28 Cheap Beauty Items Reviewers Compare To Luxe Brands

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8 hours ago

An exquisite tinted lip balm shockingly similar to Clinique's "Black Honey" but it doesn't cost nearly as much. This weightless, non-sticky formula glides onto your pout to give 'em a subtle polished tint of your choosing. Soon you'll be smackin' your lips all over the place, and no one can blame you when they look this good. 🤷‍♀️
Catrice "Instant Awake" Under Eye Brightener — it'll help liven up your tired eyes with a lightweight formula that delivers superb coverage in just a few swipes. This tinted concealer contains hyaluronic acid and shea butter that may also help reduce dark circles over time. It's just like the $33 Becca version but for MUCH less.
A TikTok-beloved "Soft" perfume rollerball reviewers can't stop raving about, with some even comparing it to lemon pound cake. YUM! This is gonna be a real treat for your senses *and* it rolls on nice and easy. It's basically a budget-friendly version of Pink Sugar, which goes for $65.
A lash-extending E.l.f. Cosmetics tubing mascara because your lashes deserve the best and you don't wanna waste your time with dry, clumpy (pricey) formulas. This one is perfect for thin, delicate lashes and is similar to Thrive. The lightweight tubing technology wraps around your eyelashes for a smudge-proof lift that looks natural. Plus, it's super easy to take off at the end of the day without tons of harsh scrubbing.
A moisturizing Mise En Scene hair serum, a K-beauty product that works just as hard as the $46 Gisou version to repair brittle locks. It's made with nourishing oils, including argan, coconut, olive, and, jojoba. Reviewers praise this serum for its ability to combat dryness! Plus, it smells downright heavenly so prepare to swoon.
L'Oreal True Match Lumi Glotion to give you a natural glow with minimal effort *and* spending, which makes it a great swap to the pricey Drunk Elephant Bronzi Drops. It adds a lightweight color tint to your complexion for a dewy glow-up that can be worn alone or with foundation.
OR Essence's Drop of Sunshine Bronzing Drops, which comes in a sheer, buildable formula that makes it another affordable alternative to Drunk Elephant's version that goes for a whopping $39! Not only will this stuff leave you with a perfect sun-kissed glow, but it also uses glycerin to hydrate the skin barrier and vitamin E to soften skin and smooth texture!
Hawaiian Tropic's SPF 30 Mineral Powder Sunscreen Brush — don't forget that your scalp needs protection from the scalding heat, too! This summer staple works as a face powder on top of your existing sunscreen BUT you can also put it on your scalp, which is much better than trying to apply a sticky cream there! The best part? It's significantly cheaper than the $35 Supergoop and $36 Brush On Block!
Rael Beauty's Miracle Patch because hello, you get 96 in a pack. That's about a third of what you get when you splurge on Mighty Patches. These K-beauty hydrocolloid patches have super thin edges so they're nearly invisible. Wear 'em when you're out and about and no one will have any idea you're healing a zit while running errands.
And some overnight hydrocolloid *nose* patches so you can win the battle against excess oil, irritating pimples, and enlarged pores. You'll get immense satisfaction from peeling off the patch to reveal all the stuff that was clinging to your skin, especially since you didn't have to spend extra on the Mighty Patch version.
Elizavecca hair treatment you'll be glad to have on your radar because it uses collagen and protein extracts to restore over-processed hair. Dull, dry strands are gonna go POOF and you won't even have to spend quadruple the cost on Olaplex.
MagicMinerals AirBrush Foundation, aka a superb swap for the pricey Dior Airflash, which is especially helpful because it was sadly discontinued. Not to worry — this lightweight, buildable formula comes in a spray *with* a foundation brush for a smooth and easy application that'll feel like you just had a very expensive visit from a makeup artist.
A game-changing eye primer when you want your eye makeup to remain intact ALL day without any smudging or creasing. It'll seem too good to be true but believe the hype — reviewers swear this stuff works just as well as (if not better) the more expensive Urban Decay and Too Faced versions.
