Heya, 'What's Good' writers Mon and Soph here!
With the cozzie liv still wreaking havoc on our bank accounts, our beauty essentials have us spending more than we’d care to admit.
There’s an endless number of products claiming to be the best dupes of the big hitters like Drunk Elephant, Charlotte Tilbury and Too Faced, but ain’t none of us got the time - or funds - to be snapping up the latest dupe only to find it's a dud.
So, we’ve halved the job for you and found the dopest dupes you can get your hands on for pretty bloody cheap.
Here are 10 affordable beauty dupes available in NZ that actually live up to the hype:
Mon:
MCo Beauty Glow Up Ph Lip Balm Universal Colour Changing ($20) - dupe for Dior Addict Lip Glow ($72)
We've all seen influencers trying colour-changing lipsticks on TikTok, finding their 'perfect pink' like magic as the product reacts with their natural PH. Who'd have thought you could get something similar at The Warehouse for a fraction of the price? I was legitimately impressed with the effect of this balm - it hydrates, smooths and enhances your natural lip colour.
Bondi Sands Be Bronze Instant Bronzing + Hydrating Serum ($22.99) - dupe for Drunk Elephant De Bronzi Sunshine Drops ($67)
Skincare that also gives you a bronzy glow is one of my favourite beauty inventions of late, and Drunk Elephant made a huge name for themselves in this space with their De Bronzi Sunshine Drops. At nearly $70 for a small bottle, it's quite the investment, but I can vouch for Bondi Sands' version, which I use religiously.
OXX Cosmetics Sparkling Rose Blush and Highlight Wand ($9) - dupe for Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand ($71)
Kmart's OXO beauty has sussed such a good dupe of this cult favourite liquid highlighter, you have to wonder how they don't get pinged for copyright infringement. I don't care how they did it - I'm just glad they did. It's a creamy, luminous formula that's really easy to use and blend, and at $9 a pop you can afford to grab both shades, plus the blush and bronzer versions that pair with it perfectly.
Ardell Brow Glue ($10.39) - dupe for Too Faced Fluff & Hold Laminating Brow Wax ($49)
This stuff has become my secret weapon - a little goes a looong way and it's not only just as good as more expensive products, it can eliminate the need for in-salon brow lamination appointments too. This stuff will fluff up and then freeze your brows in seconds and stay all day.
Ardell Brow Sculpting Gel (RRP$12.99) - dupe for Kosas Air Brow Clear Gel ($45)
This is another great option if you want to lift and set without quite as much hold - there's no crispy feeling and this formula has castor oil to keep your brows nourished too.
OXX Cosmetics Sparkling Rose Eyeshadow Quad Set ($9) - dupe for Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette ($109)
Dropping over $100 on four little eyeshadows is pretty out the gate, even with Charlotte Tilbury's gorg packaging and shades. Thankfully Kmart's OXX Cosmetics have come to the party with a very similar eyeshadow quad for under a tenner. The Sparkling Rose Eyeshadow Quad has two rich matte shades and two with more of a shimmer, just like the expensive version. I will say it's not quite as pigmented as the Charlotte Tilbury option, but if you're looking for an everyday palette at less than a 10th of the price - this is perfect.
Soph:
MCo Beauty Golden Drops ($35) - dupe for Drunk Elephant De Bronzi Sunshine Drops ($67)
Achieving a bronzy glow while taking care of your skin is a MUST for achieving the clean girl aesthetic. Drunk Elephant's De Bronzi Sunshine Drops have become an iconic player in the game, but for almost $70 for a small bottle, it's quite the investment. This is why I’ve been loving using MCo’s version to achieve the same natural tan and shimmering glow for around half the cost.
OXX Cosmetics Sparkling Rose Bronzer ($9) - dupe for Nars Laguna Bronzing Powder ($75)
Hitting the pan on my holy grail bronzer was a sad day, but I can no longer justify forking out so much cash on one product. Especially when I can get a similar colour payoff for under a tenner! I have to add it is not identical in terms of tone/colour, but does a pretty good job for the price point.
MCo Beauty Soufflé Dream Moisturising Cream ($35) - dupe for Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream ($112)
Forking out over a hundred bucks on a moisturiser should be criminal, IMO. I’ve been using MCo’s Lala Retro dupe and it truly has been a dream. It smooths my skin subtly and is lightweight which is always a plus in skin prep.
I use it as a primer and pair it with the bronzing drops I mentioned earlier!
MCo Beauty Fragrance Mists ($22) and OXX Summer Solstice Fragrances ($10) - dupe for Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa Perfume Mists ($71)
Dropping $47-$74 for Sol de Janeiro is a killer in a cossie liv. That’s why we’ve been vibing the OXX Cosmetics (Kmart) and MCo Beauty (The Warehouse and Chemist Warehouse) dupes. There’s a reason they’ve gone MEGA viral for being spot-on dupes of the pricey body mists but for way less cash.
That’s it. We're off to replace our kits for a slice of the price, cause that’s so IN for 2024!
