Ultimate Beauty Dupes

Sleek Makeup Barekissed Illuminator in Monaco | Soap&Glory One Heck of A Blot Primer | Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Palette | Botanics Hot Cloth Cleanser

I'm by no means a high end fiend but I can appreciate a good foundation or a good highlight and if it knocks Boots equivalents out of the water, I'll pay the money so it's always exciting when I find budget versions that save me all that dollar.

Primers are something that I've always been quite indifferent to, the kind of product that you never really know what you're missing until you find the one. The Soap&Glory One Heck of A Blot is incredible. Now that summer is well and truly gone, I favour more matte skin over dewy so a primer to help keep oils at bay was a go to for me. This is beautiful. I've heard it's similar to the Too Faced Hangover Primer as it helps keep your makeup fresh and relatively matte without removing all dimension from your face. It doesn't make my makeup look cakey or anything along those lines and for £10 it's very well priced. (Plus the packaging looks incredible.)

Then onto a contour kit that will save you major money. The Anastasia Beverley Hills Contour Palette is a cult favourite amongst anyone who wants cheekbones sharp enough to kill but at £40, it really is steep. I stumbled across the Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Palette after a good ole instagram stalk when I discovered that it's what Little Mix's makeup artist uses (and lets be honest, their contour game is always incred.) so I thought why not, and picked it up. I own the Anastasia palette and I'm not overly fussed but the Barry M is ten times better. The pigment is amazing, its buttery and it does it's job. There is a warm toned and cool toned contour shade in the palette so it's versatile and although the palette only comes in one skin shade, it's definitely one to keep an eye on. It's less than £10 and is so good that I'm kicking myself for not discovering this earlier. Fingers crossed they bring out some more colours for people with darker skin tones.

And now let's talk highlight. I love a good highlight and when I'm looking for a soft natural, dewy look, liquid highlighters are the ultimate way to achieve that subtle glow. Benefit High Beam is a lovely liquid highlight that has a pink undertone which ultimately gives that lovely glow. But £20 for a tiny pot is quite steep. I spotted this Sleek Barekissed Illuminator in Monaco and instantly knew it was going to be a winner. It's almost identical to the Benefit version but the Sleek comes in a variety of colours. It doesn't contain glitter like so many highstreet highlights but is beautiful. There are champagne and bronze shades also as part of the range so it's great for all skin tones. 

Finally, skincare. I didn't have this when I put together my budget skincare routine but this definitely deserves a place. This Botanics Hot Cloth Cleanser is a sure fire win for anyone looking for a budget balm cleanser and can't afford high priced items like the Emma Harding or Clinique Take The Day Off cleansing balm. It smells incredible and feels incredible luxurious on the skin. I wouldn't say it's a direct dupe but it's certainly a budget equivalent. 

What are some of your favourite budget dupes?

16 comments beauty, makeup, skincare

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