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Beauty & Make-up

50+ beauty dupes for big brands including Elemis, Charlotte Tilbury, and Fenty

Eg, £6 Aldi overnight plumping face mask vs £45 Elemis

Rhiannon Moorhouse
Rhiannon Moorhouse
Senior Deals & Features Researcher, Writer and Blogger
Created 31 August 2018 | Edited 5 December 2023

At MSE, we’ve challenged you to ‘downshift’ your grocery shop for years (check our Downshifting Guide), but you can also save on make-up and beauty products by downshifting from brands to much cheaper ‘dupes’ – lookalike products, where often even the packaging is similar to the expensive brand.

I’ve looked into just how 'cheap and cheerful' these cheaper versions are, including a host of brand new products out this month. I must stress this is purely a price comparison and I’ve not tried them all myself, though as you’ll see below, many beauty bloggers and MSE users like them. Nevertheless, as they’re affordable, you could always try them and if you like them, great. If not, you’ve not lost much.

The key things you need to know about beauty dupes

  • Many are widely praised by beauty bloggers and MSE Forumites for being just as good, if not better than, their pricier counterparts. Since first publishing this guide in 2018, we've seen many positive comments including these...

I’ve been using Liz Earle’s hot cloth cleanser & really can’t see a difference to Aldi! Lacura’s moisturisers are just as good as Clarins also... I can buy the whole range I need from Aldi & still have money left over!

– Justine W.

The Lottie London collection is influenced by current Instagram trends and includes a number of Anastasia Beverly Hills and Kylie Cosmetics dupes without the designer price tags. When comparing it to the other palettes in my collection it definitely outperforms bigger brands.

– Lifestyle blogger Roxie Watt

  • Whilst duplicates might have very similar ingredients and properties they most likely won't be exactly the same – always read the packaging and check ingredients if you have any allergies or skin concerns. The exact formulation of most beauty products are a closely-guarded secret.

  • All these products are sold by reputable retailers – such as Boots and Superdrug – so they're quality-checked and aren't like something you might buy at a car boot sale. The British Skin Foundation told us all cosmetic products are subject to the same stringent tests, so just because a product is cheap, doesn’t mean it’s less effective or unsafe for the skin.

  • You might not get the same amount – having looked at the sizes of products at other stores while some products do give you more, in most cases the beauty dupe is either the same size or a smaller size than the big brand. However, even if you were to buy multiples to get the same amount, you would almost always spend significantly less.

I've picked out some of the most highly-rated beauty dupes I’ve heard about at Aldi, PrimarkBoots, Lottie London, and Superdrug, along with how much you can save if you take the Beauty Downshift Challenge. While you can usually find dupes at other retailers throughout the year, these are the biggies. Only make a switch if you’re happy to try something cheaper to see if you can achieve the same results.

Check our cheap beauty & make-up deals for more offers. If you're interested in shampoo, conditioner, or shower gel dupes, see the shampoo & shower gel downshift challenge guide for more info on what you could try. If downshifting sunscreen is on your agenda, our sun cream downshifting guide takes you through what to look for to ensure you're still sun-safe.

Check our cheap beauty & make-up deals for more offers. If you're interested in shampoo, conditioner, or shower gel dupes, see the shampoo & shower gel downshift challenge guide for more info on what you could try. If downshifting sunscreen is on your agenda, our sun cream downshifting guide takes you through what to look for to ensure you're still sun-safe.

If you still prefer the big brand, it might be worth waiting for discount events such as Black Friday, Boxing Day and January sales, or department store discount days before you stock up.

Brand-new beauty dupes available at Aldi and Primark

Here's a comparison of what’s available in stores now (Aldi no longer sells online), dependent on stock, and how much extra you’d pay for the similar big-name near-equivalent. I've noted below where products have been confirmed as cruelty-free and/or vegan – where I've not indicated either way, it doesn't necessarily mean they aren't, I’ve just not had confirmation.

Unsurprisingly, new Aldi dupes are the ones that sell out the fastest, which perhaps shows how many people out there have caught the bug for downshifting.

