The Highly Convincing Skin-Care Dupes My Followers Filled Me In On

“I use this in place of NARS’s Primer. When applied properly, it holds up all day, doesn’t crease, and a tiny bit goes a long way. It’s slightly neutralizing and takes away redness and discoloration on theeyelid,so even if it’s just worn alone (withoutshadow) it makes your eyes look brighter. I love it.” — Emily Elisa, makeup artist

“Nivea is essentially an old-schoolcold cream. It’s such a great moisturizer (especially fordry skin), it still has that classic, clean-soapy scent, and it’s $7 for a giant tin. La Mer is basically a fancy cold cream: Yes, also a greatmoisturizerfordry skin, and it too smells amazing. It, however, is $120 dollars for a pretty, three-ounce jar. The ingredient list is essentiallyidentical(except La Mer has petrolatum). The only other big difference is La Mer has a lot of antioxidants. The seaweed alpha hydroxy acid in La Mer isn’t, in my opinion, a reason to spend the extra money on it. I would just use the Nivea alongside a cheaperAHA exfoliating product.” — Sofie Pavitt, esthetician

“I was a devout P50 user for years and thought that nothing could ever be as good, until I tried thistonerfrom Moon Juice. It gave me those same intensely brightening, skin-clearing, and pore-tightening effects thatP50did when I first started using it. I know it’s notdrugstore-cheapor anything, but it’s far cheaper than P50 (which is around $67 a bottle.)” — Maya Kambe, director of development of Paramount Animation

“The Milani Dolce Pink blush is my all-time favorite dupe for the Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Rose Bronze. What I love so much about both of them is that they give this really amazing naturalflush effect. It gives off something in between a true look ofbeing in the sunand flushedbaby cheeks — without any red tones. But the Milani one is only $8!” — Joelle Hyman, associate visuals editor atAllure

“I used to love Benefit’s POREfessional Face Primer because it completely blurred and knocked out any pores or textural issues so that my skin was supersmooth for makeup. But then I found The Ordinary siliconeprimer, which has similar hydrating and blurring effects but for half the price. It’s so good; I love how long it helps mymakeup last. Also, I initially wanted to find a dupe because I noticed Benefit’s primer was actuallybreaking me out. The Ordinary gives me that same smooth feeling, but I’ve found it’s actually a lot less greasy than Benefit’s primer.” — Phoebe Gillan, public-relations coordinator

“I was on my way to an art fair in a rush and didn’t have time to stop home to put on makeup. So on a whim, I picked up this Maybellinestrobingstick. And Ilovedit. It’s creamy, pearlescent, buildable (so it’s good for day and night), and cheap as fuck. This is such a good dupe for Glossier’s Haloscope.” — Sierra Pittman, art adviser’s assistant

“This is a dead-on dupe forDr. Barbara Sturm’s($75) Enzyme Cleanser. It smells and feels exactly the same and gives a really nice gentle,light exfoliationwithout overly stripping the skin.” — Elizabeth Kim, product developer

“I honestly haven’t thought aboutBiodermasince I bought this. There are a few versions of thismicellar water,but I specifically love this all-in-one mattifying version. It’s the best because it gives me the same feeling Bioderma used to —velvety and mattewithout at all stripped.” — Kyle Smith, fashion content strategist

“I love the First Aid BeautyHydrating Cream,but this hydrating cream from Cerave is basically the exact same thing. It’s reallyhydratingand soothing and is the only thing I can use on myeczemawithout it freaking out.” — Jessica Leigh, artist

“I used to have a fancy curling ironfrom Sephora. One day, it broke and I really didn’t want to buy another expensivecurler. So I decided I was going to try thesecurlingcoils. I never looked back! They’re so cheap, so comfortable, and you don’t need to use damaginghot tools.Also, it curls my hair in an hour, so I spend way less time thinking about and doing my hair.” — Paris Starn, designer of Paris99

“I can’t believe I’m saying this but … the Then I Met You GivingEssenceis actually as good as SK-II. It’s equally asmoisturizing, brightening, and replenishing on the skin. Admittedly, this is expensive. But it’s a quarter of the price of SK-II.” — Hayden Howard, student

“I bought it on a whim and noticed a difference after my first use. Themaskmade myhair so softand helped calmfrizziness and flyaways. I found it worked just as well as my previously beloved Briogeo Don’t Despair Mask. Plus I love that coconut oil and shea oil are among the first three ingredients.” — DeAnna Varilias, publicist

“I love the Biologique VIP Crème, but this Bioderma Atoderm Moisturizer has the same texture and gives the same hydrating,brightening results. I always use this Bioderma moisturizer when I’m breaking out because its super-simple and extremely hydrating.” — Lili Chemla, creative director of Leset