The Beginning

Hey there makeup divas. Or maybe you're not such a makeup diva. Until recently I wasn't one either. I could fit every piece of makeup I owned into my tiny J.Crew makeup bag. This was until I started working at a boutique among some of the most beautiful (inside and out) people that I had ever met. I realized that if I wanted to keep up I should probably learn about all the fuss over makeup. I am almost twenty years old, and the only makeup I had owned had been bought for me (usually by my mother) in an attempt to get me to become one of those "put together" girls. It took a while for me to come around to the idea of adding an extra fifteen minutes to my usual 5 minute (contacts, brush teeth, put clothes on) morning routine. Eventually I realized that I actually like playing around with makeup. The only thing that really bothered me was how much it costs. Urban Decay's NAKED palettes are usually around $50. There was no way I was going to pay that much for eyeshadow.

Enter "dupes."

I learned what a dupe was when my older sister bought me NYX "pinched" blush which is supposed to be a direct dupe of NARS "orgasm." I started to research other dupes and drugstore favorites to figure out how I could spend less money but still get awesome quality products. After much research (5 hours and staying up until 2am), I came up with a list of the best drugstore products and dupes. Then I proceeded to break the bank at Target and Ulta to buy every last one. Here's what I found:

1. Maybelline Volum'Express "Rocket" mascara, supposed dupe for benefit "they're Real." Now this one is going to be hard to believe considering benefit's product is the best on the market according to every beauty blogger and makeup artist I've talked to. However, benefit's product runs at about $23 whereas Maybelline's is only $6.

2. e.l.f Conturing Blush & Bronzing Powder "St. Lucia," dupe for NARS "Orgasm" and "Laguna." This is a set of two powders that runs for only $3 at Target. Worth a try considering I would never, ever spend money on NARS.

3. Maybelline New Vivids Lipstick in "Brazen Berry," dupe for MAC "Heroine." I paid $5 for Brazen Berry, whereas MAC lipsticks run at around $16 a tube. This is just crazy to me honestly. I know from experience that MAC is a great product, but I would much rather pay a fraction of the price and have to reapply once or twice. I have been wearing the Maybelline product for a couple of hours now, the color is still perfect and my lips have not dried out. Not bad for $5.

4. Maybelline "Nudes" eye shadow palette, dupe for Urban Decay "NAKED." There is not a whole lot to say about this product. It is $10 for ten colors that are almost exact dupes of UD. I am so pleased with the pigmentation and creamy finish of these shadows. There are both matte and shimmer shadows, all of which blend really well together. The applicator is no good, but then again when are they? This palette is a dream, not to mention it is much more compact in size than UD and can actually fit in my every day makeup bag.

Besides dupes, I bought some products that I have heard nothing but great things about on multiple sites.

5. e.l.f HD blush in "superstar" $3

6. Wet n Wild coloricon eye shadow "Walking on Eggshells" $3

7. Pixi Mesmerizing Mineral Palette "Plum Quartz" $12 (a bit of a splurge...but the colors are phenomenal)

8. NYX Dark Circle Concealer "Light" $6

9. NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder "Sunny" $2.50

10. NYX Butter Gloss "Strawberry Parfait" $5

So there you have it. As soon as I am able to try these products out I will be sure to post pictures. Until then, what are your favorite drugstore dupes and products?