easily as normal formulas.
GUERLAIN LINGERIE DE PEAU POWDER FOUNDATION COMPACT VS EVE PEARL INVISIBLE FINISH POWDERLESS POWDER
Guerlain products are known for coming with very heavy price tags. Cult favorite Guerlain Lingerie de Peau Powder Foundation Compact, one of the best powder foundations on the market, retails for $70. It has light to medium natural coverage that is surprisingly not drying, considering it comes in powder form, but is that enough to justify its price?
An outstanding powder product that is lighter on the wallet is Eve Pearl’s Invisible Finish Powderless Powder. It mattifies the skin and comes in a clear shade, which makes it perfect for any skin tone. It also has a blurring effect as it cover pores and fine lines well. All you need to do is swipe a little on using your finger and you’re set.
GIORGIO ARMANI LUMINOUS SILK FOUNDATION VS EVE PEARL HD DUAL FOUNDATION
Considered the Holy Grail foundation of many people, especially those with combination skin, the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation provides medium coverage that can be easily sheered out or built up, and has a very natural, dewy finish. Even though it promises a ‘natural glow,’ the formula isn’t greasy at all. The Eve Pearl HD Dual Foundation offers the same coverage and finish, and what makes this a great product is that a little truly goes a long way.
DIORSKIN NUDE AIR ULTRA-FLUID SERUM FOUNDATION VS EGYPTIAN QUEEN FLAWLESS FINISH MAKEUP
Another Holy Grail foundation for people who are after a natural finish is Diorskin Nude Air Serum Foundation. This part-makeup-part-skincare foundation is very lightweight and moisturizing yet buildable for perfect medium coverage without caking, and sets with a powdery finish that is ideal for people with combination or oily skin.
Comparable to this product is underground brand Egyptian Queen. Their Flawless Finish foundation offers the same type of coverage that goes on easily without streaking. It is lightweight and water-based, making it perfect for those with oilier skin types, and leaves the skin with a healthy, glowing look. Read Amanda Padilla’s review of this product here.
BECCA SHIMMERING SKIN PERFECTOR LIQUID VS EGYPTIAN QUEEN SHEER GLO BRONZER
It’s hard to contest Becca’s reputation for producing some of the best—if not the best—highlighters in the market. Their liquid highlighters are on an entirely different level compared to others as the shimmers are so fine, it gives the skin a beautiful, healthy glow instead of making the highlight look glittery and artificial. Their Skin Perfector liquids also do not get patchy or cakey.
A good dupe for this is Egyptian Queen’s Sheer Glo Bronzer. It also has the same fine shimmer that Becca’s liquid highlighters have, especially when mixed with foundations or SPF products. The highlight is so subtle that even men can use this for a healthy glow. Xeng Zulueta wrote about the different ways to use this illuminating lotion here.
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