E.l.f.'s Holy Hydration! Thirst Burst Drops with hyaluronic acid to give your parched skin a big drink of water. Reviewers say it's a cheap swap for the $35 Watermelon Dew Drops from Glow Recipe, so I bet it'll pique your interest. This stuff will help hydrate, plump, and brighten your skin with each use. Wear it solo, apply it before makeup, OR add it to your foundation.
LilyAna Naturals eye cream that may brighten your under-eye area and reduce dark circles with nourishing ingredients, like provitamin A, vitamins C and E, and rosehip seed oil. We all know about the name-brand versions like Clinique and Lancôme can set you back quite a few bucks, but you're too smart for that.
Nyx setting spray so you can complete your fierce makeup look with a much-needed glow that'll lock everything in! A spritz or two of this stuff will help keep your product in place with a matte finish. Plus, it lasts for hours without constant reapplying *and* without overspending on Urban Decay.
A soothing Briotech spray for anyone who needs to calm angry, irritated skin. It uses the same holy-grail ingredient as Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Spray: hypochlorous acid. Give yourself a spritz to help treat inflammation, reduce redness, *and* strengthen the skin barrier.
E.l.f. Suntouchable Invisible Sunscreen because when did sunscreen become one of the most expensive items in your skincare routine? Enter this affordable find, which offers SPF 35 *and* goes on smooth and clear without any white cast. It works well as a blurring primer to create the perf setup before applying makeup too! TL;DR: it's the more affordable version of Supergoop.
Juno & Co.'s Clean 10 Cleansing Balm to gently and effectively remove all traces of makeup without relentless, aggressive scrubbing that leaves your face red and irritated. Say what?? It contains just 10 simple ingredients to dissolve makeup while moisturizing the skin. Many reviewers compare it to the Elemis Cleansing Balm, which is almost 70 bucks!!
A reviewer-beloved TruSkin vitamin C serum with vitamins C, E, and hyaluronic acid so you can hydrate and brighten your skin with *one* product It can also help smooth and fade blemishes and dark spots like an absolute charm! Reviewers say it works like the all-too-expensive SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic serum.
A Revlon one-step hair dryer and volumizer if you'd love to style and dry your hair at the same time but not go broke on the expensive hair tools. Mission accomplished! You'll speed up your routine while giving your hair an unbelievable amount of shine and volume. Dyson Airwrap who?
A weightless liquid cream blush some reviewers compare to Rare Beauty's liquid blush but at a price they can actually live with. It's dewy, blendable, and highly pigmented so you can create just the look you're going for!
Fanola's "No Yellow" purple shampoo to help magically tone down brassy hair with violet pigments. If your blonde is suddenly turning yellow, this trusty formula will help even it out without spending a fortune on a salon visit. It only takes a few minutes to apply in the shower, so it's easy peasy! Reviewers say it's just like the Redken version!
A trio of hydrating lip sleeping masks — why would you spend $24 on a single Laneige jar when you can get THREE of 'em for a fraction of the price? They're infused with berry extract and vitamin C to help heal dry, cracked skin, so your lips and your wallet will thank you.
A MUA–approved black makeup sponge that does its job so well, you may forget about the Beauty Blender and Real Techniques versions, which aren't exactly cheap. If you want a flawless finish when blending concealer, foundation, BB cream, and even powders, this makeup sponge has you ~covered~ alright. It's also easier to see your product on the black surface of the sponge *and* it won't leave ugly stains behind.
And a bottle of makeup brush-cleaning shampoo because you need to wash away the impurities living in your sponges and brushes immediately!!! This stuff is formulated with gentle, plant-based ingredients and will give you the same results as the Beautyblender soap — but for half the price.
CeraVe Retinol Serum, which can help refine your skin's texture and tone over time. This lightweight serum uses encapsulated retinol to gently reduce the appearance of pores and acne-related marks. If you've been too scared to try retinoids until now, this is a great place to start. Reviewers say it's better than the pricey options out there, like the $92 Murad Retinol Serum!
Bamboo oil-blotting sheets you'll never leave home without after seeing how well they work. As soon as that afternoon shine hits, dab your face with these and watch it vanish! Your makeup won't be affected and you'll pay half of what expensive brands such as Tatcha charge.