I am an incredibly frugal person who keeps a strict budget, buys off-brand everything and often refuses to go out to dinner with friends to avoid spending money. Which is why my makeup bag is stocked with drugstore names (aside from the occasional foundation bought with a Sephora gift card).

But while I like being thrifty, I’ve always wondered if the makeup I use is lots worse than the high-end stuff. I mean, surely there’s a $20 difference in lipsticks for a reason? Thankfully, writer Peggy Wang has compiled a list of makeup items were price makes a difference…and ones where it doesn’t. Check out the good ones by clicking here!

1. NARS Orgasm/Flirt Hearttrhob blushes. Orgasm blush is the stuff of legend, and few beauty blogs and magazines neglect to feature it at some point. It’s supposedly amazing to use, and the fact that I know the name (and shade) of a blush that I’ve never even tried on probably means that’s true. But apparently Flirt’s “Heartthrob” gets the job done for cheap. According to Wang, “The NARS packaging is certainly nicer, but that’s about all you’re getting extra. The Flirt blush does the job just fine.”

2. L’Oreal Lineur Intense/Lancome Artliner eyeliners. As a teenager, I had a penchant for heavy eyeliner. While the look may have not suited me, I now have extensive knowledge of the best (and worst) drugstore brands. But never have I delved into the world of designer eyeliner, and I’d always wondered if it would look even better than anything I’d tried before. Apparently not. The author loved the L’Oreal way more than the Lancome, and even said that it’s her “new holy grail eyeliner. The packaging of these two eyeliners is almost identical, so I don’t see any point in buying the Lancome.”

3. OPI “Just Spotted the Lizard”/Chanel “Peridot” nail polishes. The results of this particular experiment were particularly surprising. Though I do stick to drugstore nail polish, I have noticed that as prices go up, so does the quality of my (at-home) manicures. While I’d never taken the plunge and bought designer colors, I’d always assumed that they would look nicer and last longer. Not true, apparently. Wang says that the OPI is an “exact duplicate” of the Chanel, and that the colors look exactly the same after three days. Three days isn’t a huge frame of time to test staying power, but it ain’t bad!

4. NYX Golden Amber/NARS Galapagos eyeshadows. Honestly, this one seemed like a no-brainer. I mean, how hard can it be to knock off designer eyeshadow? Apparently, the answer is, “not at all.” The NYX (on left) isn’t just cheaper, but it also looks almost exactly the same and has less harmful ingredients:


However, according to the review, it does take more of the Nyx to match the NARS color. But likely not $19 more.

Head on over to the source for some more really great product comparison reviews, and to see more information about the items listed here! [via Buzzfeed]

Do you buy expensive makeup, drugstore brands or both?