32 Beauty Products That Are Very Worthy Substitutes For The Name-Brand Versions

It’s great for soothing rashes, sunburns, rosacea, eczema and other skin irritations, and extremely similar to the beloved (but pricey) Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Spray. Its secret is hypochlorous acid, an ingredient found naturally in our white blood cells that helps soothe inflammation and strengthen the skin barrier. People also love this for helping heal piercings. (Note: This product has newer packaging that you might receive instead of the older bottle shown above!)

Promising review: “This spray is amazing. I had a rash on my face and it disappeared after one use of this spray. I had a stye in my eye and the skin around the eye was irritated. This spray fixed not only the irritation but the stye went away as well. Any sort of blemish or acne is taken care of with this simple inexpensive spray. Great for after-sun care or workout redness. Everyone loves Tower 28’s expensive SOS spray. The SOS spray contains hypochlorous acid, which is the exact same ingredient in the Briotech spray for much less money. It’s a miracle worker.” — Squid466

Promising review: “My skin dries out severely during the winter all the time, and I have to constantly use Vaseline to keep it moisturized (normal cream doesn’t work on me). Imagine my surprise when my SO tried to put snail goo on me, eww!! I resisted for weeks refusing to use this product as she constantly vouched for its abilities. After a month I finally gave in, and boy it is amazing! My hands feel more moisturized than ever for longer and it doesn’t leave a disgusting greasy feel as Vaseline. Take it from a once non-believer, you have to try this. Even if it doesn’t work for you, you paid a fraction of what you would’ve paid for any other name-brand moisturizers.” — Kyoko Ozaki

SeoulCeuticals is a small business!

Promising reviews: “Perfect gel texture moisturizer for my combination skin. It absorbs quickly and leaves skin with a nice finish (not sticky or greasy). It layers really well under sunscreen and makeup too! It really reminds me of the Drunk Elephant Protini moisturizer but one-fourth the price! Will buy again!!” — AG

“Smells just like the Sunday Riley moisturizer! Super moisturizing and smells amazing!” — Emma Nava

Reviewers with everything from thin, fine hair to 4c curls have reported positive results from this moisturizing formula, which is particularly recommended for folks whose hair is damaged from using hot tools, bleach and the like.

Promising review: “Like many others, I tried this as a replacement for Olaplex. Honestly, Olaplex never had a great effect on my hair and certainly wasn’t worth the price. This did an unreal job on my hair!! I was skeptical (tried a little bit first because I was petrified it would burn off my hair and I would end up bald!) but, lo and behold, it was magic! My hair is so strong, silky, and healthy looking after just one use. Plus you can’t beat the price! Have already ordered another box. I should also add I have curly/wavy hair that’s been colored to a light brown. Buy it!!” — BB

Reviewers compare to products like Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution, YSL Velvet Cream and Tartist Creamy Matte Lip Paint.

Promising reviews: “This is velvet, full coverage without feeling like glue on your lips. It does transfer. The color is very pigmented so what you see is what you get. Honestly one of the best lip color products I’ve ever used, I put this above Charlotte Tilbury.” — Lexi Lee

Promising review: “Okay so first nothing will make you ‘poreless’ but this stuff is amazing. Will even out fine lines and help with super porous areas; my T-zone [has really visible] pores and this definitely gave me a boost in confidence. I would highly recommend. Especially to those not to familiar with makeup, this is a game changer. Honestly it works better than my $30 primer from Urban Decay and lasts all day. I am oily so I usually blot some powder on later in the day but if you have dry skin this could be the ultimate game changer!” — Olivia

Promising review: “Saw this on BuzzFeed — they were right! It’s easy to use and actually works. I was so surprised at how well this pen bleached out some coffee stains on my teeth after just one application. I’ve tried Crest Whitestrips and this is better because you can get in between the teeth.” — C. S.

Peach Slices is part of Peach & Lily, a skincare brand founded by celebrity esthetician Alicia Yoon that specializes in toxin-free, vegan beauty products made with recyclable packaging. The company plants a tree with each order, and a portion of its proceeds have gone to to Restore NYC since 2016. Check out a TikTok of the acne spot dots in action.

