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How to make your beauty splurges go further by buying more budget-friendly dupes

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Can you tell whether they're wearing the save or splurge option of their fave beauty product?
Can you tell whether they're wearing the save or splurge option of their fave beauty product?

Saving your favourite high-end lipstick, fragrance, foundation, or wigs for special occasions, sometimes means going without on all the other ordinary days.

This is understandable when your beauty splurges or those once-in-a-lifetime Sephora gifts from friends are some of the most prized possessions in your cosmetics kit. 

I used to be one of those people until I realised that life is short and you never know who you might meet on any day, so there's no use stashing my favourites for special occasions that are few and far in-between.

However, the perils of a "life is short" mentality is wastage. Everything will run out and fast!

But there's a trick around that and if you don't already know this trick, you're going to love it.

READ MORE: Finally, a budget-friendly beauty trend that makeup amateurs can really get behind

So this is how you can be without, yet still within budget when it comes to your ultimate beauty faves:

It's all about knowing how to substitute high-end products with budget purchases without compromising your slayage levels on any day.

Lips

This is an easy one to work around because it boils down to finding a lipstick shade almost identical to that of your original beauty splurge. It requires a bit of time, but it's not impossible.

This is a trick I had to learn when I got the Fenty Beauty Stunna lip paint, and I had to figure out how to make it last for at least a year.

Splurge:

Red lips are my signature beauty look, so trying to stretch Stunna as far as she can go can be considered the beauty equivalent of The Amazing Race. This is how I saved.

Save:

I bought a Dischem/Clicks equivalent of this lippie, which also has the same matte finish - Wet 'n Wild's Liquid Catsuit lipstick in Missy and Fierce. No cracking. No transferring.

You don't even need a Black Friday deal for this one because it's only R99.  

Was I wearing Stunna or Missy and Fierce on this day? Honestly, I can't remember. 

See my point?

Nails

Cracked and chipped nails make us feel a little shy sometimes, but here's how you can make it fashion.

Splurge:

To all the girls who love a gelish or acrylic mani, but don't have time to go to a nail salon to repair one broken nail or get an entire new set, here's you how to ensure you have your mani in place for an extra week or two.

Save:

Gel effect nail polish is having a moment. Get some in hues that compliment some of your favourite go-to colourwheel options and complete with a top coat.

Sorbet, R110

Fragrance

Any fragrance fiend knows how heartbreaking the day of your final spritz is. But it need not be when Zara is your budget fragrance mecca. Zara has an array of affordable dupes of your favourite scents, making switching from "splurge" to "save" very easy.

Splurge:

Foschini, R1990

Save:

No more compromising your signature scent. Alternate your perfumes without missing a single floral note.

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READ MORE: Eight surprising spots to spritz your perfume so it actually lasts

Foundation

Okay, we don't all wear foundation every single day, but if wearing foundation at least four days a week is your thing, it would be kind of cool if foundation made it past the three-month mark even if marginally. 

Say your foundation falls within the La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Urban Decay, Estée Lauder or even Givenchy bracket, then your skin is now most likely accustomed to a certain kind of finish. Changing to a more affordable option every now and then won't make you any less flawless.

Splurge:

La Mer, R1750

Save:

We heard the Maybelline Fit Me poreless foundation is just what you need to save a few drops of your foundation splurge, while maintaining an expensive glow.

So at the end of the day when your high-end purchase runs out, neither you nor anyone around you can tell the difference.

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