Drugstore Dupes for Trending Makeup

New makeup launches and cult products are exciting, without a doubt. But it’s not so exciting when your budget just can’t stretch to meet those high price tags. That’s why I love dupes so much. We can enjoy flattering shades, great formulas, and fun finishes without having to go overboard on the spending. And to be honest, there are so many instances when the cheaper option is just as good as the luxe option.

In the last few months, some beautiful new products have entered the beauty sphere, inspiring rave reviews, multiple “look” videos and beauty guru ticks of approval. I’ve chosen some of the most tempting ones and tracked down some dupes to win you over…

The trend: Urban Decay Born to Run Palette

This is the type of product which makes me go back over and over again to gaze at swatches, tutorials and simply the palette itself. It has 21 incredible shades, from shimmering greens to bold burnt oranges. But…it’s pretty spendy, especially if your eyeshadow collection is already full, healthy, and absolutely not crying out for a new addition.

The dupe: Makeup Revolution XSoph Eyeshadow Palette

Makeup Revolution created this palette with beauty guru SophDoesNails, and it’s amazing. It includes 24 shades (3 more than the Born to Run! Score!) and is much cheaper. The shades aren’t identical of course, but you do get the same color story. There are deep greens, burnt oranges, rich purples and plenty of base, highlight, and transition shades.

The trend: Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Collection

Adding on to her cult-favorite Pillow Talk lip liner, Charlotte Tilbury has expanded the dreamy, muted pink shade to a collection for the whole face. There’s something incredibly tempting about Charlotte Tilbury makeup, from the luxurious packaging to the old Hollywood, OG supermodel inspired shades. Alas, sorry Charlotte, we just can’t find the cash. But we can find dupes.

The dupes: 

Pillow talk lipstick dupe: Maybelline Inti-Matte Nudes in Honey Pink, and in Almond Rose for a deeper, slightly brighter variation.

I love, love, love Maybelline lipsticks, from the formulas to the richness of the colors. And boy do they make beautiful nudes to suit all skin tones. Honey Pink has more peach than Pillow Talk, and Almond Rose has more of a rich pink tone. But they both share the same natural, flattering vibe as Pillow Talk, and the tones can be adjusted with the right lip liner.

Pillow Talk Luxury Eye Palette dupe: Milani Pure Passion Eyeshadow Palette

Oh, Milani. You’ve made me very happy once again, this time with your Pure Passion Eyeshadow Palette. What’s amazing about this dupe is that you get THREE times more shades than the original offers you. The Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eye Palette has four beautiful shades; two mattes and two shimmery shades in various pinks with a hint of muted taupe.

The Milani palette has twelve shades. The three shades from the top down on the far right are incredible dupes for the Pillow Talk Palette. But you also get some bronzy, berry and chocolate shades to add depth and warmth to the eyes.

Pillow Talk Cheek to Chic blush dupe: Rimmel Kate Blush Palette

Rimmel comes to the rescue once again! The Pillow Talk Blush is a muted pink hue with a pop of shimmery champagne in the middle for a little hint of highlight. The Rimmel Kate Blush palette has three similar shades, in a berry-ish, dusty-ish, pinky theme of varying depths. You get a mixture of matte-leaning satin and shimmery glow to create a customized cheek.

The trend: Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadow

Okay, so I am a child of the 90s. You know what that means? BODY GLITTER. We haven’t quite reached the second round of that trend yet (although the Fenty Beauty folks are doing a lot for the cause). However, we have been treated with one of the most exciting trends yet (for me, at least)…glitter eyeshadow. YES please.

Stila absolutely nailed the game with their Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow liquid eyeshadows. I could pore over photos of glittery eyelids all day…as weird as that sounds. The cool thing is that they don’t need to be over the top. You can pair a glittery lid in a neutral shade with a sheer wash of foundation or tinted moisturizer, lots of mascara and a smudge of soft-edged, soft-coloured lipstick, balm or tint. Yep, the perfect casual, fresh everyday look for those of us who would wear glitter to the gym if we could be bothered.

But back to the Stila shadows…they are expensive. Especially if you want lots of different shades.

The dupe: ColourPop Supernova Shadow

Good old ColourPop has swooped down to rescue us from ourselves by making a liquid eyeshadow packed with shimmer and glitter. Don’t just take my word for it. Many beauty gurus and reviewers have confirmed over and over again how well the Colourpop Supernova Shadows stand up to the Stila ones. There a gorgeous, cool-toned shades leaning toward holographic, with pinky flips and icy glitters. There are rich burgundy’s, golds, bronzes, and champagnes. They are only a measly $7 each so you can go a bit crazy and get lots of shades to play with!

The trend: Nars Orgasm Illuminating Loose Powder Blush

The Nars Orgasm color range has widened once again to make room for the Illuminating Loose Powder Blush. Now – many, many people have said this is an AMAZING product…but not as a blush. It’s best used as a highlighter with a peachy attitude. An overall glow or blush topper to make you moan (sorry, just had to do it!). And as the story goes…too expensive.

The dupe: Maybelline Facestudio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter in Molten Peach

Nope, the dupe doesn’t match the formula, but it does match the shade and the overall finish. Personally, I am so messy that even the most foolproof loose powders are bad news for me. I am always happy when a pressed powder pops up to save my clumsy hands from dusting my bathroom with shimmer. The Maybelline Master Chrome Metallic Highlighters are super popular (looking at you, Tati), and they keep on rolling out amazing shades, my fave being Molten Peach because it shares that warm, flattering flush with Nars Orgasm.

There we have it! Thanks to all those drugstore brands out there keeping us looking and feeling fab while still leaving us some cash for you know…living, eating, paying rent. We couldn’t glow without ya!

I think that if there’s a high-end product you absolutely LOVE and wear every day because it makes you feel great and suits your skin and style preference to a tee, then get it! But for everything else, just go for the dupe and feel great knowing you’ve got the best of both worlds…a work-of-art face and a barely-touched bank account.

What do you think of these dupes? Let us know in the comments below!

Stay glam!

Gin Mabey

Gin Mabey

Gin is a beauty enthusiast with a passion for makeup she's had since kindergarten when she would raid her Mum's makeup drawer. When she's not playing with new products and writing about makeup, she's a theatre actress, director and producer.