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New. Primark dupes - including £3 mascara vs similar £22 Charlotte Tilbury mascara, 86% saving

It's been a while since we featured Primark in our beauty dupes guide, and it has a whole host of 'em, often quickly selling out as people rush to try out products at about 10% of the cost of the big brand. We've added the newest, most popular ones to our table below.

Primark says all its own-brand products are cruelty-free, however I wasn't able to find out the sizes or whether all products are vegan, so it's worth checking if you spot them in store before buying.

Primark product

Similar branded product

NewDouble Act volumising mascara - £3.50 (cruelty-free)

Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High mascara, 9.6ml - £8.99 at Boots (normally £11.99)

NewSweet Secrets mascara - £3 (cruelty-free)

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk push up lashes mascara, 10ml - £22.10 at John Lewis (cruelty-free, normally £26)

Pro cream blush wand, 13ml - £4.50 (vegan & cruelty-free)

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk matte beauty blush wand, 28g - £30 at Charlotte Tilbury (vegan & cruelty-free)

Pro cream contour wand, 13ml - £4.50 (cruelty-free) Light or Dark brown

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood contour wand, 28g - £30 at Charlotte Tilbury (vegan & cruelty-free). Light to Medium, or Medium to Deep.

My Perfect Colour Flawless Glow primer foundation, 30ml - £6 (cruelty-free) various shades

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, 30ml - £39 at Charlotte Tilbury (vegan & cruelty-free)

Vitamin enriched moisturising primer, 45ml - £4.50 (cruelty-free)

Bobbi Brown vitamin enriched face base, 50ml - £42 at Allbeauty

My Perfect Colour illuminate under eye concealer, 6.8ml - £3.50 (cruelty-free) various shades

Maybelline Eraser eye concealer, 6.8ml - £8.99 at Boots. Various shades

My Perfect Colour Double Coverage matte foundation, 38ml - £5 (cruelty-free) various shades

Estée Lauder Double Wear stay-in-place makeup, 30ml - £37.50 at Boots

Bronze whip cream bronzer, £4.50 (cruelty-free)

Chanel Les Beiges bronzing cream, 30g - £46 at Chanel

Highlighter Drops, 15ml - £3 (vegan & cruelty-free)

Iconic London Illuminator highlighter, 13.5g - £32 at Lookfantastic

My Perfect Colour Illuminating foundation, 30ml- £6 (cruelty-free)

NARS Light Reflecting Foundation, 30ml - £31.20 at Sephora

Pore Smoothing primer, 20g - £4 (cruelty-free)

Benefit 'The Porefessional' face primer, 22ml - £31 at Lookfantastic

Wonderlash mascara, 9ml, £3 (cruelty-free)

Benefit 'They're Real' mascara, 8.5g - £19.60 at Allbeauty

False Lash Queen mascara, 9ml, £3 (cruelty-free)

Too Faced 'Better Than Sex' mascara, 8ml - £25 at Lookfantastic (vegan & cruelty-free)

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Primark Cream blush and cream contour (left) for £4.50 each vs Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk blush wand and contour wand (right) for £30 each?

As with Aldi, Primark goes so far as to sometimes mimic the shape and colour of the packaging of branded goods including the applicator, so these really are lookalikes (put them side-by-side and the visual similarity’s usually quite obvious).

While buying Primark instead of an expensive brand is always cheaper, in some cases you'll also get more of the product. Some big brands aren't cruelty-free, so if that's important to you, Primark says all of its own-brand is 'Leaping Bunny' certified cruelty-free – a nice extra on top of 80% savings compared to the big brand.

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Boots dupes - including £5 Boots 17 eyeshadow palette vs similar £28 Huda Beauty, 82% saving

You've probably heard about the relaunch of the Boots 17 range, previously discontinued in 2018, but did you know about its dupes for big brands? They're popular so they often sell out online, but you can usually still pick them up in stores, so I've left the links in below where items are currently sold out so you can check if your local store has any using the function on the Boots website.

