A Guide to Cheap Dupes for Popular Purple MAC Lipsticks

Alisha Adkins is an author of horror and speculative fiction. A self-described "aging goth," she has a strong interest in creative makeup.

Dupes, Dupes, Dupes!

Why Purple?

Personally, I'm a bit of a purple lipstick enthusiast. If you ask me, one can never have enough purple lipsticks—I actually have more purple lipsticks than red ones in my collection.

Until recently, purple has been a relatively difficult-to-find color. MAC Cosmetics created several iconic shades of the color when other major brands were playing it safe with classic hues. In the makeup industry, the MAC name is generally considered synonymous with quality and, with 190 shades in their regular lipstick line, with variety as well. Their purples are gorgeous, but the quality comes with a price—at $17, a tube of MAC lipstick can be pricey.

If You Can't Beat Them, Copy Them!

So what about those of us who cannot afford to splurge on makeup? Luckily, as of late, purple lipstick has become the rage. Its popularity is encouraging even the more cosmetically conservative woman to be a little braver in her lipstick color choices. This means that other, less expensive brands have been emulating MAC's more avant-garde lipstick colors.

This puts us, as consumers, in an advantageous position—rather than paying for a MAC lipstick, we have a variety of knock-offs from which to choose. Will the knock-off lipsticks be as creamy or long-lasting? In most cases, no. But a lot of these dupes have formulas that aren't half-bad, and when it comes to appearances, they are remarkably similar to their MAC counterparts.

A Labor of Love

As you read this article, you may notice a lack of side-by-side swatch photos comparing a MAC lipstick with its dupes. That is because I don't own the MAC originals (I can't afford them). I have, however, done extensive research, watching more than 20 hours of video (the most pertinent videos that I found have been included here) as well as combing through blog posts, Google pictures, Pinterest, and Instagram posts. There is a lot of information out there, but it's scattered wide. My goal is to bring it all together for easy access and organize it into a definitive guide, at least as it relates to MAC lipsticks in the purple spectrum.

Here, the lipsticks are organized in the following categories:

• True Purples and Lavenders: Heroine, Pure Heroine, Violetta, Dodgy Girl, Up the Amp, Men Love Mystery, Feel My Pulse, Lavender Jade, Blooming Lovely, Lavender Whip
• Blackened Purples: Cyber, Smoked Purple, Gunner, Punk Couture, Instigator
• Purplish Reds, Wines, and Berry Colors: Rebel, Sin, Diva, Dark Side, Eugenie, Acai, Fixed on Drama, Hang Up, Vino, Nightmoth
• Purplish Pinks: Flat Out Fabulous, Pink Pigeon, Candy Yum-Yum, Girl About Town, Something New, Embrace Me, Lovelorn, Divine Choice, Pink Poodle, Daddy's Little Girl, Palmful, Craving, Pleasure Bomb, Toxic Tale, Happy Go Lucky, Silly, St. Germain, Petals and Peacocks, Pink Nouveau, Brave, Show Orchid

True Purples and Lavenders

MAC is known for producing strong, flattering statement colors. Many of MAC's purple shades are iconic. For instance, Heroine and Violetta are instantly recognizable names among the "makeup porn" beauty community set. Many cosmetic brands have tried their hands at producing dupes of these striking purple shades.

Heroine

Pure Heroine (Lorde Collection)

Pure Heroine is a shade somewhere between Heroine and Punk Couture—you can see the video below for a comparison.

Violetta

Dodgy Girl

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Up the Amp

Men Love Mystery

Feel My Pulse (Limited Edition)

Lavender Jade (Limited Edition)

Blooming Lovely (Limited Edition)

Lavender Whip

Blackened Purples

There are several affordable alternatives available for many of MAC's deeper purple lipsticks.

Cyber

Wet n' Wild Vamp It Up and Maybelline Midnight Plum

1 / 2

Laura Lee compares Cyber side-by-side with NYX's Dahlia.

