
29 Cheaper Alternatives To Name Brand Beauty Products
Stila eyeliner to create a precise look that will 👏🏼 not 👏🏼 smudge. 👏🏼 You won't even miss the slightly more dynamic double-tipped Tom Ford because you can create allll the same looks and feel good knowing you're saving money. 💰
L'Oréal Paris Collagen Daily Face Moisturizer reviewers equate to the $80 ~designer~ Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream but wayyyy cheaper and still just as hydrating, plumping, and smoothing. You're gonna love how it makes your skin feel without leaving your pores clogged or your face feeling greasy.
Peach and Lilly acne spot dots that work just as well as the fan favorite Mighty Patches. Just stick one of these bad boys on your pimple overnight and be amazed (/disgusted) by the results when you wake up.
The Face Shop's Rice Water Bright Foaming Facial Cleanser, which could basically be the only step in your skincare routine if you really wanted it to be. It'll help brighten, cleanse, moisturize, and remove your makeup all at once, which is pretty impressive itself, and on top of that, reviewers rave about it being a cheaper alternative to Tatcha Rice Wash, so I'd call that a win–win.
Good Molecules Pineapple Exfoliating Powder that magically turns into a foaming face wash when combined with water (just like the $68 Dermalogica version). It's made with fruit enzymes, vitamin C, and rice powder to gently exfoliate, soften, and brighten your skin.
A L'Oréal illuminating moisturizer to instantly give you a ✨glow✨ while also hydrating your skin. The subtle tint will provide you a nice, light coverage on those days when you absolutely *cannot* with a full face of makeup.
A jar of E.l.f. Poreless Putty Primer so you can feel confident that the makeup you just spent a lot of time on will actually stay in place all day. Plus this primer is designed to help reduce the appearance of your pores, so your skin will look extra ~smooth~ and hydrated.
Maybelline's Total Temptation Eyebrow Definer Pencil to transform your sparse brows into the full ones of your dreams. You can make 'em bushier than a bunny's tail if that's the vibe you're going for.
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion that will help dry up blemishes while you sleep just as well as Kate Somerville's EradiKate Acne Treatment. Yeah, go ahead and get one of those ~fancy~ drinks you like with that money you've saved.
LilyAna eye cream to help lighten those dark circles and decrease puffiness under your eyes. It's packed with vitamin C and a bunch of other natural ingredients that can help improve the appearance of fine lines or dullness in your skin, just like the pricier Lancôme cream does.
A pack of PleasingCare bamboo oil-blotting sheets for the times you catch yourself looking greasy as HECK. These can quickly and easily remove excess oils just as well as Tatcha's popular blotting sheets, without messing up your makeup.
Nivea Creme (the German version!), which will help save you from the patchy, flaky, and dry skin we all experience at some point during the year. Plus, take reviewers' advice and save yourself over $150 by choosing this over La Mer's pricey Crème de la Mer. "We are never, ever, ever getting back together" — you to La Mer after you try the Nivea creme.
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser for removing excess oil, dirt, and makeup without leaving your skin feeling dry or uncomfortably tight (which is honestly one of my main pet peeves from face washes). Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser is quivering, knowing you won't be buying it again.
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil that nourishes and hydrates your skin with natural ingredients to give you that same ✨glow✨ you get with Tarte Maracuja Oil, just for a ~fraction~ of the price.
A rainbow-inspired eyeshadow palette with 40 shades (matte, shimmer, and metallic!) so you can get as creative as you could ever imagine. And somehow even with this wide variety *and* brilliant colors, it still won't cost more than $10!!
Care:Nel lip mask that reviewers say is *spot on* to the other version (*cough cough* Laneige) that's viral on TikTok. This will hydrate your lips overnight while creating a protective barrier to help prevent future damage.
Eve Hansen Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum designed to help (stay with me here…) smooth wrinkles, brighten dark spots, firm skin, add moisture, reduce under-eye puffiness, and give you a beautiful glow. Not to mention it is more than 10 times (!!) less expensive than the highly sought-after TNS Essential Serum, but just as effective!
