buzzfeed Press
Shhhh, These 36 Beauty Products Are Actually Cheap Versions Of More Expensive Ones
Images
BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Read More Not this $12 neck cream and $5 burgundy mascara absolutely clocking the versions that cost four times more. As a Senior Shopping Writer at BuzzFeed, I specialize in a broad range of topics, including beauty, cleaning, fashion, personal care, home, fitness, and my beloved “TikTok made me buy it.” My work has been featured across lifestyle and writing publications during my ten years in the digital media space, including Bustle, HuffPost, HelloGiggles, and The Washington Post. This is designed to work on all hair types, with reviewers with 2b to 4c curls mentioning it worked for them! Promising review: "Like many others, I tried this as a replacement for Olaplex. Honestly, Olaplex never had a great effect on my hair and certainly wasn’t worth the price. This did an unreal job on my hair!! I was skeptical (tried a little bit first because I was petrified it would burn off my hair and I would end up bald!) but, lo and behold, it was magic! My hair is so strong, silky, and healthy-looking after just one use. Plus, you can’t beat the price! Have already ordered another box. I should also add that I have curly/wavy hair that’s been colored to a light brown. Buy it!!" —BB Check out BuzzFeed's full review of the Elizavecca hair treatment for more deets! Promising review: "This stuff is where it's at for dry, wrinkled neck skin. I'm noticing a real difference after using it faithfully for two weeks. My skin on my neck is smoother and tighter. Please try it out." —Treva Burke Check out a TikTok of the Slipsticks in action. I *jumped* on this because I'm a huge fan of Clinique's Black Honey line — I'm wearing the Mauve Mentality shade that's meant to be an alternative to the $25 Nude Honey above! I love the consistency of this and the lightweight, buildable color. It's the perfect "keep this by the door/in a purse" lip tint that goes well with pretty much any outfit, since it's in that genre of "no makeup makeup." My only complaint is that you have to be careful not to twist it too high up, since the formula is kind of melty and makes it hard to twist back down. But otherwise this is an EXCELLENT everyday lippie to have in your arsenal!! Promising review: "Love these. Sheer, pigmented, but buildable, and don't feel heavy or thick or sticky like Wet 'N Wild lip oils do. I love that it's available in a stick option." —catina m. claytor Get it from Amazon for $10 (available in 11 shades). The color-adaptive formula is designed so that one of five shades will work on any skin tone. Promising review: "Took years off my eyes! This product is so reasonably priced. I came across a TikTok promoting this and decided to take a chance since the price was super reasonable. My eyes looked brighter in a good way, and the concealer worked so well that I felt I looked younger. I got compliments from friends asking what I did differently with my makeup. I recommend it." —Monica T. Get it from Amazon for $6 (available in five shades). Promising review: "This lotion smells so good! It truly gives me confetti cake vibes with vanilla icing on top. I was hesitant to buy this lotion because I am usually an EOS girl, but I couldn't resist trying this confetti cake scent. I am very impressed with this lotion. It is moisturizing without feeling heavy or greasy. The formula is thick and creamy, which makes application a breeze. Jergens needs to reconsider making this a permanent scent! It has made me want to try the other Jergens scents." —amber If the name rings a bell, it's likely because you've used or heard of this brand's beloved under-eye masks!! You can check out Grace & Stella's Amazon page to find those and more high-quality, affordable versions of beauty products. Promising review: "This is a must! Feels like a cloud and way better than a hand towel to dry your face, the perfect self-care product." —Jennifer Get a pack of 60 from Amazon for $9.95. Check out a TikTok of the E.l.f. tubing mascara in action. I am not a new human to the tubing mascara game, and in fact readily spent $26 on the famous OG blend from Blinc every time it needed replacing. I didn't even love it for the length half as much as the fact that tubing mascara like this genuinely never smudges, but can I just say — regardless of price, the E.l.f. tubing mascara formula blows all the others I've tried out of the water. It gives me way more length and volume than other brands, slides on so much more