Gunner

Punk Couture

Smoked Purple

Instigator

Purplish Reds, Wines, and Berry Colors

Besides all of the outright purple lipsticks in MAC's catalog, there are many plums, wines, berries, and other deep reds with heavy purple undertones. Here are dupes for some of MAC's more striking shades in this color range.

Rebel

The video below gives a side-by-side comparison of Rebel to Milani's Sangria and Wet-n-Wild's Sugar Plum.

Sin

Diva

Dark Side

Dark Side compared with Revlon's Black Cherry.

And here it is compared with Sleek Mulberry.

Eugenie (2015 Giambattista Valli Collection)

Acai (Julia Petit Collection Limited Edition)

Fixed on Drama

Hang Up

Vino Lip Pencil

Nightmoth Lipliner

Purplish Pinks

For those still hesitant to jump into wearing a full-on purple lip, you can always ease into it by trying a pink shade that has a hint of purple. Here are dupes for some of MAC's purplish-pink lipsticks.

Flat Out Fabulous

Pink Pigeon

Candy Yum-Yum

Here's Candy Yum-Yum compared with Milani's Diva.

And below, you can see it compared with Milani's Rose Hip.

Girl About Town

The video below shows Girl About Town side by side with NYX Black Label Lipstick in Beauty Queen.

And here you can see it compared to Covergirl's Spellbound.

Something New

Embrace Me

Lovelorn

Divine Choice

Pink Poodle

Daddy's Little Girl (Limited Edition)

Plumful

Craving

Pleasure Bomb (Rihanna Limited Edition)

Toxic Tale (Limited Edition)

Happy Go Lucky (Limited Edition)

Silly

St. Germain

Petals and Peacocks (Liberty of London)

Pink Nouveau

Brave

Show Orchid

But Some of These Dupes Are Limited Editions...

What if the dupe is no longer produced? For instance, Maybelline's "Midnight Plum" was part of a 2013 collection. "How am I supposed to find it now?" you may ask.

Well, just because the lipstick is no longer available in your local drugstore doesn't mean it can't be found. Products such as these are typically still available from multiple sellers on Amazon and eBay. Additionally, there are makeup clearance sites such as allcosmeticswholesale.com and buymebeauty.com that specialize in selling close-out makeup at reduced prices. Just run a quick Google search for the discontinued item you want—you'll probably find it selling for less than its original price!

Some Things to Consider About Dupes

1. Dupes Aren't an Exact Science.

A "dupe," or duplicate, is a close approximation of the original. It may vary slightly in color, as well as in texture, formula, and/or wear time. The lighting your lipstick is worn in can also change color perception, and many of MAC's lipstick shades (such as "Smoked Purple," "Cyber," and "Instigator" or "Fashion Revival," Julia Petit's Limited Edition "Acai," and "Rebel") are similar to one another.

Another thing to remember here is that lipstick can be built up to increase its intensity. A lipstick that may not look like a dupe after the first swipe over the lips might just be a perfect match after the third pass.

2. Will Buying the Dupe Really Save You Money?

If you were actually going to buy the MAC lipstick, then buying the cheaper alternative will definitely save you money. However, be careful. It can be tempting to go on a spending spree because these MAC alternatives are so cheap, but if you decide to buy dupes of MAC lipsticks that you wouldn't have actually purchased for full price, you're not really saving.

Embark on a New Cosmetic Adventure

Of course, saving money isn't everything. Buying lipstick shades you would have never gotten at full price will allow you to expand your collection and explore new horizons. Have fun on your journey of cosmetic exploration!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2015 Alisha Adkins

Comments

Florencia on March 28, 2017:

Love this guide! You definitely should do a guide of red MAC lipstick dupes!

SmartAndFun from Texas on September 29, 2015:

I am too old and don't have the right coloring to wear purple lipstick, but I love makeup in general and the idea of your article. I love to save money and find great products that work just as well as expensive ones. Great job!