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Late-Night Makeup Run? Six Drugstore Dupes for High-End Favorites

March 17, 2011

Do you ever get a makeup purchasing impulse at 2 a.m.? Or realize you’ve run out of a favored color ahead of a late night event? Sephora’s unfortunately not open all night, or it may be a lengthy cab or subway ride away. CVS, Duane Reade and their ilk, present on many more corners, often keep late-night hours for important purchases like penicillin and emergency mascara.

Drugstore products almost never approach the aesthetic quality of their high-end counterparts. Counter brands generally feature more substantial and well-executed packaging, fancier mini-brushes, more finely milled powders and that generally luxe je ne sais quoi that you find wrapped in tissue paper in a pretty shopping bag tied with a ribbon. But for backups and last-minute replacement, these six drugstore “dupes” offer a lot of dazzle for your dollar.

1.) NARS Orgasm Lipgloss vs. NYC Lipgloss in Sungold: The salacious name is only part of the reason NARS Cosmetics’ Orgasm color is so overwhelmingly popular. These peachy-pink nudes flatter skin colors on every end of the spectrum, offering a detectable but demure wash of color belying the naughty name. And at a quarter of the price, you can keep one in your car, your pen cup and on your nightstand.

2.) MAC Smolder vs. Rimmel Soft Kohl in Jet Black: It seems people generally stick to one form of favored eyeliner- gel, a felt tip, a pencil or liquid. I’m a pencil girl, and I’ve noticed that the product cubby for Rimmel’s Soft Kohl in Jet Black is almost always empty in the store. The popularity is for good reason- the pencil creates a variably thick line that’s assertive and sharp, and goes on butter-soft and true black.

3.) Clinique Black Honey vs. Covergirl Lipslicks in Edgy: Intimidating in the tube, Clinique’s Black Honey has amassed a huge following of loyal gloss-lovers due to its eminently wearable, almost individually adjustable brown berry shade. The pretty, sleek packaging, however, has a way of quietly rolling out of clutches and cosmetic bags. Leave the Clinique version at home, and try the slightly less dynamically hued Covergirl version in Edgy for work and after-dinner touchups.

4.) NARS South Beach/Orgasm Duo vs. E.l.f. Contouring Blush, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick vs. Milani Glimmer Stripes: Falling under the category of “close enough” are the NARS vs. E.l.f. and Bobbi Brown vs. Milani combos pictured above. Strong pigment is expensive, but in a pinch, these bronzing/blushing duos are perfectly acceptable substitutes and a good addition to your beach bag.

5.) MAC Spice Pencil vs. Wet ‘n’ Wild #666: Quite possibly the original widely buzzed about dupe, MAC’s universal lipliner Spice matches literally any lipcolor, and the Wet ‘n’ Wild version is a near-twin and 99 cents a go. Works under the nudest nudes and reddest reds equally well.

Do you have any secret drugstore dopplegangers for your favorite counter cosmetics?

2 Comments
Filed Under: Makeup Tagged: Bobbi Brown, clinique, Covergirl, Drugstore Dupes, ELF, Eyeslipsface, MAC, Milani, NARS, NYC Cosmetics, Rimmel

Blogmania: Win over $150 in beauty products! *Contest Closed*

September 15, 2010

Blogmania Prize

UPDATE 9/17/10:

Thank you all for participating in my Blogmania giveaway, there were over 350 entries in total. Wow!

The winner of the “Pretty Sexy” beauty product giveaway is ::drumroll::

Blogmania

Sabrina S.!! Thank you Sabrina for participating in my giveaway, please look for my email so that you can send me your mailing address. Congrats!!!!

____________________________________________________________________

Thank you for stopping by my blog! I am so excited to be a part of the Blogmania event and I am proud to announce that YOU can be the lucky winner of over $150 in beauty products!

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Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Gel CreamLiner – Three custom shades provide a glamorous look to define and enhance your eye color. (Espresso, Purple, Black+Purple Shimmer).  0.21Oz./6g – $10.95

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***This contest is valid September 15-16, 2010***

To enter:

1. Subscribe via Feedburner (if you are not already subscribed) or simple enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box in the beige column on our site. Your subscription status will verified through the subscribers database.

2. Leave a comment letting us know that you are a subscriber and why you would like to win this prize.

This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada only, 18+. The winner will be chosen at random on September 17th , 2010. All entries must be received by September 16th 11:59pm EST.

To view other blogs participating in the Blogmania Giveaway, please see below:

364 Comments
Filed Under: Beauty, Nail Polish Tagged: Blogmania, Blogmania 2010, bronzer, contest, Essie, Fake Bake, Giveaway, hair care, Kiehl's, L'Oreal, Lip Gloss, Mascara, Pantene, Physicians Formula, Primer, Pureology, Rimmel, Stila Cosmetics

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