The best beauty dupes under $20
Every pair here has a dupe that costs less than $20 and replaces a product costing at least twice that.
What are the best beauty dupes under $20?
NIVEA Creme Moisturizing Cream, about $11.80 ($0.87 / fl oz), against the $200 La Mer Crème de la Mer Moisturizing Cream, 99% less.
1. NIVEA Creme Moisturizing Cream
for La Mer Crème de la Mer Moisturizing Cream
$11.80vs $200−99% per oz
#18 in Body Creams on Amazon
Both are built on a mineral oil, petrolatum and glycerin base, which does most of the moisturizing.
What it does worse: NIVEA lacks the kelp ferment and has a stronger scent.
2. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
for SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2
$18.96vs $155−99% per oz
#1 in Body Creams on Amazon
Built on the lipids Triple Lipid Restore is named for, ceramide NP (SkinCeuticals' ceramide 3) and cholesterol, in a cream of water, glycerin and dimethicone.
What it does worse: CeraVe adds ceramides AP and EOP, phytosphingosine, hyaluronic acid and petrolatum in a thicker, fragrance-free cream, but puts cholesterol 17th where SkinCeuticals has it fifth, and it has none of SkinCeuticals' sunflower lipids or its lavender, rosemary and peppermint oils.
3. Body Fantasies Signature Fragrance Body Spray, Sweet Sunrise Fantasy
for Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Eau de Parfum
$9.99vs $76−98% per oz
#11 in Women's Body Sprays Fragrance on Amazon
Wild berries and mandarin, gardenia and jasmine, then caramel, vanilla and amber over woods, the notes Viva la Juicy is built on, and on Fragrantica 118 of 131 voters say it smells like it.
What it does worse: Peach, coconut and whipped cream make it creamier, and it is a body spray, not an eau de parfum: it lasts an hour or two where Viva la Juicy lasts most of the day, so plan on spraying again.
4. Cake Beauty The Finishing Touch Mist – Pistachio & Salted Caramel
for Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 Perfume
$11.49vs $28−98% per oz
The Eau de Parfum is the same Cheirosa '62 accord as Sol de Janeiro's own mist, pistachio and almond over salted caramel, vanilla and sandalwood, and Cake's mist follows it note for note at the top and base, swapping the creamy wood for white peach, tiger lily and freesia.
What it does worse: A mist is a lighter concentration than an Eau de Parfum, so it fades in a couple of hours where the perfume lasts the afternoon; spray again or layer it.
5. Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum
for OLAPLEX No.7 Bonding Oil
$6.97 $7.99vs $32−96% per oz
#1 in Hair Styling Serums on Amazon
Same silicone shine oil: a volatile carrier (isohexadecane and isoparaffin in Olaplex, cyclopentasiloxane in Garnier) evaporates and leaves dimethicone or dimethiconol to smooth the cuticle, with a little plant oil.
What it does worse: Olaplex adds its patented bond builder, phenyl trimethicone and corn, sunflower and pomegranate oils, while Garnier keeps to argan and apricot kernel oils and fragrance.
6. Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner
for Oribe Gold Lust Repair & Restore Conditioner
$8.84vs $59−96% per oz
#2 in Hair Conditioner on Amazon
The same conditioning system: cetearyl alcohol with two cationic conditioners, behentrimonium chloride and stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, plus a silicone for slip, as on the Oribe label.
What it does worse: Oribe adds amodimethicone, olive-derived emollients, shea butter, panthenol and its signature scent, while Dove's current formula uses a dimethiconol copolymer with lactic acid, sodium glutamate, ceramides and oat peptide.
7. OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Weightless Healing Dry Oil
for Kérastase Gloss Absolu Glaze Drops
$7.97 $8.99vs $42−95% per oz
#21 in Hair Treatment Oils on Amazon
Built the same way: a water-free spray whose fast-evaporating carriers leave a thin silicone film for shine and frizz control, softened with an ester.
What it does worse: Kérastase uses isododecane and isoalkanes with dimethicone and amodimethicone, while OGX uses cyclosiloxanes with phenyl trimethicone and adds argan, coconut and avocado oils and cocoa butter, so it feels a touch richer.
8. L'Oréal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Repairing Shampoo
for Kérastase Nutritive Bain Satin Shampoo
$7.68 $10.49vs $45−95% per oz
#57 in Hair Shampoo on Amazon
The same lather from the same group: sodium laureth and sodium lauryl sulfate with salt, glycol distearate, dimethicone, a guar conditioner and salicylic acid in both.
What it does worse: Kérastase adds glycerin, a betaine, amodimethicone, niacinamide, panthenol and wheat, corn and soy proteins; Elvive adds cocamide MEA, arginine and a wheat protein.
9. NIVEA Soft Moisturizing Creme
for Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré
$10.99 $11.99vs $32−95% per oz
Same old-school recipe: mineral oil, stearic acid and glyceryl stearate in a light cream that sinks in and sits well under makeup.
What it does worse: Embryolisse adds beeswax, shea butter, aloe and soy protein, while NIVEA uses myristyl alcohol and glycerin with a little petrolatum, jojoba oil and vitamin E, and contains some denatured alcohol.
10. Vaseline Advanced Repair Body Lotion, Unscented
for Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+
$9.98vs $25.50 $34−95% per oz
#61 in Body Lotions on Amazon
Made the same way: glycerin, mineral oil and petrolatum held in a stearic acid and triethanolamine emulsion with glyceryl stearate, the system under Clinique's yellow lotion, and both are fragrance-free.
What it does worse: Clinique adds sesame oil, urea, lanolin alcohol and hyaluronic acid and is sold for the face, while Vaseline adds panthenol, dimethicone and sunflower oil and is sold for the body, in a bottle nearly eight times the size.
11. NOW Solutions Sweet Almond Oil
for L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil
$3.59 $5.99vs $53−94% per oz
#12 in Body Oils on Amazon
The main ingredient is the same: L'Occitane's first ingredient is sweet almond oil, and NOW's bottle holds nothing else.
What it does worse: L'Occitane blends it with caprylic/capric triglyceride, camelina, rosehip and sea buckthorn oils and a bergamot fragrance, so NOW is unscented, a little heavier and without the extra oils.
12. L'Oréal Paris Elvive Glycolic + Gloss Shine Boosting Shampoo
for Kérastase Genesis Bain Nutri-Fortifiant Shampoo
$9.47vs $48−94% per oz
Built on the same system from the same group: sodium laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine and salt with hexylene glycol, dimethicone, amodimethicone, carbomer, salicylic acid, a guar conditioner and trideceth-10.
What it does worse: Kérastase leaves out sodium lauryl sulfate and adds glycerin and mica, while L'Oréal keeps the second sulfate for more lather and thickens it with cocamide MEA.
How this list was made
The list is ordered by how much you keep per ounce, not by how loud the saving sounds: a $12 dupe of a $30 original beats a $19 dupe of a $45 one only if the sizes agree.