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream with a thick, velvety texture to absorb quickly and provide you with 24 hours of hydration. You won't hesitate to buy this over the Sunday Riley Ice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream, which is almost four times the price (and significantly less product).
And CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to help renew and hydrate your skin overnight with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, so you can have sweet dreams thinking of everything you can buy with the money you saved from not getting Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Firming Moisturizer.
Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water that'll remove makeup just like Bioderma. It'll also clear skin of dirt and oil, all without stripping your face of moisture.
The highly effective Bio-Oil designed to help minimize the appearance of scars just as well as Mederma scar gel, a drugstore staple. Anndd as an added bonus, Bio-Oil is also made to help nourish your skin without clogging your pores. ALL that and still less than half the price — it just one-upped you, Mederma.
Juno & Co.'s Clean 10 Cleansing Balm that'll make removing your makeup easy as can be. (Yup, even waterproof mascara doesn't stand a chance!) It features Japanese pearl barley, which melts into your skin to hydrate while cleansing away impurities. Reviewers even compare it to ~expensive~ products like Farmacy Green Clean and Elemis!
Or a container of Albolene moisturizing cleanser reviewers are loving as an equally effective — and much more affordable — makeup remover compared to Clinique Take The Day Off balm. Massage this balm on your face and watch your makeup melt away.
Or a makeup cleansing cloth that works just like the MakeUp Eraser to remove A L L your makeup by just adding water…yes, even waterproof makeup. Buhbyeee wasteful makeup removing wipes! How does it make sense? IDK maybe it's magic, but whatever it is, it *works.*
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer if you've been looking for something to cover up big pimples, redness, or dark circles without weighing you down or lightening up your wallet too much.
Essence Lash Princess mascara that will give you the look of wearing falsies, without the hassle of making sure you actually know how to put them on. Not to mention, the end result will be basically the same as you would get with higher-end mascaras, only significantly cheaper.
Elizabeth Mott's Thank Me Later Eye Primer, which will help make sure that smoky eye (that you spent way longer on than you'd like to admit) actually lasts through the night instead of melting off your face as soon as you walk out the door.
A six-piece set of high-performance matte lipsticks so you can have ~options~ and still pay less than what you'd pay for *one* color of another brand. Don't worry, just because they're inexpensive doesn't mean they are cheap — reviewers are saying they perform just as well as those more expensive brands.
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Elle
4 days ago
- Elle
The Early Fall Fashion Edit: What to Wear Before It's Everywhere
I don't know about you, but this summer's sweltering heatwaves have me looking forward to fall with eager eyes (and a yearning heart for the colder temps once again). So, until the next season officially arrives, I'll be working to round out my cool-weather capsule wardrobe to incorporate some additional pieces that'll make my wardrobe (and anyone else's, for that matter) the crème de la crème. If you're with me, get a head start on becoming the most fashionable one in your circle with the must-have fashion trends for the season, as spotted by the ELLE team during the fall/winter 2025 season in New York, London, Milan, and Paris, below. Vibrant Shades Open Gallery Quiet luxury, who? This season, fashion houses are embracing bold, eye-catching colors meant to turn heads. Whether it be a zesty pop of neon green under a tailored suit as seen at Tom Ford or a head-to-toe fire engine red coat like the one at Saint Laurent, you're about to see a sartorial world filled with new levels of color this fall. Sweater Dressing Open Gallery Honestly speaking, is there anything better than a cozy, elevated sweater to bundle up in? I think not. Chic sweaters are nothing new to the fall/winter runways, but this season feels like another level of sophistication. Fair isle sweaters were among the micro-trends within knitwear, but there was a particularly good number of chunky, oversized options (and sweater dresses), too. Embrace the trend now with a simple crewneck knit, or opt for an oversized option you can pair with a tiny pair of hot pants à la Jil Sander. Heavy Metal Leathers Open Gallery Another fall mainstay: Leather. And this year, it's all about the boxy moto jacket. Heavy, oversized leather jackets were the epitome of cool for this season, and as someone who lives in this silhouette during the colder months, I couldn't be more excited. Sculpted Shapes Open Gallery As much as you may love your more oversized, baggier, boxier pieces, prepare to give those a little more shape. The runways at Schiaparelli, Givenchy, and Ashlyn, among others, showed jackets and coats with nipped waists, adding a bit more structure to your ensembles. Opt for pieces with curved, sculptural silhouettes, like this Simkhai skirt that has a unique construction or print that creates the illusion of a garment that might challenge your notion of physics. Shearlings and Faux Furs Open Gallery If you were keeping a tab on the biggest street style trends during the fall/winter 2025 fashion month, then you already know vintage-inspired faux fur and shearling coats are having a newfound renaissance—and it isn't stopping there. Plenty of designers featured the wintry staple on their runways, including Gucci, Fendi, and Tod's. If that's not a hint to get in on the trend now, I'm not sure what is. Why Trust ELLE Every product featured on is independently researched, tested, or editor-approved. We only recommend products that we stand behind, and the merchandise featured on our site is always driven by editorial and product testing standards, not by affiliate deals or advertising relationships. Any content created in partnership with advertisers is marked as such.


Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Buzz Feed
37 Items To Buy Now If You're In The Mood To Shop
Some Catrice "Instant Awake" Under Eye Brightener — a hyaluronic acid-enriched color-adaptive formula that's ready to neutralize bluish under-eye shadows and dark circles. Tap it on with your finger or a sponge and you'll suddenly look like you slept a full eight hours! A set of DEET-free mosquito-repelling bracelets you can wear when camping, walking your dog, or attending backyard BBQs. They come in resealable packages, so you can even use 'em more than once. Elizavecca's Collagen Coating Hair Protein Treatment — it works just like a hair mask to repair your locks in five minutes flat. The Ceramide 3- and collagen-packed formula repairs all types of hair, whether you've got over-processed tresses or 4c hair that's susceptible to dryness. Reviewers even say the $8 product is comparable to Olaplex No. 3. A limited edition Eos Marshmallow "Super Balm" lip treatment that might just have you licking your lips the same way your dog does when you give peanut butter. Reviewers say it smells and tastes that good!! A three-pack of Dr. Scholl's reviving foot masks with Epsom salt, shea butter, and a nifty self-heating design so you can treat your tootsies to some TLC. Some reviewer-loved Nippies if you've vowed to have a bra-free summer. These silicone pasties come in two sizes and various colors, so chances are you'll find the right fit! A pair of chic link earrings that will add the perfect finishing touch to any outfit — and for a price that won't make you wince. Essence's Lash Princess Mascara — it delivers a falsies-level look for less than five bucks!! It seems questionable, I know, but for confirmation, you need only to look at the 264,000+ 5-star reviews. Some milky "nail concealer" polish in a sheer, buildable shade TikTok is absolutely obsessed with. If you're dealing with yellowing, calcium marks, or brittleness, this will give you a uniform blank slate. Or some Glamnetic press-on nails which come in various lengths, shapes, and styles, and — the most important "and" there is — reviewers say they last for two+ weeks!!! An as-seen-on Shark Tank Click & Carry Grocery Bag Carrier because everyone in your household seems to be on the phone, in the bathroom, or completely MIA when it's time to bring the groceries in. Luckily, this handle basically turns you into Hercules. A sophisticated laptop tote bag that looks a whole lot like one from Beis but for a fraction of the price. 👀 COSRX's Snail Mucin Repairing Essence, which can help you address dullness and dehydration with — yes 😌 — 96% snail sludge that's harvested in a *100%* ethical and environmentally friendly way. Thanks for sharing the goods, friends! 🐌 A vintage-inspired floral bathing suit you can get away with wearing several times on the same vacation thanks to its reversible design. A pore control cleansing oil that goes after blackheads and general congestion so aggressively, some reviewers even say you they can see 👀 the dirt and dead skin get flushed out. A hair wax stick so you can nail the slicked-back ponytail look on days when you can't be bothered to wash your hair. Ain't no shame in that game! A bag of Liquid I.V. electrolyte drink mix in Popsicle Firecracker flavor, if you can even believe it. The lemon-lime, cherry, and raspberry mixture will not only make your tastebuds do a cartwheel or two, but it provides 3x the electrolytes of typical sports drinks and 100% of your B3, B5, B6, and B12 vitamins. Eos' Shea