The majority of women today wear makeup, whether it’s just blush or one coat of mascara. Some can’t leave the house without makeup. Makeup makes people feel more confident, sociable, and assertive overall.

However, many makeup products can be expensive for the amount of product given. To find alternate makeup products that are significantly cheaper, we have created a list of drugstore products that we think work just as well as the original products. 

“We have a wide variety of brands which are both affordable and high quality,” said Mary Vloet, Walgreens employee. “Makeup is becoming very common for teenagers nowadays and Walgreens is the perfect place to buy makeup if you have a certain budget.” 

Foundation

Foundation tends to have the most impact when it comes to makeup since it covers skin discoloration, under-eye bags, blemishes, pimples, etc. Therefore, it can be pricey to find the right one that won’t give you more skin irritation. Tarte’s Babassu Foundcealer ($39) is a great everyday foundation that serves its purpose of covering unwanted spots. It contains SPF20 with no chemical scent. A drug store alternative is the L’oreal Infallible fresh wear foundation ($10), this contains SPF25 but does have a chemical scent. These products both give a light and moisturizing look to the skin. 

Concealer

Concealer is an everyday product for most women, it’s most popularly used for small pimples and dark circles. The Elf Camo concealer ($5) is a dupe for the Tarte shape tape concealer ($27). These only differentiate with the dryness to the Camo concealer but overall pretty similar. 

Setting Powder

Next comes setting powder. A high-end setting powder is the Fenty Beauty Pro filter powder, and the alternative is the Covergirl TRUblend minerals powder. The Fenty powder does a really nice job of smoothing and setting the under eyes and contains an amazing scent. The Covergirl, though isn’t scented also provides a very smooth finished look to the under eyes and eyelids. 

Stores like Sephora and MAC are usually where you can go to find high-end products, compared to Ultra Beauty and Walgreens for drug-store alternatives. 

“I would say one of the most popular brands we own is Fenty beauty,” said Heather Stephens, Sephora employee. “It’s pricey for all good reasons since it makes skin look flawless and filtered.”

Moving forward this year, Sephora is planning on opening several stores, with one recently opened in the Burr Ridge Mall Plaza. 

“For younger females, I would suggest organic products without any chemicals,” Stephens said. 

Mascara

Mascara is in every girl’s makeup drawer. I personally come to find a drugstore mascara to give a better finishing look than a high-end one. Lancome monsieur big mascara ($25) compared to Maybelline lash sensational mascara ($10). What’s nice about these mascaras is that they give volume to your natural lashes without the need of using an eyelash curler. A very popular drugstore mascara from Target is the Lash Paradise ($11) which also gives length and volume to the lashes. 

Blush

For blushes, there is the Nars Orgasm ($30) in comparison to Flower Pots Powder Blush ($9). Both are rosy blushes that give a natural glow to the skin and a rosy finish. 

Bella Baca, senior, made a makeup account as a way of expressing herself in a different way on social media. 

“I’ve been into hair and makeup and my dream career involves makeovers and dying hair,” Baca said.

Baca enjoys purchasing both high-end makeups as well as drug store, depending on the product. 

“My favorite high-end brand is Urban Decay,” Baca said. “Wet n’ Wild and Elf are really good drug store alternatives.” 

Wet n’ Wild golden flower pop highlighter ($5) that can be purchased at Walgreens is a great dupe for the Becca Champagne Pop Highlighter ($38). Both of these products give a very shimmery glow and are high quality.