“Dupes” posts are my favorite ones so far. They aren’t the easiest to create, as I rely mostly on online information to find an alternatives to products I already own and love. Often, either the formula has changed-meaning the final product looks different-or the person who wrote about the dupe didn’t actually compare the items side-by-side. This time, however, I’ve found dupes I’ve been hunting for a long while, and the original products are some of my all-time favorites.
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You won’t believe these next finds. We are talking Armani Luminous Silk foundation OG, the old version of Givenchy Prisme Libre Pink powder, and even the Mac Costa Riche liner. For some of these, I didn’t just find a match for performance and texture, but for the exact shade as well. There is one, though, that I can’t say is 100% identical-but you won’t find anything closer, and I’ve been researching alternatives for over a year.
If you want to check out my previous posts featuring proven dupes I’ve personally tested, I’ve linked them all below. You’ll find iconic products like Nars Laguna bronzer, Bobbi Brown Face Base, Urban Decay Primer Potion, and more.
Armani Luminous Silk Foundation-OG vs. L'Oreal True match Nude Hyaluronic Tinted Serum
This is my all-time favorite foundation. You can read the in-depth review I did on it-with swatches and all my insights-right here, in this blog post. The brand has already announced that the formula will change to comply with updated health guideline requirements. That could mean the product will perform better or worse than before; I have already experienced formula changes from other brands in the past where the product felt different. I really hope that will not be the case here. This foundation is a go-to for many makeup artists, and it’s perfect for most skin types with the right skin prep. It photographs gorgeously and doesn’t oxidize throughout the day, which is essential for long wear. It is an oil-free bridal and event foundation with buildable coverage( from light to full) that improves skin texture and easily blurs imperfections. I simply love it. But here is the catch: good luck finding your shade! You need to try in-store or have samples sent from the Armani Beauty boutique (the staff is usually very helpful), as the shade descriptions often don’t match the undertones. I just found out that most people with olive undertones recommend shades 6 (light-medium) or 7.8 (medium).Â
I wasn’t even looking for a dupe for my ride-or-die Armani Luminous Silk foundation. I simply needed an affordable, everyday light serum foundation, and I ordered the shade 2-3 Light online after reading several positive reviews. I truly value reviews on retailer websites; they often feel the most authentic since people are giving feedback on products they’ve purchased with their own money. Not only did I achieve the same effect-luminous, radiant, and medium-natural coverage that lasts all day(when paired with powder and the right skin prep for my combination skin), but I also found an identical match for Armani shade 5.75( light-medium golden with a warm undertone). I didn’t have much hope of finding a good neutral in the drugstore world, but for summer, I can definitely make it work. While it is marketed as a tinted serum, many retailers have added “foundation” to the product description and name, and I believe that’s accurate. It offers buildable coverage despite being so fluid. It also contains 1% hyaluronic acid, so it hydrates, brightens, and evens out the skin. Just be sure to shake the bottle well before use!
YSL Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara in 2 Uninhibited Brown vs. Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Washable Mascara in True Brown
There has been a huge trend surrounding brown mascara lately, but not all of them are created equal. Most don’t actually look brown once applied, or the formula is so difficult to develop that it lacks quality. Although my hair and eyebrows are dark gray, I prefer brown mascara to emphasize my green eyes and achieve a more natural, everyday look. I want my lashes curled and volumized without the pigment looking too harsh. The YSL Lash Clash Extreme Volume mascara in the brown shade was sold out for so long. At first, I thought it was just because of the trend and the lack of brown options at that time. However, as time passed and positive reviews kept rolling in, it sold out several more times. I finally got to try it, and I’m not mad that I spent so much on a high-end mascara. We all know you’re supposed to toss your mascara after 3 months of use, right? Knowing that, I felt I had to try it to see if the hype was real- and it was. It offers intense volume with a vegan formula, rich pigment, no fallout, and no “panda eyes” after hours of wear. It is also now available in a waterproof formula. The wand is a bit tricky, though. It is massive- I’ve never seen a wand this size- and it can be challenging for someone with small eyes or short lashes. The upside is that the bristles manage to catch and coat every hair from the very first layer. The oversized wand has an hourglass design ( wider at the base and tip and tapered in the middle) with traditional fiber bristles of varying lengths. I rarely apply two coats of mascara because I don’t want to pump air into the tube- which dries it out- and I dislike the clumpy look that happens when you apply wet product over a previous coat. This mascara isn’t necessarily for a “no-makeup” look, even in brown, because the lashes end up looking very volumized.