easily, stays put ALL day, and never, ever smudges. My favorite part, though, is how gently and easily it comes off with soap and water. In the past, other mascara removals have felt rough on my lashes, but this comes off so fast that I'm like ??? was I even wearing mascara a minute ago?? Anyway, I hesitate even writing this review because I want to gatekeep the hell out of this before it sells out, but the world needed to know. I'm a big fan of the brown shade (which is what I'm wearing above!), but it also comes in black and soft black. Get it from Amazon for $8 (available in three shades). Promising review: "This mascara is amazing. I just repurchased it because I love it so dang much. It is lightweight and applies very easily. The burgundy is an absolutely stunning color and looks very natural. It doesn't clump up my lashes or make them fall like most mascaras I've tried, and my lashes look amazing. I wear it to work every day, and it still lasts me three months. I will never use another mascara." —Kindle Customer Get it from Amazon for $4.99 (available in five colors). Promising review: "My sisters were constantly raving about this toner, so I decided to try it. Since using it, I’ve realized why they love it so much! My skin went from bumpy and textured to smooth and glowy. My clogged pores have completely disappeared. I’ve already recommended this product to a bunch of my friends, and they love it too! I’ve been using this product for about two months, and it’s still doing wonders. Definitely worth buying!" —Noa May Check out a TikTok of the marshmallow lip treatment in action. Promising review: "My new must-have! My number one go-to for healing lips was Carmex. This beat it. I love the consistency (very creamy/smooth), it’s not heavily flavored or goopy, and it obviously smells amazing. It isn’t overbearing and also doesn’t keep coating your mouth like the Eos stick balms (still great, but more wax)." —Breanah Shirazi Psst — if you're into this, you should check out Summer Fridays' new Toasted Marshmallow lip butter balm for some more yummy hydrating lippie goodness! Get ti from Amazon for $5.99 (also available in Strawberry Acai). Promising review: "I really like this shampoo. It’s not overly scented like some clarifying shampoos can be, and it makes my scalp feel so clean without drying my (already dry) hair out. Def recommend this. This is a good brand of shampoo all around. I tried the one for dry hair, and it smells so good and makes my hair really soft." —Abigail Promising review: "Don't hesitate, just buy these. I was using the Real Techniques sponges for years, and I bought these on a whim after seeing several TikToks praising them. I love these sponges and the price. I apply liquid foundation with a damp sponge, and these work better than Real Techniques. They are dense but soft and 'bouncy.' I wash mine between each use, and these hold up very well and much better than the RT. Very happy with my purchase and the price. Will definitely continue to buy." —chris Get a set of five from Amazon for $5.99+ (available in five colors). Promising review: "Welp, this stuff is amazing. I tend to avoid anything trendy or anything that 'goes viral' due to my stubborn nature, but when searching Amazon for a red-reducing toner, this one just kept showing up, so I swallowed my pride. Social media did not betray us on this one, friends. I saw immediate results. My skin looked much calmer right after the first use, and it feels so smooth. The price is amazing, the bottle is fun, it has no scent (not necessarily a positive for me, but I know it's important to others), it feels good to put on, and looks good on the skin. I have a feeling that I will be repurchasing this toner, highly recommend." —Amazon Customer (It goes without saying that you don't need to lay your edges if you don't want to, but this is a handy option if you do.) Promising review: "Love this. It doesn’t leave a white cast after it dries and keeps my flyaways tamed. I like the longer wand. No clumps when you take it out of the tube. Easy to apply to your hair. Good value, especially for the brand. I like the rounded slim tube instead of the hard plastic that I’ve gotten before. Functions as it should without the mess." —Myan Espino Promising review: "I have sensitive skin, so I am always nervous awaiting the reaction I’ll experience from a new product. I have been SO happy with this!! It glides on like butter. It doesn’t take much at all to hydrate your skin. I love to use it in the mornings when I don’t feel like doing my whole skincare routine. I’ll