The Beauty Counter: Answers to your beauty questions

While working with clients, I'm often asked about the foundations I use and what some less expensive alternatives would be. So in this article, I've decided to address what the beauty industry refers to as "dupes," or affordable alternatives to high-end counterparts.

Now, please bear in mind that the items I have listed in this article are not because I am being paid to do so. They are simply products I have used in the past or am currently using, and believe they are suitable "dupes" to the more costly products.

Anne Hudson

My favorite high-end foundations that I use on myself and clients are Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation (approximately $43 for 1 fluid ounce), Urban Decay Naked Skin (approximately $39 for 1 fluid ounce) and Kat Von D Lock It Foundation (approximately $35 for 1 fluid ounce).

I'll begin with a couple dupes for the Make Up For Ever foundation. Revlon PhotoReady and Revlon 24-Hour ColorStay makeup are great alternatives, and both come in at less than $10 per bottle. All three foundations have 1 fluid ounce in each bottle, and all are medium to full coverage.

However, I will say Make Up For Ever seems to apply a bit smoother on the skin, whereas with the Revlon products, you may need to use a damp beauty blender or dampen the brush you use to apply foundation -- this will help the application feel more smooth. I feel that all three foundations are excellent when it comes to photography in that they have minimum SPF, which eliminates the risk of that white flash appearance on your skin. I do feel, though, that Revlon ColorStay and Make Up For Ever have longer-lasting coverage than the PhotoReady foundation.

Next up: I love Urban Decay's Naked Skin because it's a lightweight foundation, but has great staying power for all-day wear. A great alternative to Urban Decay Naked Skin is L'Oreal True Match Lumi foundation. L'Oreal's price point comes in at around $10 (1 fluid ounce) versus Urban Decay's price of about $39 (1 fluid ounce).

What I love about L'Oreal foundation is its ability to offer a good coverage even as a light to medium build, but it isn't heavy or thick in texture, and there is very little creasing, even after a long day of wear. Both products offer beautiful coverage, leaving your skin healthy-looking and natural. Both brands formulate their foundations with light-reflecting properties that offer the healthy glow we have all been obsessed with this year. L'Oreal's Lumi and True Match collections also have a host of different shades and properties that I believe will suit even the pickiest of makeup lovers.

Finally, I love the highly-coveted Kat Von D Lock It Foundation. This is an absolute full-coverage foundation. If you have an imperfection on your face, there is a 99 percent chance this foundation is going to cover it. A great dupe for this makeup is L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation. The price is about $13 (1 fluid ounce), and it's probably one of the more expensive drugstore alternatives. Similar to Kat Von D's Lock It Foundation, L'Oreal's Pro-Matte Foundation offers a full and long-lasting, 24-hour coverage. The main difference between the two foundations is the texture. Kat Von D has a whipped texture whereas L'Oreal Pro-Matte is just a liquid.

The nice thing about Pro-Matte is even though it's a full-coverage foundation (as most matte foundations are), it's formulated as a demi-matte foundation, which offers the benefit of a full-coverage foundation, but gives the appearance of "real skin." Both products are surprisingly lightweight on the skin, but I do feel Kat Von D is a thicker formula. Kat Von D, because it is full coverage and fully matte, can sometimes look flat toward the end of the day. If you choose Kat Von D, I suggest adding a bit of liquid or cream highlighter to the foundation before you apply it to the skin so you don't lose any dimension.

I hope that as you've read this, you've found some products that are a good alternative to the more costly, but highly sought after, foundations. Looking good doesn't have to cost you a second mortgage -- just take the time to research the products you love and find one that works best for you.

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About Anne

Anne Hudson, a self-taught makeup artist in Cape Girardeau, has had a passion for makeup since she was old enough to know what powder was. She could write a book about a tube of red lipstick, but for now, she's offering her best tips in Flourish magazine. Got a question for Anne? Send it to rgautschy@semissourian.com, and you might find the answer in a future issue of Flourish.