11 Best Beauty Dupes That Will Save You A Pretty Penny
When it comes to luxury beauty products, we could navigate our way around Selfridge’s beauty hall pretty quick. In reality, a makeup bag and a bathroom cabinet full of Charlotte Tilbury, Giorgio Armani and La Prairie doesn’t come cheap, so we’ve tried and tested some of the beauty industry’s best-kept secrets: the high street beauty dupes.
From the illuminator that gives the illuminator of all illuminators a run for its money to the high street day cream that’s a whole £435(!) cheaper than the original, we’ve handpicked 10 of our favourites. There’s always a place in our beauty arsenals for the luxury version, but these affordable alternatives will save you a pretty penny.
Glossier Cloud Paint Vs MUA Blushed Liquid Cream
Price difference: £19
Glossier, the American beauty brand developed by ex-The Hills star-turned-makeup boss Emily Weiss, has earned itself a global cult following in just a few years.
With an inclusive, no-fuss approach to beauty – it’s all about that no-makeup makeup look – we can’t get enough of their products and while they’re not in the Chanel and Tom Ford price bracket, they are a little spennier than your average Boots haul.
Save on the gorgeously light but highly pigmented Cloud Paint blushers with MUA’s almost-as-good Blushed tubes.
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Vs L’Oreal Paris True Match Eye Cream Concealer
Price difference: £18
Few beauty products reach such cult status as YSL’s Touche Eclat. Loved by makeup artists and in the makeup bags of millions (apparently six are sold every minute!), the iconic clicky pen is a must for adding luminosity to the skin, covering blemishes and disguising under eye bags.
We will always love the original but L’Oreal’s True Match Concealer is a close runner-up – it just needs a little more blending – and you can’t deny it’s always a win when you save almost 20 quid.
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Palette Vs Revolution Eyeshadow Palette
Price difference: £39
When it comes to YouTube beauty tutorials, few eyeshadow palettes have been given as much airtime as Urban Decay’s Naked Palettes. Consisting of 12 wearable colours that will take you from subtle contour to all-out after- hours smokey eye, if you’ve got this, you really don’t need any other eyeshadows in your collection.
Priced at £49, Naked 3 is not the cheapest but it’s worth noting that is will last for ages. Opt for a more frugal price point with e.l.f.’s Perfect 10 Eyeshadow Palette, which showcases 5 matte and 5 metallic shades in shades of brown, gold and pink, for a £10 price tag.
La Prairie Skin Caviar Vs Aldi’s Lacura Caviar
Price difference: £485.67
When Aldi (yes, Aldi) launched a rival to La Prairie’s iconic but eye-wateringly expensive Caviar face cream it totally sold out, and was raved about by many a beauty editor and blogger. Even Trinny Woodall, who’s famously candid about what she puts on her face, and tells all on what she does/doesn’t like, came out as a fan.
Granted, we’re not saying the ingredients list on a £500 day cream and a £13 day cream are going to be exactly the same but really, should anyone be spending £450 on a day cream? It’s not Botox.
Beautyblender Vs Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
Price difference: £ 10.51
When the Beautyblender launched back in 2003 it was a game changer for guaranteeing the smoothest foundation finish. In fact, over 20 years have gone by and still few things live up to this little wonder sponge.
If you don’t fancy dropping £17.50 on foam, Real Techniques (who also do the most amazing, affordable brushes) do a great rival for just £6.99.
Both can create a range of basis, from light and dewy to full-coverage matte – just remember to wash it after every use.
Drunk Elephant Vitamin C Serum Vs Beauty Pie Superdose™ C C- Suite Rapid Action Power Brightener
Price difference: £43
Drunk Elephant stormed into the beauty world in 2018 and it has quickly become a go-to for beauty editors thanks to its no-BS formulations and hard-working ingredient list. While it’s not the most expensive brand out there, the products definitely still feel like an investment, which is where Beauty Pie comes in.
Beauty Pie’s Superdose™ C C- Suite Rapid Action Power Brightener is a tough rival to Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma Day Serum thanks to its potent dose of pure vitamin C. This helps to correct the appearance of ageing, leaving skin feeling softer, more hydrated, and glowing. We love to use both in the morning to help protect and keep the skin looking fresh all day.
Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand Vs e.l.f. Halo Glow Highlight Beauty Wand
Price difference: £33
Charlotte Tilbury is a household name when it comes to giving us that mesmerizing glow, and her products are in every makeup artist and beauty enthusiast’s bags for good reason.
As worth the money as they may be, cheaper alternatives have proven to be just as deserving of the hype, achieving similar results for a fraction of the price! (and this is also true for e.l.f.’s dupes of the contour and blush wands).
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation Vs L’Oréal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation
Price difference: £34.01
Giorgio Armani’s cult Luminous Silk Foundation has become a makeup artist favourite. The lightweight but seamless finish leaves skin looking near-perfect but without that horrible cakiness. Downside? It comes in at just under 50 quid a pot.
L’Oréal’s True Match Liquid Foundation is one of the best we’ve found for far less, almost £34 less. Both products are available in 40 shades, meaning it’s very likely you’ll find one to match.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk Vs NYX’s Extra Creamy Round Lipsticks
Price difference: £21.90
If MAC’s Ruby Woo red was the cult lipstick of the 2000s, Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk is the modern-day equivalent.
The soft pink, super wearable shade is the perfect colour to have in your everyday makeup arsenal, but for a more affordable option look to NYX’s Minimalism shade for a mere £6.10. The packaging might not be as pretty but it’s the closest colour match you’ll find on the high street.
Urban Decay’s Space Cowboy Vs Sephora Collection’s Twinkle Twinkle
Price difference: £12.01
You probably already know TikTok’s viral one and done sensation Space Cowboy: a wet looking, warm undertoned, glitter packed beauty that retails for £20. While browsing Sephora last year I stumbled upon a very similar, but much more affordable dupe: Sephora Collection’s Colourful Eyeshadow – Glitter Effect in the shade Twinkle Twinkle.
Don’t be fooled by its price, because this powerhouse of a single shadow has been the star of many of my looks, and worth every penny of its almost £8. If you happen to catch a sale, you can even have it for as little as £4.
Crème de la Mer Vs Nivea Creme
Price difference: £12.01
Whether it’s Nivea Creme (German version) or Nivea Soft, the myth that the cult favourite Crème de la Mer has found a very cheap dupe in the highstreet brand has been going around for a long time, before it even became viral on TikTok.
We’ll leave it for you to decide whether it’s the truth, or it’s simply wishful thinking that for almost £295 less, both will deliver the same results.
The products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however, The Handbook may make a small commission on some products purchased through affiliate links.