Thanks to TikTok, many of us beauty addicts have recently been blessed with an influx of great product recommendations from beauty influencers and experts. And not even kidding, the products that trend on TikTok usually get sold out everywhere.
On top of that, these products (like the Dior Lip Maximiser, Fenty Gloss Bomb and more) usually aren’t exactly the inexpensive kinds either. While they do work wonderfully and look gorgeous on your vanity, having to repurchase these products consistently (especially because they get used up so fast because they look so good!) definitely adds up.
So, what do you do when you want a refill of your favourite skin tint or lipstick without breaking the bank? You can find the answer in almost any mall or even markets — at drugstores. Yes, there are plenty of dupes for these luxury products that you can find at Guardian and Watsons.
Before you start questioning the quality of these dupes — many of them actually come from reputable companies that use high-grade ingredients (and some of them may even share a parent company as your favourite luxury brands!). Plus, they also save a lot on the fancy marketing and packaging, so the products naturally become much more affordable — sometimes less is more indeed.
To help you achieve your daily glam at a fraction of the price, here are 10 affordable viral high-end luxury makeup dupes that you can easily find at drugstores like Guardian and Watsons!
1. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk vs. Revlon Super Lustrous in Pick Me Up
If you haven’t at least heard of Charlotte Tilbury’s Matte Revolution Lipstick (S$50) — specifically in the shade Pillow Talk, then you’re missing out. This neutral lip shade is supposed to be universally flattering — which means that this soft, rosy and dusty nude lip colour goes really well on any skin tone and with any makeup look
In fact, many makeup artists and celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Alexa Chung love it so much that they even wear it to large-scale events like the Met Gala.
However, because the product is so popular, it can often be difficult to find it in stock in stores, and the price point isn’t exactly the most affordable either. Luckily for you, we’ve found a great dupe for it — Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lipstick (S$18.90) in the shade Pick Me Up.
And don’t worry, it doesn’t only have a similar shade, the formula and feel of the product is very creamy and light as well (all while still being beautifully matte), so it’s definitely a great alternative if you’re looking for something more affordable.
| Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick (Pillow Talk) | Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick (Pick Me Up) | Price Difference |
| S$50 | S$18.90 | S$31.10 |
Available at Watsons.
2. Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminiser in Fenty Glow vs. Maybelline Lifter Gloss
The stars have aligned — mask rules have eased and the early 2000s looks are trending again, which means lip glosses are totally back in the game.
For the Y2K girlies looking for the perfect lip gloss that’s thick enough to give your lips that juicy, kissable pout but don’t want to deal with the dreaded stickiness that many other glosses have, Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminiser (S$34) is definitely the way to go.
With its super shiny finish and rich, moisturising formula, there’s no wonder why the product is almost always sold out — but don’t wallow just yet.
Maybelline’s Lifter Gloss (S$15.83) is one of the most similar drugstore dupes that’s equally hydrating (thanks to the hyaluronic acid content) and highly raved for having the perfect non-gummy formula as well. The packaging is also super sleek, so while it isn’t actually super luxurious, it still feels that way!
| Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminiser (Fenty Glow) | Maybelline Lifter Gloss | Price Difference |
| S$34 | S$15.83 | S$18.17 |
Available on iHerb.
3. Benefit Benetint vs. Etude House Dear Darling Water Tint
Benefit’s Benetint (S$35) is the holy grail product for the trending ‘clean girl’ look — you can use it to stain both your lips and your cheeks for a healthy, natural flush (and it doesn’t feel like you’re wearing anything at all thanks to the watery and lightweight consistency of the product!).
If you’re looking for a more economical option for the Benefit bestseller, let us put you on one of the most amazing dupes that you can get that costs ten times less expensive — the Etude House Dear Darling Water Tint (S$2.88).
Smudge-proof, quick-drying and as equally vivid and long-lasting as the Benetint, this is one product that you’ll probably continuously repurchase because it’s just so easy to use.
| Benefit Benetint | Etude House Dear Darling Water Tint | Price Difference |
| S$35 | S$2.88 | S$32.12 |
Available on Shopee.
4. Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey vs. Nivea Lip Care in Blackberry Shine
If you’re on TikTok, then you’ve definitely heard of Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey (S$37) and how it completely broke the internet and sold out literally everywhere.
As one of the poor souls that didn’t get to try this marvellous lipstick-lip balm hybrid, I scoured the Internet to find a worthy dupe and that’s how we came across Nivea’s Lip Care in Blackberry Shine (S$7.85 for a pack of 2).
With almost the exact same wine-coloured pigment and buttery and balmy finish, this is definitely one of the best luxury makeup dupes out there — trust us on this and find out for yourself.
| Clinique Almost Lipstick (Black Honey) | Nivea Lip Care (Blackberry Shine) | Price Difference |
| S$37 | S$7.85 (2 pack) | S$29.15 |
Available on iHerb.
5. Mac Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in Velvet Teddy vs. Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink in Seductress
Have you ever wondered why nude lipsticks look so good on some people but just don’t work out for some? I mean, it’s supposed to be a neutral shade, right?
That was what I thought until I found out that there are many different shades of nude as well, and some might have a little more pink or a little less brown in them and so on — basically, there’s a crazy variety.
