There are some bold, pigmented makeup products at the drugstore.
Meredith Schneider
I worked as a hair and makeup artist for more than six years, and I love drugstore products.
High-end products from brands like NARS and Too Faced are great, but ELF and NYX are on par.
For hair, I love the Dove felxible-hold hairspray — its the closest I've found to my holy grail.
I've been doing hair and makeup professionally on and off for over a decade. For about six years of that time, I was with a wedding-focused team and did quite a bit of freelance work for photoshoots, high-school and college events, showers, birthdays, and more.
Everyone's kit is unique to them, and testing products to find new go-tos can be part of the fun. But it isn't always budget-friendly — after all, the global cosmetics industry is set to be worth more than $101 billion by 2027.
Feel free to splurge on top industry products. But if you're looking for budget-friendly alternatives, I'm your girl.
Here are some of the best drugstore makeup and hair products that I think are total dupes for luxury items.
ELF's entire Halo Glow line rivals brands like Charlotte Tilbury.
I love The Liquid Filter product from ELF's Halo Glow line.
Meredith Schneider
For years, Charlotte Tilbury's base makeup and contours have been the talk of the town — every makeup artist I know keeps the brand's Flawless Filter ($50) in their kit.
But ELF — one of my favorite inexpensive brands for bold looks — has introduced a Halo Glow line that I think is almost identical to Charlotte Tilbury's more upscale products.
The drugstore brand's Liquid Filter ($14) product is the perfect base for a dewy glow.
Maybelline’s Fit Me foundation is a dead ringer for a product that costs five times more.
I prefer the matte formula.
Meredith Schneider
When I first started as a makeup artist, NARS was the most lavish foundation ($52) I could invest in. Over the years, its formula has stayed in the top rankings.
Yet Maybelline's Fit Me foundation ($10) is so good that I don't even consider buying NARS' anymore.
NYX’s Bare With Me gives some fan-favorite concealers a run for their money.
The Bare With Me concealer formula is so hydrating and smooth.
Meredith Schneider
I've always believed that concealer is a multifaceted product. It can hide blemishes, prep skin for makeup, and help pigment colors.
I'm shocked by how the brand's Bare With Me concealer ($12) works very similarly to the popular Too Faced Born This Way ($30) and Kosas Revealer ($30) ones that have been all over the internet.
NYX's I Know That's Bright eyeshadow palette is just as good as some luxury products.
The NYX eyeshadows are so pigmented.
Meredith Schneider
It's existed in many names and forms over the years, but NYX's $20 Brights eyeshadow palette (currently called I Know That's Bright) is one of the most pigmented drugstore palettes I've ever used.
It's also a fantastic alternative to MAC's Connect In Colour ($55), ColourPop's Fade Into Hue ($35), and Anastasia Beverly Hills' Norvina Pro-Pigment ($60) palettes.
Dove flexible-hold is the best drugstore hairspray in the business.
I don't want my hairspray to be crunchy or flaky.
Meredith Schneider
Dove's flexible-hold hairspray ($9) is the most affordable item I've found that can compare to my beloved Kendra Perfect Medium Spray 13 ($21).
I'd say its hold is somewhere in between Kendra's 10 and 13 sprays.
The Dove product mists on lightly, has a pleasant scent, and doesn't flake.
L’Oreal’s Magic Root Cover-Up is a cheaper way to get expensive-looking results.
L'Oreal's Magic Root Cover-Up lives up to its name.
Meredith Schneider
Hair loss and thinning are completely natural and don't need to be covered up. But if you're trying to make your hair look thicker, L'Oreal's Magic Root Cover-Up ($12) is a great choice.
I keep three colors in my bag that blend naturally into my hair and look seamless after I add a little root powder.
Sure, a spray won't ever be a perfect dupe for hair transplants and custom extensions, which can cost three to five figures, but it's so affordable that I'd say it's close enough.
Cotton swabs rival some makeup brushes.
Cotton swabs are so cheap and useful.
Meredith Schneider
I have multiple sets of makeup brushes and applicators. But when those are out of reach, cotton swabs are my go-to solution. They may not be perfect dupes, but they are a constant fixture in my kit, and you can get hundreds for as little as $1.
They're great tools for a myriad of things, including makeup application and fixing mistakes. I've found that cotton swabs also tend to apply color more boldly, and I prefer the way they blend to any disposable eyeshadow applicators (and most brushes) I've used.
If you wet the swab before adding product to it, it applies with more precision. I often create colorful or bold eyeliner looks with this method.
