Beauty Blogger Favourites: Makeup Dupes

Many people will have that one product in their makeup collection that they rely on everyday that they know will deliver perfect results every time., whether it’s a great high coverage concealer or a favourite eyebrow pencil. When it comes to beauty products, there are those individuals who buy premium makeup or high street makeup exclusively and those who mix and match. But are there high street makeup products that can be easily compared to their premium counterparts which can offer the same results whilst being kinder on our purses?

We’ve teamed up with six beauty blogger babes to give their verdicts on the top makeup dupes that they love from Beauty Base to consider whether it’s worth doing a swap!

What is a makeup dupe?

Firstly, let us explain the meaning behind a makeup dupe, as this is a hot topic in the beauty world and there’s plenty to discuss! We’re focusing on drugstore makeup products that work just as well (if not better!) than a high end, premium makeup product.

How do you find a good dupe?

Quality, colour, formula and texture must be very similar to each other for it to pass as a true dupe. A good way to test for a makeup dupe, is to take the two comparable products for example, the same shade lipsticks, and swatch them on a clean hand side by side to check for any differences in the colour and formula. Cheaper beauty products can be comparable to their more expensive versions, it just takes some dedicated research and a good eye to find the right products, which is where our fabulous beauty bloggers come in with the Beauty Base makeup dupe challenge!

Our first beauty blogger Nikki Ainsworth from LoveLaughsLipstick strongly believes that you can do beauty on a budget and get just as good results with dupes as you can with what the most high end products have to offer. When it comes to finding the perfect nude lipstick, should we expect to pay more? Perhaps not! Nikki believes that the Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Matte Naked (£6) is a wonderful dupe for the popular MAC Viva Glam II Lipstick; both nude tones that provide a matte finish, with the Milani lipstick being around £10 cheaper! Testing out the Milani matte lipstick she said, ‘I find that MAC lipsticks tend to fade and smear off my lips pretty quickly for the price, but the Milani lipstick seems to last considerably longer for me – and feels more nourishing and creamy on the lips.’ Nikki also enjoyed the metallic Milani lipstick packaging more than the classic dark grey bullet of a MAC lipstick, which shows that aesthetics also play a part in our dupe preferences.

Base – Milani Conceal+Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation vs. Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow

Many makeup lovers choose to invest in their base makeup as we all know that foundations, primers and concealers provide the backdrop to any beauty look, and a flawless base is always the end goal! But what if there was a way to get all of the great benefits of a high end foundation, without the costly price tag? Kimberley from The Colour Chronicles has good news, as she discovered doing the Beauty Base makeup dupe challenge that an already popular Milani Conceal+Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation (£12.95) is an impressive dupe for Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation (£29). Offering a medium-high coverage with a matte finish, she found that ‘it doesn’t look cakey at all, and doesn’t highlight any dry patches which my Benefit foundation sometimes can.’ Kimberley loved the Milani foundation also mentioning that the bottle made it look more upmarket than the Benefit packaging.

Whether you strobe or highlight as a finishing touch to your night out makeup look, having a well pigmented highlighting product on hand to bring out those cheekbones is a must. Leah XL decided to test her favourite cult classic MAC Soft and Gentle highlighter (£24.50) against the Milani Strobelight Instant Glow Powder (£12.99). As a dupe, she found that ‘although they are not exactly the same in the swatch, the effect on the face is almost exactly spot on – you wouldn’t know the difference.’ Seeing little to no difference between two products is key when determining a good makeup dupe!

If you think about the most iconic beauty products on the market, we’re sure that the Nars Orgasm blush will be up there with YSL Touche Eclat and Lancome Hypnose mascara in terms of recognisability. The longevity of the popularity of these beauty products often means people buy the products on the basis of how well known the product is, without trying it first! With the holy grail Nars blush currently retailing at a relatively high price point of £24, and the recent backlash regarding the makeup brands decision to begin selling in China (therefore seemingly changing its cruelty free status), many beauty lovers will be looking for a great dupe of this classic product. Beauty blogger Leah Marriott tested the Nars Orgasm blush with the cheaper, and beautifully packaged, Milani Baked Blush in Dolce Pink (£9.95). Leah noted that both blushes ‘apply nicely to the skin, though Nars is definitely more pigmented’ which is something to consider if you prefer a higher colour pay-off from your blush. Overall, Leah didn’t find much of a difference between two blushes, and would definitely recommend this makeup dupe if you enjoy a subtle blush with a light gold shimmer finish.

Full lashes pumped up with volume or long and defined feminine lashes, whatever your preferred eyelash look we all want our mascara to give us our desired finish. Next on our makeup dupe challenge, Hanna Bilbrough of Little Miss Beauty Boxes has a fantastic low price mascara from LA Girl that gives the Benefit Bad Gal Mascara (£18.50) a real run for its money. Although she says that the LA Girl Flashy Mascara (£6.99) transferred slightly throughout the day, it provides a thick lash effect and has a great looking wand. This mascara would suit fans of the spider lash look and who want a heavy mascara that gives instant results, and for less than half the price of the Benefit mascara, you’re saving some extra cash too!

This popular beauty product has really taken off lately with many makeup brands bringing out their own eyeshadow palettes, offering a range of matte, metallic and shimmer shades all in one neatly packaged palette. Ideal for travel and simply having all of your favourite eyeshadow shades in one place, Heather from Of Beauty & Nothingness tested our eyeshadow palette dupe – the W7 Mighty Mattes Palette (£6.95). She’d put the W7 palette as a perfect dupe for TheBalm Meet Matt(e) Nudeeyeshadow palette (£38.99) saying that ‘the pigmentation is fantastic, they apply well and for less than £10, you really can’t go wrong!’.

Face Powders – Milani Prep + Set + Powder vs. Vichy Dermablend Powder

From face setting powders we want staying power and ability to set makeup whilst reducing shine. Whether you’re baking the under eye area or dusting mattifying powder on the T-zone, having a good quality face powder is a makeup kit essential. Another makeup dupe that Heather from Of Beauty & Nothingness recommends is the Milani Prep + Set + Powder as a pressed powder version of the Vichy Dermablend Powder. She believed that even though the quality of the Vichy powder was a little better, the Milani face powder won her recommendation as an affordable powder dupe option for its convenience, ease of use and lower price point.

Our beauty blogger makeup dupe challenge has proved that high end makeup doesn’t necessarily win everytime, and you don’t need to spend a fortune on good quality makeup products. All makeup dupes mentioned are available at Beauty Base online and in-store from our makeup department, so take a look at the collections from popular affordable makeup brands such as W7, LA Girl and Milani to find your own dupes or new beauty favourites!