DUPES? Make Up For Ever Ultra HD vs. NYX HD Foundation & Concealer

It’s so hard when I fall in love with high-end beauty products. I always have trouble justifying the cost to myself, even if it’s a product I truly adore. One such product is the Make Up Forever Ultra HD Foundation, which I’ve been using since December. It’s probably one of the best foundations I’ve tried— I even trusted it with my friend’s bridal makeup— and I haven’t been using anything else as much in my daily routine. But man is it expensive… $43 a bottle? Kills me.

So when I was at IMATS and spotted NYX’s version of HD Foundation and Concealer, I snatched it up right away, hoping that it would be even half as good as the MUFE products I’ve grown to love. I thought… if these end up being real dupes, that is a really good chunk of change being spent. And so, I put them to the test, playing detective to find out if the NYX products were Make Up For Ever dupes.

Watch the video below to see how the products wore side-by-side through the day, and keep reading for a total breakdown comparison.

Concealers:

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Concealer: $27
NYX HD Concealer: $4.99

The NYX concealer feels thinner than the MUFE concealer, but both offer complete full coverage and blend beautifully into the skin for seamless application, both as highlights or under foundation to conceal problem areas. Personally, I like the NYX one even a bit better because of its consistency, and how it layers nicely when putting more product over it. I also prefer the wand applicator to the MUFE squeeze tube, because you can be more precise about how much product you’re using. Overall, I’d definitely recommend trying the NYX HD Concealer first if you can find your shade.

Foundations:

Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation: $43
NYX HD Studio Foundation: $17.99

As far as packaging goes, the foundation tells a different story as I prefer the MUFE pump style rather than the NYX squeeze tube. Going on, these foundations feel crazy similar. Again, they’re buildable from medium to full coverage while feeling light on the face and blending easily. You can see your pores blur underneath both products, although in the side by side picture below, I think the Make Up For Ever side made them look smaller around my nose and cheeks. They both have a satin matte finish for a real skin look. The MUFE foundation is a drier formula than the NYX one, and kept oil away much more effectively, while I started to feel a little bit of oil in my T-Zone on the NYX side when testing side-by-side. However, they both maintained their finish and coverage throughout the day.

ALSO READ: The Best Concealers for Every Budget

I also felt that while the NYX side held on to blush and bronzer longer than the MUFE foundation, it was also harder to blend product on top of, since it takes a while to dry down.

As I mentioned in the video, I would definitely classify these as dupes. The finish, coverage, and wear time are both almost interchangeable. You might even like the NYX foundation better if you have drier skin. The hard part will be finding a shade that matches you in the NYX foundation, since it only has 6 shades, whereas the Make Up For Ever foundation comes in FORTY shades.

Dupes like these are just another reason why it’s hard for me to spend money on expensive products— there are so many similar alternatives at more budget friendly prices!

Let me know if there are dupes you want me to investigate in the comments below!