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There are a few things you should know about me. Firstly, I love wearing makeup; Second, I have been a Sephora Rouge tier customer for six years. and thirdly, I can’t keep spending so much money. My Sephora spending has gotten so out of control that I’ve had to give myself a strict monthly cosmetics allowance to curb my spending in that category. While I used to be able to go to Sephora on any given afternoon and leave with a few purchases, this new spending limit has kept me in check and looking for cheaper alternatives to my favorite products.
Here is e.l.f. enter the game. Over the years, I’ve tried drugstore products and found that they just don’t compare to my tried-and-true products. But a few years ago e.l.f. Scammers began gracing my For You page with makeup artists claiming they were as good – or even better – than some of my favorite products. In particular, e.l.f.’s Dior lip oil dupe, Charlotte Tilbury’s flawless filter dupe, and Rare Beauty’s blush dupe have caused a stir in the beauty community. Since then I have done my part in e.l.f. tried out. beauty products and loved them so much that I made them a part of my regular routine (which of course also made sticking to my monthly cosmetic allowance a lot easier).
At first I thought e.l.f. was just a really great drugstore brand. However, with each new release it becomes more than clear that e.l.f. Fraudsters are no longer just a coincidence, they are essentially the company’s entire brand. As high-end products become more and more expensive (thanks, inflation), e.l.f. solves a problem for makeup girlies around the world. But are these duplicates actually comparable to their high-end counterparts? I have it with a full frame of e.l.f. tried. makeup products and compared them to the high-end products that fool them. Here’s where I think you should save and treat yourself:
I have combination skin that is prone to breakouts, and when I researched primers with that in mind, the Milk Hydro Grip Primer seemed to be the clear choice. But I honestly couldn’t imagine spending that much money on a primer and quickly went looking for a duplicate. The Elfe Power Grip Primer is really excellent. I’ve repurchased it countless times and always go back to it after testing a new one. It has a hydrating, slightly thicker, sticky finish that creates a barrier between my skin and the rest of my makeup. This is crucial for someone like me who is prone to dry patches. With this primer, my makeup sits so well on my skin and doesn’t get stuck in dry, flaky patches.
I find it really hard to justify the cost of a product that has no visible effect. So while this primer is excellent in every way, I’ll probably stick with the pixie. version so I can invest more money in products I can actually see, like blush or lip products. However, the Milk Primer has more advantages over the E.L.F. the nose ahead. in terms of how it feels on the face. It’s a little more hydrating, easier to work with, and has a cooling effect that feels good on my inflamed and irritated skin – but those things aren’t worth the price in my opinion when you consider the e.l.f. The alternative is right there.
This is another elf. Product I already use and love. Again, I didn’t want to pay the $49 for the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (sensing a theme yet?), so I rushed out to try it out as soon as it came out. Since it has the lowest coverage, I prefer to use it on no makeup days in combination with a concealer to better cover problem areas. Since this is a glow product that offers slightly more coverage, it may feel heavy on the face when paired with another foundation or skin tint. That’s why I usually wear it alone.
I still remember everyone going crazy over this product a few years ago, and after trying it for the first time, I have to say I really don’t understand the hype. If I had flawless skin with no blemishes, I could see this being a great product for no makeup days, but since I definitely don’t use it, I can’t use it without another ones base product to be applied over the tip. And after that, the radiant finish disappears under the tint, bronzer and blush I use. In a future where I have perfect skin (fingers crossed!) I may reconsider it, but for now it’s certainly not worth the extra money.
I’m not a full coverage girl and since this was my first time using this product it was a shock to my system. I quickly realized I had used way too much product here, but once it was finally blended it left quite a nice finish but felt very thick on my skin. I also wish the color palette was better – even my best shade wasn’t a perfect match. For this reason, I actually think going the high-end route is the best option here. You want your base product to work really well as a base for the rest of your makeup and I don’t think this is it.
I was pleasantly surprised by this. I really don’t like the feeling of having too much makeup on my face, but despite the full coverage, the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream has a really nice, skin-like finish. Where the thick texture of the e.l.f. CC cream is difficult to blend, IT Cosmetics blends like a dream. The fact that it also has an SPF of 50+ makes it the clear winner here.
I’ll be honest – I haven’t found a concealer that I’m really excited about yet. This was a lovely full coverage concealer that brightened up my under eye area and gave my blemishes a bit more coverage. It’s a good, inexpensive option that mixes well, but the color selection is so poor that I can’t fully recommend it.
Again, I haven’t found a concealer that matches my other Holy Grail beauty products, but this was a good option and I can see why it’s one of the original viral beauty products. With almost twice as many color options as the e.l.f. Concealer, this is the clear winner for me if the formulation works well with your skin. I needed some extra moisture under my eyes when I used it, which caused it to peel under my eyes a bit throughout the day.
And here we have the first product that has actually found its way into my normal routine. I was honestly so surprised at how this looked. Even though it is a liquid product (which is very difficult to blend), it literally melted into my skin and provided the most beautiful glow. However, the applicator is so messy and I have no idea if it “closes” like Charlotte Tilbury’s, which could make storing it a risk. However, with a price tag of $7 and a formula that forced me to look it up, I can live with the messy packaging. I also like that this product comes in six shades, whereas the Charlotte Tilbury version only comes in two.
This is a match that I really couldn’t tell the difference between. Both the formula and the way the Charlotte Tilbury contouring wand blends are essentially the same as the E.L.F. dupe, but the e.l.f. Halo Glow Contour Wand comes out on top due to its price and slightly more color options.
Holy PIGMENT. I’m no newbie to highly pigmented liquid blushes (I’ve been using Rare Beauty and Saie’s for years), but the pigment in this blush really surprised me. I wouldn’t recommend putting it directly on your face. Instead, I put a little on my hand and pick up the product with a brush. This makes it the easiest for me to blend and still provides a lot of color. I have to say, this product is almost identical to Rare Beauty’s blushes, it even has many of the same shades as Rare Beauty’s. For this reason and because of the price here, the e.l.f. Camo Liquid Blush is the clear winner for me. I’ll definitely get a few more shades.
When Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush came out, life changed. I remember buying two shades straight away and then immediately having difficulty working with them. Over time I figured out how to make the product work for me, but to this day I sometimes desperately try to tone down a little pigment with a damp Beauty Blender, the brush I used for my foundation, concealer…really Anything to make my cheeks look a little less scary. I know people love these blushes and I usually do too! However, I find that they can flake off on my skin and look patchy when I have dry patches, which is something I notice with the e.l.f. wasn’t noticed. Camo Liquid Blush, that’s why it got my vote. However, if they work for you, I think the price is $23It’s worth it because you’ll have this blush in your makeup bag for decades.