I love splurging on expensive make up but, being a student has really wrecked havoc with my bank account. So, I'm always on the look out for make up dupes of high end products. I mean, if they're cheaper and do the same job then, why not try them? Today, I'll be sharing my favourite make up dupes and comparing them to the original product.

Benefit Porefessional Primer Vs. L'Oreal Infallible Primer
First off, I have combination skin with large pores. When I discovered Benefit's Porefessional primer a few years ago, I quickly became hooked and, it is now my all-time favourite primer. It smooths on to my skin and it immediately reduces the size of my pores. It allows for an airbrushed application of your foundation and I find that it makes my make up stay intact for longer. However, rolling in at a whopping £27.50 per 20ml tube, this primer has a hefty price tag!


I have tried a lot of primers and none of them seemed to work as well as the Porefessional... until I discovered L'Oreal Paris' Infallible primer. Whilst the Porefessional applies more like a cream, the Infallible is a gel primer. Like the Porefessional, the Infallible minimises large pores and provides an immediate mattifying affect on my skin. I wear this primer on my long days at work as it makes my make up stay put all day. And, compared to the Porefessional, this primer has a minuscle price tag, coming in at £8 per 35ml tube! Although the Porefessional will always have a special place in my heart, the L'Oreal primer definitely works just as well. I would recommend purchasing this if you're on a budget.

TheBalm Mary Lou-Manizer Highlighter Vs. W7 Glowcomotion
TheBalm's Mary Lou-Manizer is a cult classic highlighter, and I think everyone and their Mother is aware of how good it is! It works well with super pale skin tones and can be worn at a subtle or blinding highlight. It is a powder highlight but applies like a cream product and, it is incredibly soft on the skin. I tried this highlighter in TheBalm's TheManizer Sister palette and I have just hit pan on it, as I shown it a lot of love. A full size of this highlighter is priced at £16 per 8.5g.


As I was running out of this highlighter, I wanted to try to find a cheaper version that would work just as well with my pale skin. A friend recommended that I should try W7's Glowcomotion highlighter. I am so glad that I did! W7's Glowcomotion is advertised as three-in-one highlighter, shimmer and eyeshadow and is priced at £3.15 per 8.5g. The shades of both highlighters are just about the same *but* the Glowcomotion is very slightly warmer toned. But, in my opinion, the Glowcomotion highlighter is much more pigmented than TheBalm's highlighter, and lasts longer on the skin.

(My camera does not do these justice. These swatches show up super light on camera, but are blinding in real life!)
Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Vs. Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
Another favourite of mine is Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara. This mascara easily separates and lengthens my lashes. It's buildable, providing a lot of volume to them. I've been through two full size tubes of this mascara and a few minis so, I swear by it! A real selling point for me is that it is non-transferable to my lower lids, so is perfect for long days at work! Like Benefit's primer, this mascara is fairly expensive and rolls in at £20.50 per 8.5g tube.


A great dupe for this mascara is the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara. What drew me to try this mascara is that it has a very similar wand to Benefit's Roller Lash, with the exception being that Maybelline's wand is slightly thicker. I think this makes it easier for me to build up a lot of lash volume in a short amount of time. This mascara has an incredibly similar affect to the Roller Lash, as itlengthens my lashes without making them look spidery. The Lash Sensational costs £8.99 per 9.5g and is less than half of the cost of Benefit's mascara.


All in all, I think this mascara is an excellent dupe.

Thank you so much for reading my post! Let me know in the comments, if you have tried any of these products!

XO Zoe