These days, scrolling through my Facebook and Instagram feeds means navigating a minefield of targeted ads for pricey, high-end beauty products. One ad for a Korean face mask claims to banish wrinkles and under-eye circles. Another for a pair of magnetic eyelashes declares it will cut the time spent on my beauty routine in half, while still another ad for an at-home microdermabrasion wand promises to make me irresistible to hunky firemen.
First of all: I’ve got to hand it to advertisers — they get me. But as tempting as these advertised luxury beauty products are, I know succumbing to their siren song is likely to harm my bank account more than it helps with my skin tone or chances of attracting hunky firemen.
Luckily, for many luxury beauty products, there is an equally effective, much less expensive dupe. That’s why I — with the help of my fellow RetailMeNot editors — have taken it upon myself to find the very best makeup dupes for the hottest beauty products of 2023.
What Is a Makeup Dupe?
Before kicking off our roundup, I’ll quickly explain what I mean by “makeup dupes.” A dupe or duplicate is essentially a more accessible alternative to a high-end original. Makeup dupes, then, are typically beauty products that function similarly to a more expensive or harder-to-find product.
As the beauty industry grows, so too does the availability of top-quality products that are more inclusive and economical. Nowadays, the market is flooded with highly sought-after, critically acclaimed beauty goodies that clock in at a more palatable $5 to $20 range.
In an effort to celebrate affordable, accessible beauty, these are the best beauty dupes on your favorite products you can buy right now:
Best Makeup Dupes to Shop in 2023
1. Tarte Shape Tape Dupe:
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser
It was a memorable day in 2016 when Tarte released its legendary Shape Tape Concealer, sparking a cultlike following and causing ULTA to enforce a two-concealer-per-person maximum in order to keep it in stock. It was easy to understand why: Compared to competitors, the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer doesn’t crease or look cakey, and even nourishes and conditions the skin over time.
But that $31 price tag can be hard to stomach, which is why drugstore brands have scrambled to come up with comparable alternatives at much friendlier price tags. Our favorite Tarte Shape Tape dupe, hands down, is the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser, which is formulated with a similarly lightweight matte finish and designed to be comparably crease-proof and long-lasting as Shape Tape.
2. MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick Dupe:
Maybelline SuperStay Ink Liquid Lipstick
MAC Cosmetics has reigned over the luxury beauty world for the last several decades, getting its big break when Madonna famously wore one of their intense matte red lipsticks in a photo shoot. The Velvet Teddy — a deep-tone beige hue — is one of the most beloved and celebrated shades in the brand’s signature Matte Lipstick collection.
Of course, for every iconic, highly coveted product, there is often a worthy dupe. Enter the Seductress shade of Maybelline SuperStay Ink Liquid Lipstick. This formidable MAC Velvet Teddy lipstick dupe is virtually identical in color and comparable in terms of its smooth, matte finish and wear time — but for nearly half the price.
3. Becca Undereye Brightening Corrector Dupe:
Pixi By Petra Correction Concentrate
In the case of Becca Undereye Brightening Corrector, it’s not just that the item is expensive — it’s that it was, at one time, no longer available. Its creator, the much-loved Australian brand Becca Cosmetics, went out of business in 2021. One of their top-selling products, the Becca Undereye Brightening Corrector was this magical product that leveraged backlight technology and light-reflecting brighteners to illuminate your under-eye area and cancel out the blue and purple tones of your dark circles.
Picked up by Smashbox in 2022, the Smashbox X Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector has a new home, but it’s still selling at a higher price point of $33. Not long after Becca released the news of their going out of business, we scrambled to find a comparable alternative — and that’s how we found the Pixi By Petra Correction Concentrate. In addition to being one of the most affordable Becca Undereye Brightening Corrector dupe options, the Pixi does an excellent job camouflaging dark circles with its highly pigmented peach hue. Plus, it’s beneficial to your skin, with ingredients like rosehip oil, vitamin C and vitamin A to nourish your under-eye region.
4. Glossier Boy Brow Dupe:
e.l.f. Wow Brow Gel
One of the brand’s flagship products, the Glossier Boy Brow makes your brows look feathery, fluffy and bold. It has a pomade-inspired formula that doesn’t flake, stiffen or dry over time.
Of the many worthy Glossier Boy Brow Dupes out there, the e.l.f. Wow Brow Gel is among the most impressive and affordable. Like the original, it’ll plump up your brows and keep them looking sexy all day long — and all for the price of a latte.
5. Benefit Hoola Bronzer Dupe:
Rimmel Natural Bronzer
Boasting over 3,200 shining reviews on Sephora.com, the Benefit Hoola Bronzer is an award-winning way to get a sun-kissed, just-back-from-vacation shimmer no matter what the weather outside is like. While there’s a lot to love about the Hoola Bronzer — like its ability to add definition without overwhelming — we’re not crazy about the $35 price tag.
For less than one-tenth the cost, Rimmel Natural Bronzer manages to deliver nearly four times the product and a nearly identical color. A dead ringer Benefit Hoola Bronzer Dupe, Rimmel’s bronzer is a lightweight formula with a natural finish and slight sheen to create a naturally glowing look.
6. Thrive Mascara Dupe:
NYX Professional Makeup Doll Eye Mascara
Thrive Mascara is one of the finest examples of tubing mascara, a type of mascara with polymers that wrap each lash in tubelike polymers giving your lashes serious length and volume. A 2020 Allure Best of Beauty Award winner, Thrive delivers a dramatic false eyelash look — but for a price (specifically, $25).
But if $25 is a little too steep, there are plenty of tubing mascara options out there ranging vastly in price and quality. Our favorite wallet-friendly Thrive Mascara dupe is the NYX Professional Makeup Doll Eye Mascara, which employs a comparable blend of natural fibers to add length, definition and curl.
7. Dior Lip Glow Oil Dupe:
NOONI Korean Lip Oil
What makes Dior’s Lip Glow Oil so smashingly fantastic? Is it because of the enriched cherry oil formula that treats your lips to a day at the spa? Maybe it’s the minty vanilla scent? Whatever the secret Dior holds, this tube of magic is a hit. But at $38 a pop, you can get a similar spa-like treatment — for less.
NOONI’s Korean Lip Oil revitalizes your lips with a silky, non-sticky treatment formulated with soothing apple water to slough away dead skin, instantly moisturize and soften so they appear smoother, plumper and happier.
8. Baccarat Rouge 540 Dupe:
Ariana Grande Cloud Eau de Parfum
At $340 for a 2.4-ounce bottle, the Baccarat Rouge 540 is the most expensive product on the list. Described as laying “on the skin like an amber, floral, and woody breeze. A poetic alchemy. A graphic and highly condensed signature,” how could anyone resist? And although many swear it’s worth every single penny, for most, it’s not an affordable option.
So shoppers who prefer not to finance their Eau de Parfum swear by Ariana Grande’s Cloud perfume as a formidable dupe. It holds a similar uplifting fragrance as the Baccarat Rouge 540 with hints of lavender blossom, juicy pear, bergamot, crème de coconut, and indulgent praline, to name a few. Plus, it’s $65 for 3.4 ounces of liquid joy.
The post 8 Super Affordable Makeup Dupes for Cult-Favorite Beauty Products appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
