Facebeat on a Budget.

Looking good on campus and on a night out makes the uni experience a little better to bare. As a girlie with a tight budget that’s completely obsessed with makeup, I’ve had to finesse my way into looking expensive without spending all my allowance. I mean we can’t look like our problems bathong.

Here are some makeup dupes that’ll have your face looking snatched and a little pocket change for those late-night student pick-me-ups.

1. Brushes:

Real Techniques vs Scarlett Hill

R680 vs R100

A slayed face always starts with a good set of makeup brushes. Real Techniques is known for its fullness and seamless blending. That price tag is as full as well. Master of Dupes Mr Price has come to our rescue once again with their reasonably new beauty brand, Scarlett Hill, offering affordable makeup and skin care products. The Real Techniques dupe brushes have become one of their best sellers at an affordable price with raving quality reviews. These are always sold out so make sure to snatch them as soon as you spot them online or at your nearest Mr Price store.

2. Primer:

Oily Skin: Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer vs Catrice 10 in 1 Dream Primer

R1 415 vs R150

Dry Skin: Milk Hydro grip Primer vs Catrice Energy Boost Serum

R1 695 vs R152

Primer ensures a hydrated skin-protected base and barrier for all products applied to the face for a snatched look. Because of the many ingredients that provide skin protection, primers are often on the expensive side. Depending on the type of primer you want (hydrating, matte, pore blurring, or tinted), you might have to break some bank. But do not fret. I got you.

American TikTok famous brands such as Laura Mercier and Milk are not here to play, so let’s stick to our lanes and budgets and try out Catrice primers.

3.Foundation:

Fenty Pro Filter Foundation vs Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation

R805 vs R170

A good foundation firstly needs to perfectly match your shade. Added must-haves include a long-lasting finish, and the ability to blend well with other products such as concealer. Fenty Beauty is a master at it’s game. Coming in hot into the beauty industry, this brand has a vast collection of shades for every dark-skinned individual alive. That price though? Mad.

Catrice’s HD Liquid Coverage Foundation has the streets talking too. It is said to give the exact same finish as the Fenty Pro Filter Foundation at a fraction of the price. Just go to a Clicks or Dischem near you. Affordable and Accessible? Yes, please.

3. Bronzer:

Milk Makeup Bronzer vs Essence Bronze Me Baby

R1 070 vs R82

Bronzer is a staple in my make up routine, giving my face the depth and dimension. not needing too much product to achieve your snatched look, you’d be surprised how much people are paying for this tiny bit of product.

Milk Makeup has gotten all the hype online but honestly, Essence can do the same for your look for as little as R82 rand. Moral of the story: don’t feed into the hype babe.

4. Concealer:

NARS Radient Creamy Concealer vs Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

R1 225 vs R170

Highlighting is my favourite step of my makeup routine. I am nothing without a bright eye. but, I’m also nothing without some change in my pocket.

NARS is a legendary brand in the makeup industry, trusted by all the make up gurus. I’m not gonna lie. I need to become a NARS girlie myself, however, this price? So as we train ourselves towards perfection, we’ll use products that we can afford to flop with. Maybelline.

5. Powder:

Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Finish Poweder vs Maybelline Fit Me Powder

R900 vs R170

Applying powder towards the end of your farebeat is so important. not only does it help your makeup last longer, it also gives you a smooth filter-like finish. I started getting into powder recently but have struggled to find shades that don’t leave me looking like I have flour on my face.

Maybelline has a vast range of shades catering to deeper skin tones like mine while also being easy on the pocket. I do hate the packaging tho.

6. Blush:

NARS Orgasm vs Wet n Wild Pearlescent Pink

R1 400 vs R92

Blush has changed my life, and I must admit, I put way too much on, but in my opinion, you can just never have too much blush on. In the same breath, blush should not be this expensive. It’s basically eyeshadow, right?

NARS is that girl. The shade ‘Orgasm’ is particularly raved about because of its perfect balance between pink and peach. Wet n Wilde has, however, come with a shade almost identical to ‘Orgasm’ that goes for less than 100 bucks. I’m running to Clicks right now.

7. Brow Gel:

Benefit Grow Gel vs Essence Make Me Brow

R300 vs R70

This product is not a need in your makeup collection in my opinion but some girlies prefer very structured and secured eyebrows.

If you are her, you have probably seen and heard of the Benefit Brow Gel since 2016 makeup took over Youtube. This product is standing the test of time and evolving with the digital times as it makes its name on TikTok.

As you tackle one of the most important features of a beat face, turn to the Essence Make Me Brow eyebrow get mascara that will give you the exact same look but for far less.

8. Mascara:

NARS Exclusive Max Explicit Black Mascara vs Essence Extreme Mascara

R570 vs R75

Mascara is a need. For both times when you want to rock a minimalistic look or add more volume to your false lashes, a good mascara is everything.

What it is definitely not is more than R200! Again, essence is showing up for the girls with an affordable alternative that promises extreme volume. The applicator does it for me, structured to get into every nook and cranny oaf hair, coating it with all its goodness.

9. Nude Lipstick:

MAC Matte Lipstick vs Essence Hydrating Nude Lipstick

R400 vs R70

You can never go wrong with a nude lips. Whether its unlocking sexiness for date night or the ultimate baddie for a night out, a nude like goes with everything.

MAC has always been that girl. Still is. From the classic Ruby Woo to this Creme D’Nude, this brand gets it right. R400, however, is a bit much, isn’t it? Well, Essence is keeping us afloat once again. At this point, I’m buying everything on that Essence stand. Yoh!

10. Glossy Lippy:

Dior Lip Glow Oil vs Signature Lip Glow

R1 100 vs R30

Lip oils are similar to lip-glosses but offer a more skin-care approach to the ordinary just-gloss approach. They are based with essential nourishing oils, hydrating the lips better due to their lighter consistency.

if you’re looking to be a woke baddie, this is the product for you. The Dior Lip Glow Oil has been making the rounds on social media for the past year. This lip oil gives a slight pink tint, accentuating your natural lip.

Signature Cosmetics said “Hold my purse” and gave the girlies the exact same products for less that R50! Now this is a dupe!

Makeup does not be expensive in order to look good. It’s really all in your technique and the more you practice, the more it gets smoother. There is absolutely no shame in starting small, with some of these products and building up from there. So, go to your nearest Dischem or Clicks and just start. That’s it.