Butter Vanilla Cashmere body lotion — an affordable pick that TikTokers are tripping over themselves to get as they swear it moisturizes and smells as good as much more expensive options from brands like Philosophy and Bath & Body Works. A hands-free Bluetooth remote so you can read an e-book or scroll through TikTok without even having to *touch* your Kindle or phone. And a gooseneck tablet and phone stand you can hook up to your bed frame or nightstand so you can mindlessly scroll TikTok — look, Ma, no hands! — while Netflix also plays in the background. 😈 A Korean exfoliating mitt that scrubs away dead skin, leaving you ready for a biiiiiig night in of applying your fake tanner. And if that's not your thing — no worries — it also helps unclog pores, prevent ingrown hairs, and eliminate bumps caused by keratosis pilaris. A ribbed sweetheart neckline tank if your wardrobe currently consists of ratty PJ tops and bulky sweaters, so a go-to summer top would lit'rally be life changing. A new pair of chunky sunnies sure to protect your peepers on your daily walk to Dunkin'. Those in-app deals ($3 cold brewwww) really do be worth it! An on-trend vest top with a slightly cropped silhouette that'll pair per-fectly with all of your high-waisted bottoms and chunky gold accessories. An elegant set of cylindrical wineglasses that'll make you feel R–I–C–H even if you're just throwing back some Two-Buck Chuck while you catch up on Bachelor in Paradise. Solar-powered light-up flowers sure to add some whimsy to any outdoor space. And since they're cordless, you don't have to worry about being in proximity of an outlet. An easy-to-apply one-hour (!!) self-tanner if, try as you might, you just can't naturally tan. 😭 PS: Even complete novices say they found success with this formula! An all-in-one K-beauty balm that does the work of a lip balm ✅ , eye cream ✅ , neck cream ✅ , primer ✅ , and face mist ✅ ! This will not only save you time... but MONEY. A mini ice cube tray because chewable nugget ice is literally 🙌🏻 life 🙌🏻giving, but you don't live close to the ultimate source (aka Sonic). A set of TikTok-beloved checkered cosmetic bags so you can take all of your favorite products on the road, whether that's to work for midday touchups or to your BFF's house for your weekly sleepover. A hanging disco ball planter if having ABBA play 24/7 isn't enough to let your visitors (or your neighbors) know you live and breathe to boogie. A smudge-proof, transfer-proof lip stain masque that goes on blue and then peels off to reveal a natural matte shade that lasts for up to 10 hours! A ~floating~ incense holder with a genius design that catches ash and dust, so you don't have to weigh your desire for a calming scent against your absolute disdain for cleaning. A fully adjustable portable backyard mister you can coil along a railing, or an umbrella, or even just prop up on the ground next to you. It might not look like much, but it can cool areas off by up to 20 degrees! A set of custom stickers featuring your favorite itty bitty face or celeb crush. Stick them on your computer, your water bottle, your notebooks, heck, I would stick them on the inside of my eyelids if I could. A roll of app-controlled LED rope lights you can use to create random squiggles on your living wall OR spell out naughty words. Your choice. And Clean Skin Club's 100% bio-based face wipes, which are just the ticket if BeautyTok has convinced you to ditch regular towels as — even when freshly laundered — they can harbor acne-causing bacteria.