This is one of the main reasons why Mac Cosmetics’ Matte Lipstick (S$36) in the shade Velvet Teddy took the internet by storm when it came out a couple of years ago — it’s the perfect nude shade almost reminiscent of a rich rose milk tea formulated to suit every skin tone and just like Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk mentioned above, many celebrities and influencers also swear by it.
If you’ve been having trouble getting your hands on the popular product, check out one of its most popular dupes, the Maybelline’s Superstay Matte Ink (S$16.05) in the shade Seductress — the shade comparison is almost uncanny and it’s also transfer proof and completely matte (which is something that many fans of the Velvet Teddy would have preferred of the product so, yay bonus points!).
| Mac Cosmetics Matte Lipstick (Velvet Teddy) | Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink (Seductress) | Price Difference |
| S$36 | S$16.05 | S$19.95 |
Available at Watsons.
6. Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint vs. Wet & Wild Tinted Bare Focus Tinted Skin Perfector
Queen Riri came came through again with the launch of Fenty Beauty’s Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint which features a whopping 25 shades (much more extensive than many other collections!). Other than being super inclusive, this skin tint collection also boasts an instant blurring effect that makes it look as if you’re wearing a filter in real life (while still being lightweight and moisturising for your skin).
That being said, this is unfortunately one of the products that’s constantly sold out so if you’re looking for an alternative that’s available (and affordable), check out Wet & Wild’s Tinted Bare Focus Tinted Skin Perfector which also feels really comfortable on the skin while giving you that healthy, ‘clean girl’ look.
| Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint Foundation | Wet & Wild Bare Focus Tinted Skin Perfector | Price Difference |
| S$49 | S$14.90 | S$34.10 |
Available on Shopee.
7. Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder vs. E.L.F. High Definition Powder
I think we can all agree that setting powder is one of the most important steps of a makeup routine — it can either make or break your look by giving you a flawless finish for the rest of the night or cake up your makeup bad.
For many years, Laura Mercier’s Translucent Loose Setting Powder (S$70) has been a crowd favourite for its fine and smooth finish and super reliable long wear — making sure that your makeup efforts don’t go to waste with any creasing or smudging.
Also coming in hot with the crowds for being the perfect alternative to the Laura Mercier powder, E.L.F.’s High Definition Powder (S$8.89) is one that gives you a great ‘filtered’ look in real life as well.
| Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder | E.L.F. High Definition Powder | Price Difference |
| S$70 | S$8.89 | S$61.11 |
Available on iHerb.
8. Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray vs. Milani Make It Last Setting Spray
The Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray (S$50) is known to be so good that after spritzing your face with it, it almost feels as if your makeup is tattooed on your face. Literally. It won’t budge for up to 16 hours — which is perfect for us makeup-wearing girls in Singapore’s hot and humid weather.
Sadly, with Urban Decay pulling out of the Sephoras in Singapore, it can be pretty hard to get your hands on this already hot-selling product, so we found a dupe that’s both affordable and worthy of comparison — the Milani Make It Last Setting Spray (S$13.02).
With oil-absorbing and pore-minimising properties, this dupe can be used both as a priming spray and a setting spray to lock in your makeup — what are touch ups? We don’t know her!
| Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray | Milani Make It Last Setting Spray | Price Difference |
| S$50 | S$13.02 | S$36.98 |
Available at Watsons.
9. Nars Orgasm Blush vs. Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso
It’s cute to look a little bit flushed all the time — even when you’re not actually shy or tipsy, and that’s exactly what blushes are here for.
Just like many of the other selections on this list, Nars’ Orgasm Blush (S$52) is one of the crowd favourites — and for good reason. It’s a sheer blush that’s multi-dimensional in the sense that it’s sprinkled with gorgeous shimmers and sparkles in the most subtle but still noticeable way possible (and it’s also buildable if you’re going for a bolder look).
If you’ve been splurging too much recently and not looking to spend half a hundred dollars on a blush, you can opt for the Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso (S$11.34), one of the most similar dupes we can find that gives you the same glowy and flushed finish.
| Nars Orgasm Blush | Milani Baked Blush (Luminoso) | Price Difference |
| S$52 | S$11.34 | S$40.66 |
Available at Watsons.
10. Dior Lip Maximiser vs. Catrice Volumising Lip Plumper
There’s something that just feels so powerful about applying lip gloss — especially when it’s a fancy and plumping one like Dior’s Lip Maximiser (S$57). Formulated with hyaluronic acid, this boujee lippy helps to fill out the fine lines on your lips to give you that perfect it girl look.
But, there’s one downside to this — it’s all fine and dandy until you find yourself constantly finishing tube after tube of the S$57 lip gloss just because it’s so addictive — so imagine our delight when we came across the Catrice Volumising Lip Plumper (S$7.30), one of the absolute best dupes for the Dior one at a fraction of the price.
Seriously, it looks and feels almost exactly the same — down to the satisfying cooling sensation of the menthol ingredients. If you’re looking for some high shine at a low price, definitely check this dupe out.
| Dior Lip Maximiser | Catrice Volumising Lip Plumper | Price Difference |
| S$57 | S$7.30 | S$49.70 |
Available at Guardian.
And there you have it, 10 affordable luxury dupes that are low on cost but still high on performance and results. Who says that looking good has to be a luxury?
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