If you need to replace your mascara every 3 months, why not buy drugstore brands at a fraction of the price? The reason is that you cannot always find the same quality as a high-end product. People say that the “make-or-brake” factor is the wand, but I beg to differ. I am convinced that many types of mascara wands are good-whether they are rubber, plastic, or fiber, or have a comb or classic shape. What is more important is the formula: whether it manages to keep the lashes curled and coated in pigment without melting down throughout the day. I have written before about the viral Maybelline Sky High mascara as one of my favorites, and I found that the “True brown” shade gives my lashes that same brown intense pigment, volume, curl, and longevity as the YSL version. At the moment, this Maybelline mascara comes in 8 shades !!!, so you will find your favorite; they offer blue, brown, and even plum and green. The formula provides instant volume that holds the lash curl and does not result in fallout. The wand is made from soft, molded plastic-elastomer, designed to flex under pressure; it is thin, long, and tapers slightly toward the tip. Because it is so thin, you can reach the smaller, inner lashes, which is much harder to do with the YSL mascara. Ultimately, both products result in the same effect and offer the same quality.
Givenchy Prisme Libre Illuminating& Color Correcting Loose Powder in 03 Voile Rose(old version) vs. Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder in Pink
I will call this product discontinued, as although we were offered an “improved” formula of it, the powder doesn’t perform the same as the old version. Once the old formula was changed, I have been searching for the same effect the Givenchy Prisme Libre gave, to be specific, the no. 3 Voile Rose shade, the PINK ONE. The fact that the internet went crazy about this corrective powder in the pink shade specifically made the product impossible to find, although so expensive at that time. Now everyone is searching for a replacement, as it doesn’t exist anymore. The powder mattified, blurred, and illuminated the complexion while setting the makeup for the day. It was very fine which made it very good at not adding an extra visible layer of makeup. And it really kept my undereye looking fresh as it was correcting the blue of my undereye circles. I am not mad now, as you will see I have found a few options for replacing it, some more affordable, and some not. The problem with the old version of the product was having talc in the composition. Givenchy choose to be correct and change the formula and take this ingredient out, giving up to an iconic item in their collection, while other brands continue to use in setting powders, and not to mention that most eyeshadows from most of the brands have talc included in the ingredients. So, the law is for everyone? If talc, coming from the bad origins, asbestos contaminated, is harmful, all brands should take it out from their production lines.Â
The translucent powder from Laura Mercier is by itself an iconic product, one of the best face powders. It improves the wear of the makeup, reduces and controls shine(to a certain level, for very oily people like me, it keeps things matte for a few hours and then I still need to retouch), and most important it doesn’t look cakey if you don’t overdo it, of course. On top of that goodness, the loose powder comes in different shades also and one of them is the peachy-pink one that is meant to brighten and enliven the complexion. The pink one gives the same effect as the Givenchy one, and it even has still talc as an ingredient, which Voile Rose had.
Lancome makes good lip products and when it comes to lip oils, which EVERY BRAND carries nowadays, I prefer this one from all the high-end category. Lip oil are a “newer” concept in the makeup world, they are hybrid products, a mix between a lip gloss and a lip balm, giving nourishment and looking like a lip gloss, keeping the lips smooth, soft, and protected from dryness. I love them especially during the winter or dry days as I don’t need to use that much of a lip balm. The Lancome lip oil feels very hydrating on the lip, not slippery and greasy like an oil, and that is because of the squalane ingredient that was added to the formula. It’s not sticky at all and gives a hint of color. Scent wise, it has a nice sweet-minty smell, that fades after a while, so it’s not bothering at all. The shade that my sister got for me is the 60 Million-Dollar Berry one and it’s a plum berry one. Having it on the lips made me instantly realize that I already own an identical dupe, at a drugstore price point.
