Craving & Saving: Cult Beauty Classics

Lusting after high-end makeup that you can’t afford? Me too. However, drugstore brands are getting better and better at ripping off our favourite brands at just a fraction of the price; bad news for the brands, but great news for us. Here are a couple of matches I have recently found that are a little more purse-friendly than the high-end brands.

 

Sleek Rose Gold Blush vs. NARS Orgasm Blusher

This one is no secret. Sleek do some amazing dupes for NARS blushers, the best one being their Rose Gold blush as a dupe for NARS’ coveted blush in Orgasm. Orgasm was one of the first ever shades I purchased when venturing into high-end blushers and it’s been a firm favourite ever since. However, Sleek is offering exactly the same. Both have a lovely peachy-pink shimmery shade that gives your cheeks a beautiful glow, and they’re also both incredibly pigmented so a little goes a long way. Even the matte black packaging is identical. Not only is it a fraction of the price, you also get nearly double the product. For £23 you get just 4.8g of blush with NARS—Sleek give you a cool 8g for just £4.49. It’s a no-brainer, really.

Saving: £18.51

Craving: £23. Photo: NARS Cosmetics Saving: £4.49. Photo: Sleek

 

Essence Make Me Brow vs. Benefit Gimme Brow

Benefit’s Gimme Brow is a product that I’ve been wanting to try for a long time. It looks like the ideal ‘do your brows in 30 seconds whilst running out the door’ kind of deal. However, at £18.50 for what is essentially a mascara for your brows, I’ve skipped buying it in favour of cheaper alternatives. My favourite find so far has been Essence’s Make Me Brow. Not only does it have a really small brush—just like the Benefit one—it also has very similar packaging. The tiny brush makes it ideal for getting a precise look, whereas bigger brushes can sometimes leave your brows looking messier than before you had even started. The colour pay off is also pretty good which means you can quite easily do your brows in 30 seconds whilst running out of the door. The best part is that Essence’s Make Me Brow costs just £2.50 compared to Benefit’s £18.50. You can also get Essence in Wilkinsons, so it’s super easy to get hold of.

Saving: £16.

Craving: £18.50. Photo: Boots Saving: £2.50. Photo: Wilkinsons

 

Maybelline Colour Tattoos vs. Chanel Illusion D’ombre

Cream eyeshadows are the go-to for a quick eye look that appears like you’ve spent a lot more time on your makeup than you actually have. A quick sweep and blend with your finger, and you’re done. The holy grail of the cream eyeshadow world has to be the Chanel Illusion D’ombre. They’re all absolutely stunning. Nevertheless, Maybelline put up a rather good fight with their Colour Tattoos. Whilst the names aren’t quite as exotic as the ones from Chanel, and the packaging isn’t half as pretty, some of the colours are a pretty good match. Maybelline’s Pomegranate Punk holds a striking resemblance to Chanel’s Ebloui, a beautiful shimmery cranberry shade. Illusoire from Chanel also looks like it is a great match for Maybelline’s On and On Bronze—a lovely shimmery golden bronze colour. Chanel’s Illusion D’ombre is a jaw-dropping £25 and the Maybelline Colour Tattoos are more purse-friendly at only £4.99.

Saving: £20.01.

Craving: £25. Photo: Chanel Saving: £4.99. Photo: Boots

 

NYX Slim Lip Liner in Mauve vs. MAC Lip Liner in Whirl

Ahh, the lusted after shade from MAC that’s often sold out at every counter. This shade was thrusted into the limelight after Kylie Jenner brought back the 90’s nude lip and made us all crave those pinky-brown shades we once loved. Whilst the colours aren’t for everyone (it looks horrendous on me), it is still a really pretty colour. NYX have an almost identical shade in the form of their Slim Lip Liner in Mauve; it even offers the sleek, black packaging that MAC has. Whilst the pictures below aren’t the same colour, a quick Google of some swatches will show you just how similar they really are. Boots have recently started stocking NYX in store and the one on Market Street has a huge counter—but sadly this lip liner is a little harder to find, as they don’t seem to sell it. However, it is available online on sites like Amazon and The Beauty Store, and is well worth an order if you’re after saving a little cash on a really popular colour! MAC’s lip liner retails at £12.50 whereas the NYX one can be found on The Beauty Store for £4.

Saving: £8.50

Craving: £12.50. Photo: MAC Cosmetics Saving: £4. Photo: The Beauty Store

Total Saving: £63.02.

Even more of a reason to treat yourself!