I Re-Created My $436 Makeup Routine for Less than $100

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(Image credit: @erin_jahns)

If you used to follow me over on Byrdie, you might know I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to my makeup routine. If I had to choose between hair, skincare, nails, and makeup, the latter category would be my favorite. By far.

Ever since I first swiped a mascara wand over my lashes back in middle school, I've been obsessed—poring over my favorite magazines, creating very extensive lists of very expensive products to try (much to my parents horror, I'm sure), and creating binders and folders filled with torn out inspirational beauty looks from said magazines. Luckily, I think I ended up in the right career path to put my passion to good use.

I'm not sure why I became stuck on high-priced, prestige makeup, but I did. Throughout high school and college, I'd spend most of the money I made nannying and working at my retail job to squirrel away Dior mascaras, Clé de Peau concealer, and Giorgio Armani foundations and luminizers. My friends, meanwhile, would shake their heads and grab whatever they needed at the drugstore. I was the odd one out, but I didn't mind.

Fast-forward to years later and I still love really expensive, luxurious makeup. That said, one of the biggest things I've learned as a beauty editor (and makeup artists agree) is that some makeup products just aren't worth the investment. Slowly but surely, I've found foundations, mascaras, and highlighters that are just as magical as their pricier counterparts, and I've begun sprinkling them into my (still mostly expensive) routine.

But what would happen if I made the complete switch to drugstore products? To settle my curiosity, I decided to re-create my $436 (I know—whoa) makeup routine for a drugstore version ringing in under $100 ($99, to be exact!). Keep scrolling to see how my makeup routines compare, products and photos included.

My Expensive Routine: $436

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(Image credit: @erin_jahns)

Primer

Foundation

Concealer

Setting Powder

Bronzer

Blush

Cream Highlighter

Powder Highlighter

Liquid Eyeliner

Mascara

Lipstick

Eyebrow Pencil

The Affordable Makeup Routine: $99

affordable-makeup-routine-278379-1552588608953-main

(Image credit: @erin_jahns)

Primer

Foundation

Concealer

Setting Powder

Bronzer

Blush

Cream Highlighter

Powder Highlighter

Liquid Eyeliner

Mascara

Lipstick

Brow Pencil

Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content forBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie andBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.