The 6 Best Inexpensive Dupes For The Most Gorgeous Viral Makeup Products You See On TikTok
We simply don’t have the budget for all the things TikTok makes us buy.
by The Candidly Team
We like to think of ourselves as TikTok literate. We know to look for the sponsored content tag and to fact check what anyone with the word “coach” in their bio tells us to put in our bodies.
Buuuuut if we’re being honest, there are dozens of products we see on there daily that a part of us still believes will solve all our problems.
And, thanks to our lovely jobs, we get to try a lot of them. Some are expectedly disappointing. Others are worth the attention. But the worst is when they’re both excellent and expensive.
When that’s the case, we sort of silently launch a secondary search for truly comparable products that are more within our budget. Sometimes we come up short and at that point, we know that certain things are worth the splurge. Other times, we hit the lottery.
So today, we’re sharing 5 perfect dupes for 5 very viral, very buzzed about products that sure, if you have the budget, you could spring for. But if you don’t, we’re confident you’ll be just as happy with our swaps.
Let’s begin.
1. The Splurge
WHAT: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand*
The fuss: It’s won awards for its silky, liquid formula which dispenses into a sponge-like applicator top when you squeeze the bottle. The finish is extremely dewy but still natural once blended out with a brush. That said, it can be a liiiiiiittle messy and the tube can dry out if you forget to lock it.
See it in action:
The Swap
WHAT: Winky Lux Cheeky Rose® Liquid Sculpt*
Why we love it: This highlighter gives us the same silky, skin-like look. It has a similar sponge applicator, but it very cleverly faces down in the bottle, so you just give it a good shake before opening and you have just the right amount of product on your brush. A few dabs to the upper cheekbones, forehead, under the chin and on each side of the nose and poof, you have the most natural, glowy, even contour that even a complete novice can’t mess up it’s so blendable.
Price: $44 for the splurge, $20 for the swap
2. The Splurge
WHAT: Chanel Rouge Coco Flash Lipstick in Boy*
The fuss: Ok, this lipstick is almost singular. Almost undupeable. If, by some miracle, you haven’t heard of it, Chanel’s Boy is a world-famous “your lips but better,” juicy, neutral that everyone and their mother seems to know and love. We ourselves have written entire articles about it, so if we say there’s an actual comparable lipstick for almost half the cost, we really mean it. But first, let’s…
See it in action:
The swap
WHAT: Mac Lustreglass Sheer-Shine Lipstick*
Why we love it: No, it isn’t a $12 drugstore lipstick. It’s Mac, a brand renowned for their lip color. They too have nailed that not-too-brown, not-too-orange, not-too-pink, not-too purple nude that’s jusssssst right. If you’re desperate to see this shade swatched beside Boy, fear not, we wrote a whole thing comparing the two lip shades HERE with lots of photos.
Price: $53 for the splurge, $27 for the swap
3. The Splurge
WHAT: Victoria Beckham Reflect Highlighter Stick*
The fuss: A good highlighter has zero glitter, leaving a glass-skin finish that makes your cheekbones beam with light and youth and radiance. This one does it all with aplomb.
See it in action:
The Swap
WHAT: L'Oréal Lumi Le Glass and Glow Highlighter Stick*
Why we love it: This is one of our FAVORITE drugstore finds. It makes your skin so dewy and illuminated without a greasy or sparkly finish. Just a fresh face Every. Single. Day.
Price: $47 for the splurge, $13 for the swap
4. The Splurge
WHAT: Estée Lauder Double WearStay-in-Place Longwear Matte Foundation*
The fuss: This is another acclaimed product that we can’t pretend not to love. It’s gorgeous, my friends. If you want your complexion to look as flawless, pore-less, and airbrushed in real life as humanly possible, this might be worth the price tag. But rest assured, our dupe gives it a run for its money, especially given that it’s soooo much money.
See it in action:
The Swap
WHAT: CoverGirl Clean Fresh Skin Milk Foundation*
Why we love it: We write about this foundation all the time. It’s another drugstore treasure. The finish is so sheer and skin-like, but the coverage is still nothing to sneeze at. It doesn’t sink in and exacerbate wrinkles and texture, which happens as our skin matures and makeup starts to make us look older. It’s the the best drugstore foundation we’ve tried since we turned 40.
Price: $52 for the splurge, $13 for the swap
5. The Splurge
WHAT: Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner in Cinnamon*
The fuss: We fell so deeply in love with this liner when we first tried it. The formula is creamy but also stays put and doesn’t crease or drag (essential for mature eyes). The shade Cinnamon is an ideal, warm, autumnal shade that looks gorgeous on every eye color. You can legitimately do an entire smokey eye with this one liner. Behold.
See it in action:
The Swap
WHAT: Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in CopperGlow*
Why we love it: The silky, gliding texture gives us complete control to perfectly line our eyes or smudge the color into smokey-eyed submission. The shade CopperGlow is slightly darker than VB’s Cinnamon, but it has just as much understated, copper magic. Even though it’s waterproof and won’t budge, it’s also gentle on your eyes so they won’t react to a full evening of having the world stare at you wondering what eyeliner you use.
Price: $35 for the splurge, $12 for the swap
6. The Splurge
WHAT: Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream*
The fuss: Very few things that cost $300 in skincare feel that much better than anything else so as to justify the cost. We’ll risk making you hate us and say, this one is different. Our Editor-in-Chief wrote an entire essay making the case for this cream. There just isn’t a richer, more quenching, replenishing, revitalizing cream around. But yeah, it costs $300, so where does that leave us?
See it in action:
Swap
WHAT: Weleda Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream*
Why we love it: In fairness, this face cream has gone viral in its own right with Drew Barrymore singing its praises (and we’re pretty sure she can afford the Augustinus - just sayin’). It is rich and hydrating on a level that keeps our deadest, huskiest, winteriest skin so deeply nourished and glowy and baby-like. So maybe we do one month Augustinus and one month of this to help offset the cost?
Price: $315 for the splurge, $20 for the swap
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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