just slap this on my face, and I’m good to go for the day, haha. My skin feels moisturized for like 8+ hours when I use it. I don’t notice a scent, or I’ve just never sniffed for one lol. I have bought one that stays at work as well because the work air just makes my skin feel dry. And this serum stick makes my skin instantly feel sooo much better and revived. Overall, 10 out of freaking 10." —Mackenzie Dazzle Dry is a small business that specializes in nail care products. Check out a TikTok of the Dazzle Dry polish in action. See that pic of the pink-nailed hand up there?? Those are my DAY SEVEN DAZZLE DRY NAILS (after just getting back from a wildly busy trip across the country, which I did a TON of apartment cleaning to prep for!). I have been using the Dazzle Dry system in salons for years now because it is the only way to get your money's worth, even if with the salon's upcharge. My nails are SO much healthier and longer now that I've quit gels completely, and this polish is so good that it often doesn't chip for 10–14 days (and even then it's just the smallest chips). Plus, I cannot shout enough about how much I love just bouncing from the salon or my couch with my nails so dry that I never have to think about them after I get them done. Promising review: "I purchased this mini kit to try the Dazzle Dry system. I am so pleased with the results! I did my manicure 10 days ago, and it is still holding up. The Prima Ballerina color is very soft and neutral, and exactly what I was looking for. I followed all the simple instructions, and it truly was dry in five minutes (although I was a little hesitant to test it, it really was dry). I will definitely be purchasing additional colors. Highly recommend!" —Jodi S Get it from Amazon for $39 (available as a kit in dozens of colors; you can shop for colors individually at the Dazzle Dry storefront). Promising review: "I saw someone advertising this on TikTok, so this perfume oil was an impulsive buy, but I’m actually so obsessed with it! It smells amazing, and it’s still on my skin even after I showered. It reminds me of Yum Boujee Marshmallow by Kayali." —j miller "This has you smelling like a strawberry and cream dessert topped with marshmallows. The scent lasts for hours and I’ve gotten so many comments on how good I smell! Will be buying a backup for my car and office!" —Jasmine Petry Get it from Amazon for $5.79 (available in multiple sets, including a combo 3-pack of Choco Musk, Choco Musk Marshmallow, and Choco Musk Pistachio!). Dossier is a small business that specializes in alternative, affordable perfumes — check out the rest of their options on their Amazon storefront! Promising review: "Gorgeous scent! I love perfumes, and I’m super picky. I either love or return. This scent is gorgeous. Smells a bit sweet but not overly sweet, not super vanilla, just a hint of it with sophistication. Very soft and sultry. I applied moisturizer (thin, thin layer of Vaseline) and then sprayed perfume. It stayed on my skin for probably over eight hours. I checked my sweater the next day you could easily smell it on my sweater. Definitely worth the money." —Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $25.74+ (available in two sizes). Promising review: "By far the BEST hair straightener I’ve bought in the 25+ years I have been straightening my hair. It leaves my hair so shiny and soft. I’ve bought the Chi and other expensive ones, and they don't even compare!" —Amazon Customer Jerome Alexander is a small business that specializes in airbrush cosmetic products. HELLO — I found this through a recommendation on a Reddit beauty forum for people in their thirties, which mentioned that it performed like Dior's Airflash, and I am OBSESSED. I am not very skilled with makeup and was intimidated by the brush factor, but it's nearly foolproof. This foundation straight-up glosses over my pores and redness and makes my skin look so even-toned and natural that it doesn't look like I used much foundation at all. It's a bit price-y compared to brands I used in the past, but I'm still on my first bottle of it, and it's been three full months. I hope this never stops getting made. It is so lightweight and lovely and has made my makeup routine feel like a TREAT. Promising review: "Bought this because I saw it on TikTok, and it did not disappoint. I love the lightweight feel of it and how easy it is to build." —Smickens Get it from Amazon for $22.99 (available in 12 shades). Promising review: "Love love love this stuff. This is such a stellar product that is so versatile. Can be