i've been obsessed with my NARS Orgasm/Laguna Blush Bronzer Duo for the last few months. it's been my go-to blush/bronzer combo since the beginning of the year. i've worn it every single day for weeks. and while i love it, it is pretty pricey at $41, so if i could find a great dupe that will save me a bit of money, i'm all for it.

i'd been hearing for the longest that the e.l.f. Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder, which retails for $3, was a great dupe. it was no-brainer for me to head to Target to pick it up and see if this could become my every day blush bronzer.

so are they really dupes?

welllllll....not exactly.

from the moment i got St. Lucia home and opened it up i knew by looking at it in the pan that it wasn't an exact dupe.

NARS Orgasm/Laguna Blush Bronzer Duo

e.l.f. Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder in St. Lucia

St. Lucia is definitely lighter and the gold shimmer in it is much more subtle. the bronzer in St. Lucia is a much deeper shade than Laguna and has some reddish undertones. Laguna definitely has more shimmer than the bronzer in St. Lucia.

top row (l-r): Orgasm/Laguna & e.l.f. St. Lucia

bottom row (l-r): St. Lucia's blush (top) & Orgasm (bottom), St. Lucia's bronzer (top) & Laguna (bottom)

once applied, they do look fairly similar. Orgasm is the more pigmented of the two blushes. i find that i need to swirl my brush 2-3 times in the St. Lucia bush to get the kind of color that i like on my cheeks. the bronzer is the exact opposite. i use a much lighter hand with the bronzer in St. Lucia. but once everything is blended they do give a remarkable similar effect.

the one thing i don't like about St. Lucia is the amount of powder that gets wasted after you swirl your brush in the product. but for $3...i can deal.

as a matter of fact, i've started using this more often so that i don't have to replace my NARS' duo so quickly. and i may invest in the other to duos that e.l.f has to offer.

have you tried any of the NARS or e.l.f blush/bronzer duos? which ones are your favorites?

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