Do You Dupe?

This long weekend, I went on a dupe frenzy. Do you ever look up dupes? And by dupes, I mean a cheaper version of an existing, more expensive cosmetic/skincare item. For me, it all started when I ran out of my Tatcha oil below, and had to get some in a hurry but was not brave enough to go to the mall. So instead I looked for something I could get from Target, and then realized that there were many “dupes” of expensive items I love, and who doesn’t like to save money? Especially since I tend to be quite liberal with my skincare products…I like slathering creams and oil all over my face, it just feels more relaxing and and soothing. And then I entered a dupe Googling spiral, where I started looking up more dupes, and then found out there are dupes of basically everything, which makes sense in the cosmetics space, and so went hunting for more. Here are my favorites:

Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil ($48) Yes as mentioned above. I love this stuff! I’ve gone through multiple bottles. I use quite a bit though (I guess I like that feeling of rubbing the oil in all over my face) and since my current bottle is low, I thought I would try an alternate. I debated and finally landed on –

Burt’s Bees Cleansing Oil ($11-$15) I like this a lot. It has argan and coconut oils, both oils that I use on my face so I felt comfortable. There’s a ton of product and it’s very gentle and took off my makeup (but I don’t use much, so it’s not a huge concern for me). And my skin doesn’t feel tight afterwards. In fact, it’s a very similar feeling to how I felt with Tatcha. I’m attached to the Tatcha for some reason, so I’ll probably return to it at some point, but I really, really like this as an alternative.

Trish McEvoy Lash Curling Mascara ($32). My favorite mascara and a super high recommendation from a friend whose beauty recs I really trust. I tried it and love it – it really does curl your lashes, and gives a very natural (but still extra) look. And it’s a breeze to clean off, with warm water. That being said – I’ve found this dries out quite easily. And it ‘s expensive! So I decided to try –

Boots No7 Stay Perfect Mascara ($10): The brush for this is slightly different – actually a bit less clumpy, as it is smaller. So far, similar effect as the Trish, no clumping, however it is *slightly* more difficult to get off (I just need a few more rounds of water). I haven’t used long enough to determine whether it dries out quickly, but so far I’m quite happy! Note that I went to two Targets to find this – I think it sells out pretty quickly and is popular.

YSL Touche Eclat ($38): This is like the Tatcha cleanser in that I’ve bought this product so many times. I’m actually okay with the price as the packaging is gorgeous and feels sturdy and it lasts quite long. I use 1.5. But I finally decided to try a new one in the name of dupes, so –

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind ($7-$10):  I’d seen this Maybelline many times and it always caught my eye because it looks like a giant eraser and fun to use. I didn’t originally equate it with Touche Eclat – maybe the anti-aging claim was confusing! But I’m at the age where I’m okay with some rewinding, so. I have the color “Light”. And it’s really nice! Also my baby is obsessed with it, she thinks it is a giant Q-Tip and is furious I don’t let her have it.

Okay so I just realized I mixed up the products in the two photos above and put the two expensive tubes together and the two inexpensive ones together instead of batching the mascaras and the concealers. Sorry!

Anyway…I’d love to hear…what are your favorite dupes? So I can add them to my shopping list!