Buzz Feed
05-08-2025
- Buzz Feed
30 Affordable Beauty Products So Good That Reviewers Say They Won't Use Anything Else
Gold Bond's firming neck and chest cream your skin will be SO happy to soak up — this is formulated with aloe, salicylic acid, and jojoba oil to help hydrate, tighten, and gently exfoliate your skin so effectively that you should be able to see early results in two weeks. (For some reviewers, it only took a few days!) Mise En Scene Perfect Serum, a beloved K-beauty staple for MEGA hair hydration and heat protection up to 450 degrees, so you can style your hair without sacrificing on ✨shine.✨ This unique blend of seven-oil blend Moroccan argan, olive, coconut, apricot, Marula, jojoba, and camellia oil not only protects hair, but helps correct damage from dryness, *and* reduces drying time. Olay Super Serum Body Wash will make anyone with dry or dull skin REJOICE — this is packed with niacinamide, shea butter, and collagen peptides for 24-hour hydration that will make you feel ~luminous~. (Psst — this is the body wash version of their TikTok-famous, super effective facial Super Serum, so you KNOW they mean business.) A "flossing toothbrush" with two layers of bristles — regular firm bristles, and longer ones that are 10 times thinner to clean deep in between your teeth and gums to mimic flossing. Reviewers love how deep the clean feels, and also how soft it is on sensitive teeth! A shockingly affordable "Glow Up!" Vitamin C Face Serum that packs a powerful punch — reviewers swear by this for reducing dark spots, brightening skin, restoring tone, and giving skin a more radiant, firm look. This particular serum's secret is the 3-O Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, which helps boost ~radiance~, in addition to the hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and vitamin E to help with hydration. Monday Haircare Dry Shampoo with all the oil-absorbing, refreshing power of its competitors, *plus* added keratin for protection against frizz and breakage. The subtle gardenia scent is just extra extra credit after all that. Catrice "Instant Awake" Under Eye Brightener, which became the internet's holy grail — now in four shades! — for concealing and brightening dark circles under your eyes so fast that everyone's old concealers are doing double takes. This lightweight color-adapting formula is designed for truly ~invisible~ coverage that makes a drastic difference. Plus Good Molecules Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel, a cult-fave product for your beauty arsenal that will quickly help minimize eye puffiness and swelling thanks to its winning combo of caffeine and hyaluronic acid. It's basically an alarm clock for your eyeballs, because boy howdy are they awake now!! Mixsoon Bean SPF 50 Sunscreen with an ~airy~ texture, making this K-beauty staple perfect for anyone who loves a good SPF but hates the icky sticky feeling of it. This feather-light, hydrating sunscreen plays so well with makeup that it's about to become the primer of your ✨dreams✨. E.l.f's Lash XTNDR Tubing Mascara, a GODSEND for anyone with thin or fragile lashes. This uses lightweight ~tubing~ technology to wrap around lashes and give them a natural-looking, smudge-proof extension so good it almost looks fake. The real boon, though, is how easily the "tubes" slide off in clean, easy swipes at the end of the day when you're washing your face — absolutely no smudging, over-scrubbing, or special eye makeup removal products required. Jergens Natural Glow Firming Self-Tanner Body Lotion gives you a gradually-building, vacation-worthy ~sunkissed glow~ over the course of just a few days. Not only is this easy peasy to apply compared to other finickier, streaking lotions, but it's formulated with collagen and elastin to help your skin appear firmer *and* glowier. A painless, mint-flavored teeth-whitening pen reviewers swear by as an alternative to pricey professional treatments and strips. This gets results from the very first use, lightening up years' worth of stains from coffee, tea, wine, or just, you know, existing as a human with teeth. Eos' Shea Butter Vanilla Cashmere body lotion, which TikTok has spent years going *feral* over both because of the lightweight, long-lasting moisture, and the soothing, delicious smell that reviewers compare to more expensive brands like Philosophy and Bath & Body Works. It's so beloved that Eos recently released a matching Vanilla Cashmere Shave Oil! A bottle of Elizavecca hair treatment, an Olaplex-like repairing mask infused with collagen ingredients and protein extracts that will help restore hair health and reduce shedding. All you gotta do is apply it on wet hair after a shampoo, wait five minutes, and rinse it out. A bottle of nail and cuticle repair oil that you simply brush on your nail beds once a day to condition and strengthen all those brittle spots and painful hangnails, leaving you with thick, strong nails and nail beds you're not tempted to pick at all the livelong day. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion for anyone who has had their fill of acne stickers and wants a more effective solution for overnight zit care. Just dab a constellation of this over your blemishes to help dry them out and reduce redness while you snooze. This gets extra points for being sensitive skin-friendly and easy to use! A set of super affordable hydrocolloid nose pore patches (compare to the $16 Mighty Patch equivalent) that will make you go "boy HOWDY" when you see how much gunk collects on them overnight. Reviewers swear by these for gently lifting out sebum from pores and pimples and minimizing their appearance! Makup's Brow Me, a hybrid eyebrow wax and sculpt gel system to give yourself a professional-quality eyebrow job from the comfort of your own bathroom vanity. This water- and sweat-resistant formula has a hold so strong that a lot of reviewers compare it to lamination, and say it holds up better than expensive competitors. A reviewer-beloved (and makeup artist-beloved!) beauty sponge blender that rolled up and ate up all the expensive name-brand versions for breakfast. This is firm and smooth when you use it dry for powder applications, and soft and flexible when you wet it for creams and liquids, making it the ultimate versatile sponge in your beauty trove ... for a mere $4 (!!) compared to the $20 BeautyBlender version. Etude's delightfully multipurpose Dear Darling Water Tint, which a lot of reviewers compare to Benefit's Lip Tint. This smudgeproof formula is designed primarily to be a natural-looking, weightless lip stain, but reviewers use it as a blush as well! L'Oréal Paris Makeup True Match Lumi Glotion designed to enhance your skin's natural ✨ glow✨ just like the pricy Drunk Elephant drops — perfect for anyone who wants a lightweight alternative to foundation or just a lil' extra low-effort, ethereal shimmer in their lives. Differin Acne Treatment Gel for prescription-strength acne care *without* the hassle of paying to see a dermatologist. This not only helps clear breakouts by helping with skin cell turnover to clear out pores and calm inflammation, but also helps prevent them over time. The key to this is patience, patience, patience — a lot of reviewers mention seeing excellent results after the first month of use! MagicMinerals AirBrush Foundation, which lives up to its name and THEN some — one quick spray of the foundation on the included brush, and it glides so smoothly and subtly over your skin texture that you'll feel like a makeup artist did it for you. Reviewers in their 30s, 40s, and up especially swear by this lightweight but effective formula, and love that it's ridiculously easy to use. Joesoef's pharmaceutical-grade anti-acne sulfur soap that people with acne, rosacea, dermatitis, and clogged pores swear by for helping clear their skin. A lot of reviewers noted that they found this specific product after their dermatologists recommended it to them! An "Exfoliate & Glow" premium scrub mitt for that oh-so-squeaky clean sensation that comes with sloughing off dead skin. No, for real — one reviewer saw all the dead skin left in their shower floor and dubbed themselves a "Lizard Person" after shedding it. This is great for helping even out skin texture and tone, preventing ingrown hairs, calming keratosis pilaris, and removing self-tanner, too! "Gloves In A Bottle," aka the hero of anyone with dry, cracked hands — this game-changing lotion not only helps heal your skin, but actively protects it for four to twelve hours, even through repeated hand washes. Reviewers with eczema or those who have to sanitize frequently for work swear by this! First Aid Beauty's KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub Exfoliant helps exfoliate and smooth skin by dealing with rough patches or dry bumps — a lot of reviewers with keratosis pilaris and similar skin textures swear by this for relief, with many noticing a difference after the very first use. Nyx's Pore Filler Targeted Stick, a holy grail option for anyone with sensitive skin who may have had it up to HERE with other pore fillers and their promises. This has a "blurring" effect to reduce the appearance of pores and smooth your skin without causing any extra shine you have to blot out. Boldify Hairline Powder for anyone who's like, "Hmmm. Wasn't there ... a lot more hair there before??" when they're styling their roots. This "makeup for hair" helps effortlessly fill in the gaps in your hairline so you don't have style around it. Reviewers also swear by this for touching up their roots between appointments! Pure Instinct Roll-On, a TikTok-viral "pheromone-infused" scent a lot of reviewers love because it's designed to smell different on each user by blending with the unique pH of your skin. It's marketed as a way to make yourself smell more ~alluring~, but a lot of reviewers just genuinely love the sweetness of the unique but subtle scent.