Promising reviews: “This brand is so affordable and works just the same as the more expensive brands. I go through them so quickly so this is a plus! I’m generally a picker at my zits, but if I can get to one of these dots in time I save my face a lot of irritation and pain.” — Savannah Wilson

“So I have been usually these for about a year now. I have tried Mighty Patch and a few others, none I feel really worked or worked as well. This product is MY GO-TO and I have turned so many others to it.” — Melodie G

Promising reviews: “Wow! I have waist-length 3c curly color-treated hair that’s usually a nightmare to deal with and this stuff is a game-changer. My hair is silky, my curls are defined, it dried in like half the usual time…seriously impressed!” — Stavana Jubinsky

“I’m a professional hairstylist and Matrix, Redken, and L’Oreal are all owned by L’Oreal, and each line has a lamellar water in it at different prices. I am here to tell you that they are all the exact same ingredients in different bottles. So buy the cheapest and save yourself some cash. Your hair will love you for it. I love this stuff.” — anonymous87

Promising review: “Best eye cream I have ever used!!! Better than Benefiance by Shiseido and Clinique or Lancôme, for less than a third of the price with the amount you get. It is rich enough to do the job but not greasy. It doesn’t interfere with concealer, yet softens lines. Love it so much!!!!” — Lory Lacy

Promising review: “I’ve tried all mascaras, cheap and expensive. I even buckled and purchased the ever-popular sought after, Dior Show mascara. This one surpasses them all! The brush is amazing at separating and fluffing lashes, and the formula is a quick-drying, non-smudge deep black. I’ll never go back to designer mascara again!” — CEB

The oval brush design smooths the hair and the round edges create volume — leaving you with a salon-worthy blowout at home. It also has two heat and speed settings and a cool option, and it’s designed to work on all hair textures. Reviewers with 2b through 4c hair mentioned it working for them.

Promising reviews: “I’ve had my eye on a Dyson Airwrap, but given the cost, I figured I’d try this while I save up. This thing is fantastic. I have waist length hair that’s naturally straight, but gets frizzy when damp. I’ve had salon blowouts that have left my hair looking great, but I simply can’t manage a round brush without it getting tangled in my hair. This device has been a game changer. It works best if you air dry for a while before you use it, then use it to finish your style. My hair miraculously doesn’t get snarled in it, and it leaves my hair looking like I’ve had it professionally styled. I love it, and I’m no longer interested in blowing $500 on a Dyson. Highly recommend!” — Ilsa

Promising review: “Don’t hesitate, just buy these. I was using the Real Technique sponges for years and bought these on a whim after seeing several TikToks praising these. I love these sponges and the price. I apply liquid foundation with a damp sponge and these work better than Real Techniques. They are dense but soft and ‘bouncy.’ I wash mine between each use and these hold up very well and much better than the RT. Very happy with my purchase and the price. Will definitely continue to buy.” — chris

A ton of people compare it to Beauty Blender’s own $15 liquid cleanser (over double the price of this). I’ve used Ecotools brush cleaning shampoo for years, and it makes cleaning my brushes so much easier. I just add a bit of the shampoo to my brush and gently rub it against a silicone mat under running water, and it makes quick work of removing all the makeup that’s built up on my brush for, frankly, way too long. You’ll see the water start running brown immediately, which is always super gross but also really satisfying, and once you see your brush return to its original color, you know you’re done. And the bristles are always left as soft as before too!

Promising review: “The best, most affordable brush and sponge shampoo on the market! No joke, I have tried everything; even homemade hacks like dish detergent mixed with olive oil. Nothing works like this brush shampoo. Don’t waste your money on the Beauty Blender soap and other big-name brands.” — Lily

Promising review: “These are great for oily skin. I normally can get through half the day before my face looks like a grease pit and that’s after applying anti-shine under makeup. These wipes are a miracle. They absorb quickly and I love having them in my purse. I normally use two a day — much better than Tatcha.” — Leslie M.I Photographer

For reference, the Laneige lip mask contains 20 grams of product, while each of these measures 5 grams, or 15 grams for the entire set. So even with product sizes taken into account, these are a much better deal!

Promising review: “[Alternative] for the Laneige lip mask. This is the most moisturizing lip treatment in the market. When my lips started getting dry due to the cold season I was thinking of buying the Laneige lip mask, but it’s soooo expensive. This is a fraction of the cost and feels just the same. Very good product.” — Riya

If you follow beauty influencers, you miiiight notice this is extremely similar to the James Charles x Morphe palette, which cost almost $40.