worn alone to put some glowy life to skin. Add to foundation or layer it. Beautiful. Use it as a base where you put highlighter on top. Mix some with moisturizer. This, in my opinion, is better than so many high-luxury brands that make similar products. And I am pretty sure it can be used by all skin types. It’s not an oily feeling at all, and it doesn’t dry out the skin either. Just a total package. Can’t beat the price either." —Figgy08 Get it from Amazon for $14.97 (available in four shades and in multipacks). I bought this after being peer-pressured by all the lovely reviews, and I'm happy to report it lives up to the hype. The scent is lovely — it has depth with a hint of floral, but it's light and not at all overpowering. My favorite thing about it is how easily it pairs with other scents, because I am a body mist gremlin who swaps out her scents every day. The lather is also deeply satisfying, and I feel quite refreshed and squeaky clean without ever feeling dry. Promising review: "Cremo's body wash is nothing short of exceptional. If you’re a fan of luxurious fragrances, this product will quickly become your new favorite. It boasts an incredible scent that perfectly mimics Baccarat Rouge 540 — a fragrance renowned for its sophisticated and captivating aroma. What sets this body wash apart is not just its stunning scent but also its longevity. The fragrance lingers beautifully throughout the day, ensuring you stay enveloped in that luxurious aroma long after your shower." —Ralph D. Thompson II Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in two other scents). Check out a TikTok of the Baked Luminous Blush in action! Promising review: "Baked formulas are my absolute favorites when it comes to blushes and bronzers. These CoverGirl ones are magnificent. I knew I would like these just by looking at them, but they are even better than expected. I have seen many videos online comparing this formula to Hourglass. These CoverGirl ones have great quality, and they are worth every penny. The blushes are very pigmented but at the same time easy to build and blend. They are luminous but not shimmery or sparkly, and they don't enhance texture or pores. I got them in the shades Rose Latte and Strawberry Drizzle, and I will probably get the other two as well. The bronzer is also great. The shade I bought, Honey Bun, has a rosy undertone that goes very well with my skin tone. Like the blushes, it is very easy to blend and build." —Yise Get it from Amazon for $9.97 (available in eight blush and bronzer shades). This brand, Grace & Stella, is also behind the viral, beloved under-eye masks that blow up on TikTok all the time! Promising review: "This is the best lip balm I've ever tried. It is intensely moisturizing and feels pleasant. When my lips get super dry in winter, this lip balm turns things around IMMEDIATELY. It's the only lip balm I ever plan to repurchase, honestly." —!!! Promising review: "If you are looking for a truly budget-friendly and exceptionally versatile line of facial and body care, this is it. I have used this on my arms and legs for two weeks, and I see a real game changer. Are my arms and legs devoid of all crepe-iness? NO! Don't let any brand tell you that they can make any natural aging bodily changes disappear. However, this cream, when used consistently, will provide a temporary plumpness to those crinkled areas. I am 65, I am happy and grateful to have reached my mature age; nevertheless, I want and will give my skin all the effective products to keep it as supple as possible." —marihad t arrus Psst — if you're looking for one designed for neck tightening, Gold Bond's Age Renew Neck & Chest Firming Cream is another fan favorite! Promising review: "This smells heavenly!! I wore it today with the Cheirosa 62, and it smells delicious! I already purchased a second bottle for me and one for my daughter because I know it's going viral, and I don't want to run out! It's already hard to find where I am. To me, this is even better than the Vanilla Cashmere, and that's been my absolute favorite so far." —Heather Mg Promising review: "Great lip tint that's buildable. It dries soft to the touch with no transfer. Lasts hours! Can be drying on the lips, so I put a lip oil on top of this lip tint — the tint doesn't budge or smear away. I'm buying more of these!" —Abelle Get it from Amazon for $8.97 (available in six shades). Read more about how biotin shampoo could help with the fullness of hair at Cleveland Clinic. Maple Holistics is a small business that specializes in beauty products with all-natural