When it comes to shopping, people usually decide what to buy according to price.
Some people believe the quality of makeup is better depending on its price.
Honestly, that’s a load of crap. The truth is, it’s possible to purchase all the products you need for a full face of makeup without going into debt.
When it comes to buying makeup, there are different levels of pricing and brands. To break it down, there is drugstore makeup, affordable makeup, high brands and luxury makeup.
Drugstore makeup brands such as e.l.f., Maybelline, CoverGirl and wet n wild are extremely inexpensive and as their name implies, can be found at the drugstore.
Affordable makeup is often associated with drugstore makeup because the price points of both types are affordable. But in general, affordable makeup is slightly more expensive.
In the affordable makeup category are brands like BH Cosmetics, ColourPop Cosmetics and Morphe, which are known for high-brand quality, but at drugstore pricing.
These brands sell their products online at other retailers like Ulta and at their own stores.
The amazing quality of these affordable makeup brands is forcing cosmetic companies who sell their products at drugstores to step up their standard of makeup.
Before the competition from affordable makeup, drugstore cosmetics included blotchy eyeshadow palettes, runny mascara and sheer foundations.
High-brand makeup is seen as better quality, but that isn’t always true for some brands. These higher-priced products include brands like Fenty Beauty, Urban Decay, NARS and MAC Cosmetics, which can be found at stores like Sephora.
Luxury brand makeup like Dior, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent are the most expensive makeup you can purchase and are often sold at high-end department stores like Nordstrom.
MAC Cosmetics was the “it brand” when it came to purchasing makeup back in the 2010s because many makeup YouTubers were MAC employees and would showcase the products.
If you did not own any MAC Cosmetics back in the day, you weren’t considered a true makeup lover.
But continuously buying MAC products can empty your pockets, especially when you are in your early 20s and living paycheck to paycheck.
However, there is affordable makeup and even drugstore makeup that is just as good, if not better than high brand or luxury makeup.
What’s great about affordable brands is they make similar products to the expensive brands, but at a cheaper price.
These products range from lipsticks to blushes and are typically referred to as “dupes” because the products are practically the same when it comes to the color and how the product wears.
Dupes are everywhere, you just have to explore different brands to find them.
Lip liners are a product I will always purchase because they make or break how my lips look – whether I overline them for bigger lips or for a nice natural lip appearance.
A popular lip liner from MAC Cosmetics is “Spice,” a brown shade with a hint of orange and peach that suits multiple skin tones.
But spending $18 on one pencil is a huge con when you’re ballin’ on a budget.
Morphe’s shade “Sugar Pie” is the closest dupe to MAC’s “Spice” liner and has the same amount of product and quality, all for just $4.
Foundation is one product that I don’t mind spending a little extra money on, but I still partake in trying various ones from cheaper brands.
NARS’ Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation is one high-brand product you can always trust for a great foundation finish, but one bottle is $49 for one fluid ounce.
Maybelline’s foundations are some of the best when it comes to drugstore makeup and its SuperStay Full Coverage Foundation is the perfect dupe for the NARS foundation and costs only $12 for the same amount of product.
High-brand skin care line Tatcha creates products to help with makeup application. One of its most popular items is the Silk Canvas Primer, which leaves your makeup looking flawless, but the price is a staggering $52.
However, drugstore brand e.l.f. created the Poreless Putty Primer that works the same as Tatcha’s, but for only $8. It is a product that is a staple in my everyday makeup routine.
These are just a few of many dupes for high-brand makeup products that are amazing and could save you money.
I’m not saying all high brands are flat-out awful or that all drugstore products are amazing. I just believe achieving an immaculate makeup look doesn’t mean you need to empty out your bank account.
Editor’s note: Senior staff writer Brianna Sheats works for the makeup brand Morphe.