Promising reviews: “Clearly time I got a new eyeshadow palette. Sargent Freddie Mercury (my not-even 4-pound bunny) made it his mission to destroy my James Charles overpriced palette. This palette is the same quality, maybe even nicer. This eyeshadow was put on at around 3 p.m. and it’s almost 1 a.m., the ‘highlight’ stayed on my nose even with my mask on through a whole day of work. That blew my mind.” — Daniel T Adams

“Best palette I’ve owned and you can’t beat this price! The colors are beautiful and vibrant. They are also extremely pigmented, especially the shimmery colors, and they all seem to blend well. I’m happy to have every color I could ever want in an eyeshadow in the palm of my hands and I’ve been experimenting with colors I’ve never worn before!!” — Mary Diamond

Promising review: “This eye primer is amazing!!! I have super oily eyelids and was getting to the point that I would rarely bother with eyeshadow because even with expensive primers it would be smudged and creased within an hour. So glad I don’t need to shell out for Urban Decay or Mac Paint Pot anymore; they don’t hold a candle to this and it’s so much cheaper.” — Chloe

Get a side-by-side look at this next to the Fenty Diamond Bomb highlighter on TikTok — the creator applies one to each cheek for comparison!

Promising review: “I love love love my Physicians Formula Diamond Dust mineral powder! I wish I’d known about this before I spent $42 on a Fenty compact that does MORE than I want with the sparkle; this product gives just the right amount of coverage without having it end up all over my face and on my clothes as well. It’s also pretty if you want to bring attention to your collarbones or shoulders. A perfect amount of shimmer with little effort! Try it!! You can thank me later!!” — camielle parent

BuzzFeed Shopping writer Emma Lord says, “I’m a Glossier Cloud Paint stan so I’ll continue to buy it, but I love this affordable alternative, too! It spreads on super easily and can either go on sheer or build for a bolder effect. I got the Rose Flush shade and enjoy it for everyday wear since it’s so easy to squirt a bit on my fingers, swirl it into my cheeks, and be on my merry way. It lasts all day and looks super natural to boot!”

Promising review: “This is a great, cheap alternative to Glossier Cloud Paint. It’s less pigmented and blends more easily, so it looks very natural.” — Amazon customer

Promising reviews: “I have the kind of eyebrows that look very full with brushing, but can quickly look like one has ‘collapsed’ once my hair or something else touches it. I’ve used nearly every product from Anastasia Beverly Hills, but never had luck keeping my brows in place. Well, let me tell you, this stuff is no joke. I had to scrub my eyebrows clean tonight to get them to move. If you need some help holding your fluff, this will be your new favorite product. Also, I was able to ditch the eyebrow pencil since this this stuff holds every hair in the place you brush it.” — Bailey M, Deacon

“This is so, so much better than the clear mascara that I was using. Ditto for the expensive eyebrow gel that I used before that. This stuff is: not crunchy, not crusty, and doesn’t wear off, all day long. What it IS is nothing short of amazing: a little brow pencil and some of the eyebrow soap, and you have perfect brows all day, with no worries.” — H. K. Rodman

Check it out in a quick makeup look from TikTok beauty influencer Mikayla Nogueira, who succinctly describes Wow Brow as “the tinted brow gel that does the job.”

Promising review: “This product has replaced ALL of my high-end brow products. This is the most amazing brow stuff I’ve ever used. I don’t even have to fill in my brows because this has such great coverage. It’s a game changer!!” —Isabella

Promising review: “Expensive isn’t always better. I tried this spray before spending the day outdoors in 90-degree heat at Disneyland, and the only place my makeup moved was on the tip of my nose because I have allergies and use a lot of Kleenex. But otherwise it looked as fresh as it did when I put it on. I’ve used Mac and Urban Decay setting spray and they never worked as well as this stuff. I am completely amazed. Definitely give it a try.” — Stephanie

HuffPost Shopping writer Haley Zovickian swears by these: “I only use these now to remove my makeup, including heavy mascara, and they are great for my sensitive skin. I do follow up with a gentle cleanser to cleanse my skin once all my makeup is off. They’re big and dry quickly so you can use the same towel multiple times before having to wash it or switch to another one.”

Promising review: “These things are so soft! Great for taking off makeup. I was using the Makeup Eraser before, but these are 100 times better. You just wet them, wipe off your makeup, rinse and hang out. I guess you could use a new one each day, but I they are very big so you can get a few days out of one. Great value for the money!” — Shopforbargains

Promising reviews: “I was skeptical about this product at first but I am so glad I decided to buy it. It really removes my makeup, even waterproof mascara with ease. It has no smell and doesn’t leave my face oily. It reminds me of my Bioderma that I got in the UK. And for this price, amazing!” — Kat

“I’ve been using makeup wipes my whole life because I didn’t even know this existed. I saw it in stores but nobody ever told me what this was. This is literally amazing, buy reusable pads and this and you’re set for life. I’m really upset nobody ever told me what this stuff was. I don’t understand why makeup wipes even exist…this cleanses your face, takes off your makeup.Nobody should not know what this stuff is.” — Amazon customer

