Photo 8/9
Your Stay-Put Makeup Solution
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, $36
NYX Studio Perfect Photo-Loving Primer, $13
The Breakdown:
We hear about the "blurring effect" in makeup everywhere these days. Blur creams, blurring primers ... you name it. If we're not using high-definition makeup, we're blurring. Smashbox's Iconic Photo Finish Foundation Primer was one of the first "blurring" products on the market, and its smooth finish that fills in pores and makes makeup look seamless is truly extraordinary. But as much as I love the Smashbox formula, after taking a look at the ingredients in NYX's primer, I found the two products are nearly identical. The NYX primer also kept my makeup in place all day long, didn't leave a greasy feeling and blurred the pores in my trouble areas. Both are winners, but NYX is a clear bargain with equal results.
The Winner:
NYX Studio Perfect Photo-Loving Primer
Photo 9/9
The Eyeliner That's as Easy as Tracing
Lancôme Artliner Liquid Eyeliner Pen, $30
L'Oreal Paris Infallible The Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner, $8.95
The Breakdown:
Liquid eyeliner is one of my "desert island beauty essentials," so I'm picky when it comes to a regular for my makeup bag. These two liquid eyeliners glide on easily and have slightly harder tips than other products I've tried, which makes drawing a steady line easier. The Lancôme product has more of a spongy tip, whereas the L'Oreal eyeliner is like a fine point pen. Although I like the results of both eyeliners, I run out of product on the tip of the Lancôme liner partway through applying. I often have to shake it up or dip the applicator deeper into the tub multiple times to get product on the brush.
The Winner:
L'Oreal Paris Infallible The Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner
You fall head over heels for a $58 BB cream that leaves your skin soft, dewy and impossibly clear -- and you're quite sure there's no other product in the world that will make you look so youthful and radiant. So you do want any beauty-product-obsessed girl on a budget would do: splurge on another bottle and eat ramen for the next week. No matter how much you love a product, it can be hard to justify the price tag, especially on day six of shrink-wrapped noodles. While there truly are some magical beauty products out there for which there is no substitute, plenty of expensive department store beauty products have a drugstore doppelganger that works just as well -- and for a lot less money. We road-tested every popular beauty dupe on the market to find out which high-end beauty products are worth the splurge and which ones you may want to reconsider.
