The splurge:Dior Diorshow Mascara, $21.85
The bargain:L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara, $8.99
Money saved: $12.86
Why you'll love it: "[The L'Oreal] mascara is truly great and can definitely stand on its own as far as best drugstore mascara," says Warren Tricomi makeup artist Kristie Striecher. "The formula is rich and stays on well. For me, it's all about the brush -- and this brush applies the perfect coat each time. It doesn't clump and stays nice until the end of the tube. [It definitely] compares to Diorshow."
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Blush/Bronzer
The splurge:Nars Blush/Bronzer Duo in Orgasm/Laguna, $38
The bargain:E.L.F. Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder, $3
Money saved: $35
Why you'll love it: Mielke calls these two a 95 percent match. The only difference? The E.L.F. product is "lighter" and "less pigmented" so you'll need to apply a bit more for the same effect. But you probably won't mind when you're saving $35.
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Powder
The splurge:MAC Set Powder, $27
The bargain:Ben Nye Translucent Powder, $5
Money saved: $22
Why you'll love it: "I don't go anywhere without MAC's [Set Powder]," Murphy says. "It is truly a universal powder that works on the fairest to deepest skin tones. [But] Ben Nye's Translucent Powder is a finely milled invisible powder [and] the best deal in town. It also works great on everyone no matter what your complexion."
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Lipsticks
The splurges:MAC Lipstick in Lady Danger with Luster, $15 and Nars Lipstick in Honolulu Honey, $24
The bargains:Revlon Lipstick in Orange Flip and Naughty Nude, $7 each, respectively
Money saved: $25 total
Why you'll love them: Striecher calls Revlon's Orange Flip "such a classic" and says it "looks great on everyone." She compares it to MAC Lady Danger and calls both shades, "not too scary orange." Murphy says both the Nars and Revlon shades will give you the perfect nude lip. "Nars Honolulu Honey is the ultimate flesh-toned beige," he says. "It's a staple in my kit. But Revlon's Naughty Nude is a genius nude lip color that conquers the quintessential Brigitte Bardot pale pout."
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Lip gloss
The splurge:Lancome Juicy Tubes, $18
The bargain:L'Oreal Paris Colour Juice Sheer Juicy Lip Gloss, $6
Money saved: $12
Why you'll love it: "L'Oreal Colour Juice Lip Gloss is just as good as Lancome Juicy Tubes," says New York City makeup artist Rachel Wood. "It's great because [L'Oreal] has a great variety of colors and the same amount of high shine as its rival." I guess we shouldn't be too surprised by this -- L'Oreal and Lancome are part of the same corporation. Maybe they use the same formula?
Oh, and in case you were curious how much money you would save if you opted for all of these bargain buys over the splurges: $225.86. Pretty sweet, right?
For the record, we're in no position to judge a good makeup splurge. Our makeup bags are loaded with MAC lip glosses, Nars shadows, and tubes of Lancome mascaras. We'd be giant hypocrites if we told you to always bargain shop for your beauty products. But...
It turns out you totally can (and maybe should) hit up the drugstore for your beauty products — even if you once swore you'd never use anything but your favorite $59 foundation and $24 lipstick. But before you blindly fill up your cart at Target with an aisle's worth of shadows, check out these makeup pros' tips on the drugstore products that are exact — or nearly exact — duplicates of high-end makeup.
Trust us, if anyone would know which cheap makeup products can sit next to your splurge-worthy ones, it's these experts. They literally try thousands of beauty products and definitely know a good match when they see one. With these picks you can do your entire face — from foundation to lip gloss — without breaking your budget. And the best part? These drugstore picks are all high quality, so no one will know you went the bargain route. Well, unless you decide to spill your secrets, but we'll leave that up to you...