Promising reviews: “What can I say, I saw a TikTok about this lipstick and for $10 had to try it!The reviews are right, for some reason this lipstick is better than even $20 name brand ones bought from Ulta. Not only does it smell great, but dries in under a minute and survived eating a cupcake, a Starbucks drink, and an entire evening out, no smudging and had to be removed with a makeup wipe. Fantastic product!!” — Claire

“Beautiful and soooo worth the money! Usually I always purchase either Stila Cosmetics or Kylie Jenner but both of those are very pricey and expensive, so I looked up matte lip glosses on Amazon and saw this and thought I would give it a try. I absolutely love it. Very easy to put on does not smudge, beautiful colors, very very happy about the size of it! I went and purchased set B now because I love this product!” — Vickyy

Promising reviews: “I have extremely dark under eye circles. Honestly that is the only reason I wear makeup, is to cover them. I’ve used numerous kinds of concealers. Tarte Shape Tape, Mary Kay, Estée Lauder (assorted kinds), IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye, Clinique, Laura Mercier, Mac, and Bobby Brown. I usually spend anywhere from $25-30 on one tube of concealer and still feel unsatisfied with the coverage. Or it looks too heavy and thick by the time i set with a damp makeup sponge and powder (accentuating my under eye fine lines). This little gem is great. I use this concealer every day instead of all my high-end brand concealers. It’s full coverage, buildable, lasts all day, not drying and not too liquidy. I’m so happy I gave this a try, will definitely be keeping this baby in my every day makeup bag.” — Brittney

“Oh my gosh. I have spent so much money on expensive concealers and this is my all-time favorite. I’m 61 and starting to get crepey skin under my eyes. Other concealers make it worse, but I also have dark circles so I feel like I need something. And this is it! Moisturizing, silky and covers the circles. I love it!” — Lynnette Smith

Promising review: “This is EXACTLY what I was looking for. I apply after moisturizer and makeup, highlighting under my eyes and brow bones. Not too sparkly, just makes me look like I’ve had enough coffee. Seems to last through hot and sweaty Florida days, so that’s a plus. I’ve tried other luminizers, and for me they are usually too sparkly or weirdly colored. I tried an $$ Glossier one that remained strangely sticky the whole time it was on my skin. I will purchase again!” — DLW

Promising review: “So far I have used about four bottles of this product. I use it like a serum and put a few drops on my face and décolleté before I apply moisturizer in the morning or night cream. I see the same outstanding results I did see with the TNS Serum — just for a fraction of the price!!!” — nana bendick

All three will leave your pout plump and glossy, whether worn on their own or over lipstick!

Promising review: “I have tried so many lip glosses from MAC to Kylie to Shea Moisture and Kiehl’s and I have to say this is by far THE best lip gloss. It is sooo smooth and glossy and doesn’t have that normal stickiness to it, which is absolutely amazing!” — Paige

This solution uses a mixture of glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acid. The first two are alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) that exfoliate the skin’s outer layer while the last one, a beta hydroxy acid (BHA), reduces pore congestion.

Promising review: “This is my new favorite peel product! In 10 minutes, my skin looked glowy and smooth, and felt soft and even. There was zero irritation, just healthy, happy skin. Babyfacial works, but always left my skin red, extra oily, and hot to the touch. Not this product though! Not to mention it literally costs less than 10% of what Babyfacial costs.” — ClaireEB

Reviewers say it’s especially effective for sensitive, acne-prone skin and oily/combination skin types (though reviewers with dry skin report great results too). And multiple people compare it to SkinCeuticals’ vitamin C serum — which, if you’re unaware, retails for a whopping $182.

Promising reviews: “I absolutely LOVE this serum. I was spending an absurd amount of money on SkinCeuticals products. This serum is way better. My skin is clearer and more bright. The only negative about this serum is the smell. It’s awful! I will tolerate it and continue to use it because of its effectiveness and price!” — Tish

“I am a licensed esthetician who deals with hormonal cystic acne that leaves scarring on my sensitive skin. My skin has improved so much since I started using this product!!! For the first couple of weeks, my skin purged out any underlying blemishes but afterward was clearer + smoother than I’ve seen it in YEARS! I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!! I love that it not only targets my acne scarring with the vitamin C but also soothes the redness with the niacinimide, has retinol, AND helps minimize my blackheads and pore size with the salicylic acid. 😭 It is the perfect product for my sensitive oily acne prone skin!” — Jackie