Which Luxury Brands Are Owned By A Drugstore One?

Luxury beauty items are always fun to have, but not always fun to purchase. As exciting as those $50 lipsticks are, even the idea of one makes my wallet shed a tear. But what if I told you there are some luxury cosmetic brands out there that have drugstore dupes? Yeah, yeah, you've heard it before. BUT. These drugstore versions are actually by a brand that owns the luxury brands. You heard me. There is a drugstore makeup brand that manufactures not only its own products but products under names like Giorgio Armani, YSL, and Kératase. And because you're worth it, I'll divulge the secret: it's L'Oreal.

Whaaat? Yeah, it blew my mind too. After all these years of coveting YSL lipsticks and Armani eyeshadows, learning that there are high-end beauty products that were probably manufactured in the same place as drugstore products has put me in my place. I will (try to) no longer be swayed by the glitz and glamour of those department-store beauty buys, but instead believe in the power of the dupe where applicable.

After all, there's only so much that can go into making a beauty product. When fairy dust and unicorn tears become a part of the ingredients list for a luxury item, I won't be as hesitant. So if you're not looking to shell out the big bucks for some of these luxury cosmetic products, here are some of the L'Oreal dupes to try instead:

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, $64, N L'Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup, $9, Amazon

Both of these foundations offer a glowing finish, but are manufactured under the same umbrella company. And at almost a $50 difference? If you're hesitant about shelling out $60 for a foundation, give the L'Oreal version a try.

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense Eye Shadow, $35, N L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow, $8, Amazon

Differences in texture, finish, and color intensity of these shadows are indiscernible from brand to brand. This means you can get four Armani eyeshadow dupes for the price of one actual Armani shadow.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain, $36, Nordstrom L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lip Color, $8, Amazon

If that packaging isn't the biggest giveaway, I don't know how else to tell you that these glossy, liquid lipsticks are virtually the same product under different names.

YSL Touche Éclat, $42, N L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Lumi Highlighter, $10, Walmart

The cult favorite, Touche Éclat has a drugstore dupe, so you can get that glowing complexion for under $15.

Kérastase Masque Chroma Riche, $30, A L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm, $10, Amazon

Although the packaging of these two look less alike than the previous pairings, both products have the same claim: to repair and protect damaged, processed, or color-treated hair.

Kérastase Elixir Ultime, $28, A L'Oreal Oleo Therapy Perfecting Oil-Essence, $10, Amazon

Both of these hair oils will smooth and condition hair. But the kicker here is that the high-end version has four primary oils while the drugstore version has six.

Well I don't know about you, but I'm about to make a Target run.

Images: Courtesy Brands