Launched in 2023, the elf lip oil was an instant hit. The lip oils were at their pick of virality and we were given the affordable product with all the great qualities, like elf manages all the time. I knew there is no point on going for the lighter shades, as we know the color doesn’t show up much and I went straight for the darkest shade at that time, the most loved shade online, that was the Jam Session, a black cherry shade. The lip oil is hydrating and giving high-gloss finish at the same time, it is also minty scented (just like the Lancome one). Besides Squalane- just like the Lancome one, the elf lip oils has also Apricot Oil, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Pomegranate Oil. I specifically love the applicator on this one, an XXL plush cushion one, which allows me to pack enough product for applying on the lips on one time and not keep adding product, like it happens to most lip oils. Clean, vegan, and cruelty-free, this is an exact dupe for the high-end one from Lancome,
One of the most searched dupe on the internet is the one for the OG classical, amazing, must have Kohl liner from Mac in the shade Costa Riche. I have been searching also for a dupe for the longest time, and I can say that most of the suggested products are not even similar to the liner. A soft eye liner, the Costa Riche shade is part of the Kohl line, rich pigment and silky smooth for application, and described by the brand as a coffee bean brown. It can be used as part of a smokey eye look or simply on it’s own, as an eye liner or to thigh line . It has the power to compliment blue/green eyes. A staple in every makeup artist’s kit, the Costa Riche liner is one of the best rated Mac products (you can find here the top of the best selling Mac products ever)Â and most popular. it is not a long lasting product, unless you set it with a powder one. This rich brown shade with a slight red undertone is not easy to replicate, I didn’t find anything identical, high-end or drugstore.
Out of all the dupes suggested on the internet, the UD Whiskey eye liner appears the most, it has the highest percentage in similarity, but I don’t know if it’s because there was a formula change or the internet just lies, but it is far from being identical, besides being a brown pencil. A medium-dark, matte finish, neutral-warm tone, the shade is missing that red touch that makes Costa Riche a special one. On it’s own, it’s an amazing shade. The UD Whiskey is also smudge-proof, waterproof unlike the Mac one, that you have to set. It is very creamy, easy to apply and to work into the desired shape until it sets. It is so long lasting, that I need a special bi-phasic cleanser to take it out at the end of the day. I personally love the 24/7 Urban Decay liners, I have plenty of shades, both neutrals and colorful, for a pop of color. The liners are one of the best sellers of the brand for years. And if Whiskey is not an identical dupe, why is it here? Because I found a combination that gives the same effect as the Costa Riche pencil
An impossible name to remember. I didn’t see much talk about it online, but a Mac makeup artist recommended me as a dupe for the Costa Riche eyeliner, in a waterproof version. It is not a dupe, as the red stands out more than the brown tone of this shade, but I like to wear it on it’s own or if I combine it with the UD Whiskey eyeliner, it will give me an identical match to Costa Riche. Described by the brand as a dark dirty red, it has enough pigment to change the tone of a different liner. It is NOT MATTE, but more like a satin finish. It is creamy, glides on the skin, and once it sets, it doesn’t move. This liner comes in a retractable packaging, not being able to sharpen it, but it comes thin enough to draw precise lines. So this liner is the key element to make any other warm brown , mid tone, matte liner a dupe for the Costa Riche one, and adding longevity to the wear. Applause, applause!!!
That is it for this time. As much as I love finding dupes for the best makeup products there, and I see you like to read about it also, I find it more and more difficult to find identical products that are permanent, as many brands are reformulating their lines, changing ingredients that modify the shade of the OG. There is a lot of confusion, a lot of information to digest, but I can say that some of the products are not the same as the original ones, before, therefore they shouldn’t have the same name as before the reformulation. Leave me a comment down below on which product you are searching a dupe for.