Hello, Friends!
Today we are going to talk about DUPES. What's a dupe, you may ask? A dupe is a product that almost perfectly duplicates a more expensive product. Most of the time, you can find duplicate items that are as good as or better quality than the expensive products. Talk about looking expensive for less. ;)
I will rate each DUPE- not quite as good as/as good as/ better than the original product.
1. Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation- $54 at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and Macy's
DUPE: Boots no7 Lifting &Firming Foundation- $13 at Target
Rating: BETTER THAN
Boots Firming & Lifting has all of the best qualities of Vitalumiere, plus it fixes a few of Vitalumiere's problems. Boots covers much better and isn't so oily feeling. Also, the Boots L&F Foundation is formulated with more yellow in it than Chanel, so finding a match is a bit easier.
2.Urban Decay Naked Palette- $48 at Sephora, Ulta and Macy's
DUPE: Avon 8-in-1 Pallette in Neutral Tones-$12.99...unless you catch it on sale
Rating: AS GOOD AS
The Urban Decay Naked Palette is probably their top selling item. It is so popular that they can't keep it in the stores and, for a while, they couldn't even keep up with production because demand was so high. I have owned it myself, and honestly, I like the Avon one just as well. There aren't as many colors to choose from in the Avon version, but I feel quite a few colors in the Urban Decay version are too glittery and, therefore, sort of unusable anyway. It's almost as if Avon took all of the best shadows from the UD palette and left out the crappy ones. The pigmentation and formulation of the Avon is fantastic.
3. Any high end moisturizer...and I do mean ANY high end moisturizer.
DUPE: Cerave Night Facial Moisturizer- $12.99 at Target, $13.99 at CVS
RATING: WAAAYYYY BETTER
This moisturizer has ALL of the best ingredients that the top high end moisturizers have without any of the extra "fluff" (like the scent of roses). It truly is a no frills, powerhouse moisturizer and is recommended by dermatologists like crazy. I have very acne prone, easily congested skin that WAS also dehydrated (because of the acne products)and is getting fine lines. This brought my skin back to life. I love it and I have used La Mer, Chanel, you name it. You only need to use a little bit, so start with a pea-sized drop and work from there. Too much moisturizer can break you out, no matter the brand. It also is in a pump bottle, not a jar, so it's way more hygienic. They also have a Day version of this moisturizer with an spf of 30 (which is really the highest almost anyone needs) which would save you money on sunscreen and a step getting ready in the morning.
4.Urban Decay Primer Potion- $18 at Sephora
DUPE- NYX HD Eye Base- $7.00 at Ulta or Cherryculture.com
RATING: BETTER THAN
I mentioned this in another blog, but it's awesome.
5.Benefit High Beam- $24 at Ulta and Sephora
DUPE: Boots no7 High Lights Illuminating Lotion $12.99 at Target\
RATING: AS GOOD AS (but you get more product with Boots)
Benefit calls their High Beam a "model in a bottle" and it is one of their top selling products. However, the Boots version is exactly the same, you get more for your money. And, it is half the price. Just go onto the Benefit website and look at the instructions on how to use High Beam, but use the Boots version.
6.NARS Blush in "Orgasm"- $27 at Sephora and Nordstrom
DUPE: La Femme Blush on Rouge in "Coral Spice"- $3.00 at makeupmania.com
RATING: BETTER THAN (seriously)
This is one of my favorite dupes. NARS Orgasm is not only NARS's top selling product, but it's the top selling blush in the WORLD on account of it's SUPPOSED to look good on literally everyone. The color is shimmery and was created to mimic the flush of a woman's cheek after...well, you get the point. It IS a beautiful blush and the perfect mix of pink and peach. However, it's $27!!!! For BLUSH!!!! The Le Femme version is the same mix of pinky peach with subtle shimmer and it contains more actual product (5.5 grams vs 4.5) than NARS. Also, the pigmentation of Orgasm is kind of "eh", while the La Femme pigmentation is amazing!!!
7. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer- $49 at Sephora
DUPE: Monistat Chafing Relief Powder-Gel- $4.99 at Target
RATING: BETTER THAN
Yes, I said Monistat Chafing Relief Powder-Gel. And, yes, you find it in the "lady needs" section of Target (it took me forever to find it the first time I needed to. I didn't think to look next to the "feminine itch" products. Yikes.) However, hear me out. The main ingredients of a the Smashbox primer are silicone, silicone, silicone, with maybe some silica and oils thrown in. The Chafing Relief Powder-Gel has those same ingredients...without all of the pore clogging oils. It is a gel that has powder spheres in it, so it keeps you makeup on all day...except if you are VERY oily...in which case dab Milk of Magnesia on your oily parts with a cotton ball after your moisturizer and before the gel. It controls oil like nobody's business. Be careful if you have sensitive skin, as MoM has a very acidic Ph. Just use a tiny bit of the Monistat, or you will start to look greasy.
I think that's enough dupes for now. Enjoy your new, expensive looking face. ;)
Until next time.
The Thrift Store Barbie