ingredients. Check out a TikTok of the biotin shampoo in action. Promising review: "My hair was starting to thin rapidly in my mid-20s. Thankfully, I caught it early. I started using this shampoo regularly, and haven’t done any other treatments. The thinning immediately slowed and eventually stopped. It’s six years later, and I still have a great, full head of hair. Judging by my family history, I should be totally bald by now, and this product is the only thing I've used. I credit this stuff with saving my hair! What a miracle!" —Amazon Customer Psst — reviewers mention this is most effective when paired with a scalp massager to work it into their roots! Promising review: "Great alternative to the expensive patches. Effectively pulls fluid from acne. There is a lot of variety in sizes and shapes. Will buy again, though this pack looks like it will last a while!" —Peyton Get a pack of 142 from Amazon for $6.98. Check out a TikTok of the Magic Shaper Face Cream Palette in action. Promising review: "So impressed with the Catrice palette. This palette has everything you need to sculpt bronze and blush. The price is cheap and the product lasts forever. Very blendable and pigmented." —Amazonreview Promising reviews: "This stuff is so legit I’ve gone through three bottles. Adds the perfect glow to your skin! Sometimes I use it under foundation and sometimes I use it solo with a bit of concealer. I will never not repurchase it for the price and how beautifully it sits on the skin. This stuff is viral for a reason!!" —mapagill "If you like Charlotte Tilbury, flawless filter this is leaps and bounds better! Just buy it. The coverage is better, [it] makes my skin have the most amazing natural glow! The colors run with a more warm/yellow undertone which worked great for me! Spend a fraction of the price and just get it, you will be happy you did!" —Amazonreview Get it from Amazon for $15+ (available in 15 shades). You can check out Vaseline's radiant body oils and lotions for more options! Promising review: "I am shocked by how pretty it is and how good it smells. Also, great price and great quality. It’s not too greasy, just really nicely moisturizing :)." —Faith Bremmer Promising review: "I have not tried the name-brand brush, but grabbed this one to see if the design worked for my hair. Holy defined curls, Batman! I styled pretty much as usual, but used the brush to distribute the product (I use Innersense gel), lifting at the roots and letting the curls bounce after I released. This photo is after breaking the cast with some hair oil. My curls are never this defined and healthy-looking. Don’t think twice about it: your curls need this brush." —Natalie Gonzalez Get it from Amazon for $8.49 (available in four colors). Juno & Co. is a small business specializing in personal care and skincare products. Promising review: "I’ve loved the Farmacy Green Clean for many years, but at $30+ for a jar that lasts 1-2 months max, it was a pricey product to buy on a regular basis. I wanted something just as good at a lower price, and I FOUND IT! This cleanser absolutely melts away makeup and deep cleans the skin without any drying or eye irritation! It smells great and a little goes a loooonng way — I’m in love!" —Amazon Customer Promising review: “If you use St. Tropez tan products or any fake tanner, do yourself a favor and try this. This stuff is AWESOME. Dries quickly, lasts longer, does NOT make your skin stinky, applies evenly, and you get a fair amount of product!! Other tanners I’ve used become VERY noticeable when they start fading. Gross hand lines, patchy white spots, etc., but not this stuff. The best one-hour tan I have ever used!” —Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $12.97 (available in 16 styles). Promising review: "I know you have seen this on TikTok and wondering if they are worth the hype. They are so just order them. I have so many colors from this brand, they are so easy to apply. Get them." —Milly Get it from Amazon for $9.90 (available in a variety of shades). * Beauty Products Reviewers Say They’ve Been Using For Years * Beauty Products Reviewers Say They’re On Their Second Container Of * Beauty Products That Smell Great And Work Even Better * If You’re Stuck In A Makeup Rut, These 30 Products Will Get You Out Of It Plus, the beauty products we gave 2026 Buzzy Awards to and finds from Amazon, Dermstore, Sephora, Tarte, Ulta, and Walmart. BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way. Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Comments
You must be logged in to comment.