I Write About Beauty for a Living. Here’s What I’ve Learned:
Stay Loyal: Products Within a Brand Work Synergistically Together
When I first tried Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Setting Spray - a total cult favorite - I found it to be just okay and at roughly $35 a pop, that was very disappointing. Overhyped in my opinion, I still used it daily because of how much money I’d spent on it. I figured I might as well use it up. Randomly, I got a sample of the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation, and like freaking magic, when I wore them together it created the most glorious lit-from-within dewy finish I’ve only seen in magazines. Hooked, I tell you! I am sold!
Honestly, I had a really similar experience with Better Than Sex mascara. Another cult classic that I thought was fine, but not awesome. But pair it with the Foreplay Primer. Solid gold, baby. And a lash curl that will last until next week.
All this is to say that brands work hard to make their productions work with each other. Can you mix brands and beauty products? For sure! But thanks to ingredient and quality synergy, you’ll see your best results if you are brand loyal.
Tl;dr if you like the foundation, try the same brand’s concealer. They’re meant to be together.
Always Buy the Mini Sample Size
I will die on this hill - always buy the mini version first. Buying in bulk is for Costco and products you already know and love. It is not for test driving something new. And listen, I know cost-per-ounce is usually better in the full size, but take it from a gal who has wasted way too much money at Sephora buying things other people told her was amazing….that just weren’t.
No matter how well meaning the influencer, your friend, your sister, or whoever, we’re all different and those products react differently on each of our bodies. I’d rather spend $14 on a By Mario Lip Serum and decide I need the full size version, than shell out $46 on a full size setting powder that I used once because it made me more reflective than the GD moon (that last one totally happened to me and the jar taunts me from a shelf because I forgot to return it in time.)
Tl;dr if you’re trying a new product, get the mini. You can always go back for the full size version later.
RELATED: 3 MINIS THAT I BOUGHT IN FULL SIZE
Dupes Aren’t Always Dupes
Okay, this is controversial, but in my opinion, “dupes” are usually just color dupes. So, if you’re just looking for a similar vibe, you might be in luck, but if you’re looking for dupe quality, that’s a little harder to come by. There are literally thousands of dupe videos to scroll through on tiktok and IG, but hardly anyone is comparing ingredients or color payoff or even the longevity of wear in high end vs drugstore brands.
A really good and popular example I see all the time is the Milani Luminoso in place of Nars Orgasm blush. I have (and wear!) both and as far as a color dupe, Milani kills it. But there are definite differences, and ultimately, Nars lasts a full work day and Milani just….doesn’t.
That said, there are increasingly more good dupes out there, so don’t take this to poo poo the whole dupe industry (ELF is killing it lately!) Just set your expectations accordingly.
Tl;dr dupe usually always means color dupe, but doesn’t always mean quality dupe. Set your expectations accordingly.