Makeup Dupes: Splurge Or Save?

Quality makeup is not always expensive, and cheap makeup is not always second-grade. Lifestyle Writers Aysha Quek and Nadhirah Ismail put three makeup products to the test and check out if the affordable alternatives match up to the real deal.

By Aysha Quek and Nadhirah Ismail

With a wide variety of makeup dupes in the beauty market these days, it’s tempting to opt for a slightly more affordable brand, in hopes that they will be comparable to their expensive originals. Then again, should you be wondering if makeup dupes are able to work magic, rest assured — we got you covered.

Concealer

Splurge: MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC45
$31, available at all MAC counters

What it promises: A long-lasting concealer that stays on for at least 12 hours, this concealer helps hide nasty blemishes and keeps you looking fresh throughout the day.

Review: Boasting a creamy base, only a few pumps of the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer was required to cover the blemishes on our faces. Despite its thick consistency, the coverage of the concealer actually felt lightweight, leaving a natural finish after application.

A wide range of flesh-coloured hues are also available to cater to different skin tones. Plus, the concealer did live up to its glory of lasting for more than half a day. However, it may dry your skin out as it did for us after prolonged usage within the day.

Save: L.A. Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer in Fawn
$9, available at selected SaSa stores

What it promises: The L.A. Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer is crease-resistant and has an opaque coverage with a creamy but lightweight texture. It provides blemish-free and natural-looking skin after application by camouflaging dark eye circles, evening skin tones and minimising fine lines around the eyes.

Review: There have been raving reviews on this product and when we tried it, it definitely did not disappoint.

The L.A Girl concealer may not be as good as the MAC concealer in terms of coverage — more product is needed to cover blemishes. Plus, the concealer left us with an uneven skin tone after application.

But it lasted for more than 12 hours on our skin while still keeping it supple.

Coming with a handy brush applicator, we had zero trouble with application for it was easy and fuss-free.

Verdict:
Aysha’s pick: MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC45
For a smoother finish and dewy afterglow, the MAC concealer is definitely worth the price you pay. Quality is extremely important for me and the coverage achieved by the MAC concealer hides nasty blemishes better. I tend to apply a spray-on moisturiser onto my skin if it feels dehydrated after prolonged usage.

Nadhirah’s pick: L.A. Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer in Fawn
I really cannot find anything I don’t love about this product. Though it may not have a high coverage as compared to the MAC concealer, it still manages to cover my blemishes well and can last all day without drying my skin. All I had to do was to make use of a brush to pat concealer into the desired areas till it blends into my skin evenly. Furthermore, the cost of the L.A. Girl concealer is pocket-friendly and definitely worth the price I paid.

Applicator

Splurge: beautyblender®
$30, available at all SaSa and Sephora outlets, and on Luxola.com (http://www.luxola.com/sg/products/beauty-blender-beauty-blender)

What it promises: The beautyblender® is deemed a staple for most makeup artists and beauty junkies worldwide. Being non-allergenic, and free of latex and odour, this makeup sponge ensures a flawless finish — almost comparable to an airbrushed look.

Review: The beautyblender® definitely lives up to its reputation. It’s simple and easy to use, and it left our skin looking naturally flawless. The pointed tip of the sponge helped us reach the otherwise hard-to-reach spots like the area around the nose and under the eyes. It also conceals our blemishes well. Furthermore, the sponge was quick to dry upon wetting it in water before use.

We also managed to build coverage at specific areas on our skin without worrying about our makeup caking. However, the sponge is pretty difficult to maintain. It has to be cleaned every week with the beautyblender® cleanser that comes separately at $29. Also, the sponge has to be dried properly to prevent mould from forming.

Nevertheless, we believe that, with proper care and maintenance, the beautyblender® can work wonders for you.

Save: Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
$16, available on Luxola.com (http://www.luxola.com/sg/products/real-techniques-complex-sponge)

What it promises: The versatile design of the product features a round-sided sponge with a precision tip and flat edge that evenly blends makeup for a smooth and enhanced finish.

Review: The Real Techniques sponge has a flat surface, which comes in very handy when applying makeup at the area under the eyes as well as the forehead. It is, however, more porous as compared to the beautyblender®. This means the Real Techniques sponge requires a longer time for it to reach a damp consistency before application and it uses up more product since it is more absorbent.

In addition, we found the initial odour of the sponge a little overbearing but the smell faded away after a few washes. Nonetheless, it does give us the flawless finish as promised.

Verdict:
Writers’ pick: Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

As much as we love the beautyblender®, it is hard to deny that Real Techniques has indeed created the holy grail of dupes with its Complexion Sponge. It gives off the same flawless finish as the beautyblender® at half the price. This dupe is as authentic as it can get in the beauty market.

Lips

Splurge: MAC Rebel Lipstick
$29, available at all MAC counters

What it promises: The MAC Rebel Lipstick gives a deep raspberry shade with plum undertone — a colour that you might want to try if you’re feeling adventurous. It leaves a satin finish and guarantees to be long-lasting, with minimal touch-ups required.

Review: The colour payoff for the MAC lipstick is lustrous and extremely pigmented. However, precisely due to the fact that it’s long-lasting, the lipstick has the tendency to stain our lips, resulting in tough removal, even with an oil-based makeup remover.

In terms of the packaging, the MAC lipstick comes in its iconic black bullet case that is sturdy and durable, preventing the lipstick from breaking should you ever drop it.

Save: Wet n Wild Mega Last in Sugar Plum Fairy
$6.90, available at all SaSa outlets and on Luxola.com (http://www.luxola.com/sg/products/wet-n-wild-megalast-lip-color)

What it promises: The Wet n Wild Mega Last in Sugar Plum Fairy is a long-wearing lip colour that leaves a semi-matte and crème finish in just one stroke. It does not cake, feather or bleed, and is made to hydrate your lips as it contains hydrating skincare ingredients like Vitamins A & E. These are effective in preventing cracked lips. It also comes in the same shade of purple as the MAC lipstick.

Review: Colour-wise, the Wet n Wild lipstick definitely hits the right spot, for it is almost in the exact same shade as the MAC lipstick. We were extremely impressed as not many dupes are able to produce colours that faithfully follow those of their originals.

Sadly, its poor packaging allows the cover to come off easily, leaving the lipstick vulnerable to breakage. There is also lack of a precision point for application as the lipstick is rounded, hence application can get messy — the lipstick tends to smudge at the corner of our lips. You can, however, count on a lip brush to solve that problem.

Also, unlike what it promised, we did not feel the lipstick hydrating on our lips. We were disappointed that it left our lips feeling dry. The lasting power, however, was fantastic — it lasted a whole day for us and we only had to touch up once.

Verdict:
Aysha’s pick: Wet n Wild Mega Last in Sugar Plum Fairy
Admittedly, the MAC lipstick does leave your lips looking more luscious and bold, but I personally feel that the colour payoff for the Wet n Wild lipstick does not differ much.

The quality of the lipstick is worth much more than what you pay for. Though it can dry out your lips, you can always put on lip balm before applying the matte lipstick to keep your lips moisturised throughout the day.

Nadhirah’s pick: MAC Rebel Lipstick
Even though the Wet n Wild lipstick came in almost the exact same shade as MAC lipstick, the latter still won me over with its formula and packaging.

I feel that there is more to a lipstick than just its colour — my lips are much more cared for with the MAC lipstick and I did not have to worry about it being too drying or it wearing off at the end of the day.