Expensive Taste on a Budget: Three Beauty Budget-Friendly Must-Haves
By: Madelyn Levy
Charlotte Tilbury, this and Dior that, my pockets can’t keep up anymore. As social media is slowly taking over our world, so are influencers. I have fallen victim to being influenced to purchase all the new and trendy luxury beauty items. When scrolling through TikTok Beauty Influencers, all I see are price tags. I constantly wonder if I can find dupes for popular products. As I’ve done more and more research on what makes a good versus a bad dupe, I decided it was time to share my secrets on what makes a good dupe for the right price.
E.l.f Halo Glow Liquid Filter Foundation
The Hollywood Flawless Filter Foundation by Charlotte Tilbury quickly became the rave of foundations. When I originally saw the product priced at $49, I knew that I wouldn't be purchasing it. After some deep diving on TikTok and looking through aisle by aisle in the Target drugstore makeup section. I found the E.l.f Halo Glow Liquid Filter Foundation. Halo Glow brands itself to be similar to the Flawless Filter by just looking at the packaging. Both foundations are packaged in a glass cylinder bottle with a wand applicator, and both are branded as glowy and sheer filters. Halo Glow is selling for $15, which is a major bang for your buck in comparison to the Hollywood Filter.
Image source: E.l.f website
Image source: Charlotte Tilbury website
Maybelline Lifter Glaze Balm
With the winter season coming very fast, dry lips are approaching. Although Aquaphor is tried and true, sometimes it's good to have a lip balm that is moisturizing and provides color. After some Sephora trips, I found the Dior Addict Lip Glow Balm, but again, the price was too high at $42. I figured it's time to venture to Target yet again. I discovered the Maybelline Lifter Glaze Balm. This colored lip balm grabbed my attention because of the almost identical packaging to the Dior Lip Glow. When I saw the price was $8.99, I purchased it immediately. After researching the “about” section on the websites of both products, I gathered the understanding that the lip balms both describe their product as hydrating and sheer pigment. One difference I noticed was that the Dior Balm said it keeps hydration for 48 hours, while the Maybelline Balm said 24 hours. I don't think that's an issue because even Aquaphor can't keep lips hydrated for 48 hours!
L’Oréal Paris Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer
Sadly, summer has officially come to a close, which means our natural tans are fading. Fake tanners have never been my favorite because of the unnatural orange color and the strong smell. As a replacement for self-tan, I began using glow drops. Glow drops are an illuminating serum that adds a natural tan, which can be mixed in with your daily moisturizer. The Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops happened to be the first glow drops I tried. Quickly, after running out of my first bottle, I knew I wouldn’t be able to repurchase this product often because of the high price of $39 for one fl oz. I soon discovered L'Oréal Lumi Glotion. First of all, these bronzing drops are way cheaper $14.99, and bigger, 1.35 fl oz. I was shocked to find out these products were dupes because the packaging did not look similar, which isn’t common for dupes. Both drops are described as natural and glowy. L’Oréal really beats Drunk Elephant on this one because it has five different shade options, while Drunk Elephant only has one shade.
Although occasionally dupes don’t live up to their marketing, these three products are ones that you can trust. I’ve learned the best way to find affordable products is to try them out. You never know until you try!
