Life According to Steph: Great Makeup on a Budget

I've been like 0 for six or sometimes even 7 days a week on wearing makeup, so naturally it's been a minute since anything beauty-related has been on this blog. I love makeup posts so I'm bringing in the big guns, my great friend Jill. She's my go-to makeup guru and did my makeup for my wedding. Anyone in the southern NJ/PA area who needs a makeup artist for a wedding or special event, get in touch with Jill! She does an awesome job and is really knowledgeable about makeup and application. She does her research on products and knows her shit! I usually confer with her before I buy things if I'm hemming and hawing over it. Be sure to follow her on Instagram!
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Hi everyone! My name is Jill and I am so excited to be guest blogging for Steph today. I am a professional makeup artist and cosmetology educator at PB Beauty School in NJ. Beauty is my passion and this is such a great opportunity to share it with all of you!

Click here to learn more about me.

Instagram: @kicksandlipsticks

As a professional makeup artist, I am constantly buying makeup. It is basically part of my job to shop and stock up on beauty products. I often times find myself looking around for duplicates or "dupes " of some of the high end products I love. I am a beauty addict so I will buy any makeup product from Dior to Cover girl. If I like it and it is a good product the label doesn't matter to me. I would prefer to get more bang for my buck and I'm sure most of you feel the same. I have found so many that I love and want to share them with all of you!

1. Smashbox VS. NYX

How many of you wear foundation? If you're wearing it, are you priming your skin first? Here's my tip: if you wear a foundation daily you should be using a primer. It is going to do several things for you. First, it's going to make your makeup stay on longer and second, it's also going to allow your makeup to go on smoother. My favorite primer is Smashbox Photo Finish. It is great for all skin types. However it has a pretty steep price tag at $36.00 and for an item that should be used everyday you can burn through it pretty quickly.

Here is my suggestion as a perfect dupe- NYX Photo Loving Primer. At $12.99 you can grab this baby at your local CVS or Ulta. This is a great product and is equally as good.

2. Benefit VS. NYX

In addition to a primer a lot of people ask me about pore fillers, some primers work as a pore filler but often times in areas such as the nose a pore filler is needed to help minimize the size of the pore.

One of the most popular ones on the market is POREfessional by Benefit Cosmetics. Although it is a great product why pay $31 when you can buy a product that will do the same thing for $13.99?

NYX Pore Filler does the job just fine. I use this product on my cheeks almost everyday! This can be used with a primer like the Photo Loving one from above or alone as a primer and pore filler.

3. Anastasia VS. NYX

Let's talk brows for a second. To me eyebrows are the most important accessory. A good brow can make your everyday look seem like it's right off the red carpet. I swear by the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow products but recently tried a great substitute. I have always used the Anastasia Highlighting Duo Pencil which is $23. I would line around my brow and it would brighten up the whole area and really help to define my brows.

BUT, even though Anastasia will always have my loyalty, I have to spread the word about the NYX Eyebrow Push-Up Bra. This product has a built-in brow pencil as well as a highlight stick. It can be used to shade and shape but on the flipside it can conceal and highlight. The best is the price: it is only $9.99.

4. MAC lipstick VS Drugstore Brands

My last dupe I want to share with you is one that I found on Pinterest. I have personally bought every one of the suggested "dupes" and have been pleasantly surprised by them. I LOVE MAC lipsticks and thought there was no way I would ever find a lipstick that had the same awesome color quality and a decent texture with long lasting wear. I am so glad I tried these because the price difference is so worth it.