Makeup

Best Drugstore Dupes for High-End Beauty Products

Find out how the best drugstore beauty bargains measure up to their cult-classic counterparts

by Hayley Mason | 10 COMMENTS

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A Lit-From-Within Highlighter The Contenders:
Benefit High Beam, $26
E.L.F Essential Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Petal, $1

The Breakdown:
Both of these highlighters have a gorgeous, pale pink sheen that makes skin look young, fresh and dewy when applied over the cheekbones and brow bones. They both blend easily, last throughout the day and work well on top of other makeup like foundation or powder (often times, creamy products like these, or cream blush, simply disappear into foundation).

However, the sticking point for some may come down to product packaging. The E.L.F. product's tube design lets you squeeze a little onto your fingertip before applying, which I found more convenient and less messy than the nail polish wand applicator of Benefit's High Beam. But even if you prefer Benefit's brush-on applicator, the $25 difference could make you a convert. For $1 a pop, I will definitely be getting my angel glow on daily with the drugstore steal.

The Winner:
E.L.F Essential Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Petal

SEE NEXT PAGE: Everyone's Favorite Blush

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You fall head over heels for a $58 BB cream that leaves your skin soft, dewy and impossibly clear -- and you're quite sure there's no other product in the world that will make you look so youthful and radiant. So you do want any beauty-product-obsessed girl on a budget would do: splurge on another bottle and eat ramen for the next week. No matter how much you love a product, it can be hard to justify the price tag, especially on day six of shrink-wrapped noodles. While there truly are some magical beauty products out there for which there is no substitute, plenty of expensive department store beauty products have a drugstore doppelganger that works just as well -- and for a lot less money. We road-tested every popular beauty dupe on the market to find out which high-end beauty products are worth the splurge and which ones you may want to reconsider.

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