They're not the only dupes available either, with the Boots No7 dupe for Charlotte Tilbury's powder widely shared on TikTok, we've collated the ones we've seen below. So if you're a MAC, Glow, Huda, or Benefit fan and shopping for a dupe, it's worth checking out your local Boots store.

Product at Boots

Similar branded product

17 Eyeshadow Palette in 'Green', 7.2g* - £2.50 (cruelty-free & vegan, normally £5)

Huda Beauty Emerald Obsessions palette, 9.9g - £28 at The Face Method

17 The Brow + Lash Lamination mascara in 'Clear', 10ml* - £1.50 (cruelty-free & vegan, normally £3)

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel in 'Clear', 7.93g - £17.25 at Lookfantastic

17 Eye Pigment Quick Stick, 5g* - £2 (cruelty-free & vegan, normally £4)

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick eye colour, 2g - £14 at Cult Beauty

17 Precise Definition tinted brow gel, 5ml* - £2.25 (cruelty-free & vegan, normally £4.50)

Glossier Boy Brow gel, 3.8g - £18 at Glossier (cruelty-free)

No7 Airbrush Away finishing powder, 10g* - £9.76 (cruelty-free, normally £13.95)

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless finish powder, 8g - £38 at Cult Beauty (cruelty-free)

Glow Essence serum, 28ml*- £5 (cruelty-free & vegan)

Glossier Super Glow serum, 30ml - £29 at Glossier (cruelty-free)

Sleek MakeUP cream contour kit, 12g* - £9.59 (normally £11.99)

Anastasia Beverly Hills contour cream kit, 27g - £27.30 at Anastasia Beverly Hills (normally £39)

Sleek MakeUP brow kit, 3.8g* - £7.99 (vegan & cruelty-free, normally £9.99)

Benefit 'Brow Zings', 2.65g+1.7g - £27 at Benefit (has been discontinued)

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Boots 17 eyeshadow palette in 'Green at £5 (left) vs Huda Beauty 'Emerald Obsessions' palette (right) at £28?

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Lottie London dupes - including £9 highlighter vs £31 Fenty, 71% saving

We've featured several Lottie London bundles in the past, and MoneySavers are big fans of the small price tag as well as the striking similarity to big brands. You'll also be able to order many of the products online, either direct from Lottie London*, or via other beauty websites such as Lookfantastic*.

Lottie London product

Similar branded product

New Superfake mascara, 9ml - £7.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan)

Maybelline Sky High mascara, 7.2ml - £11.99 at Boots

New Bright Bounce undereye correcting concealer, 5.5g - £6.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free)

Becca undereye brightening corrector, 4.5g - £21 at Lookfantastic (vegan & cruelty-free, now discontinued)

New Cheeky glow wands highlighter or blusher, 8g - £7.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan)

Charlotte Tilbury beauty light wand, 12ml - £30 at Charlotte Tilbury (vegan & cruelty-free)

New Hot glaze bronzing serum drops, 28ml - £8.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan)

Ciaté Brazilian glow bronzing serum, 28ml - £25 at Ciaté (cruelty-free & vegan)

New Stamp liner, wing-shape, 3.56ml - £5.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan)

Ciaté stamp & drag liner, 3.56ml - £15 at Ciaté (cruelty-free & vegan)

New Got it Covered concealer, 8ml - £4.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan)

Charlotte Tilbury magic away concealer, 4ml - £26 at Charlotte Tilbury (vegan & cruelty-free)

New Velvet skin tint foundation, 50ml - £9.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan)

Dior Backstage face & body foundation, 50ml - £36 at Dior

Freckle tint, 3ml - £4.87 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan, normally £6.95)

Freck faux freckle, 3.15ml - £17 at Beauty Bay (cruelty-free & vegan)

Diamond Bounce highlighter, 8g - £6.27 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan, normally £8.95)

Fenty Diamond Bomb highlighter, 8g - £24 at Boots

Eye Foil liquid eyeshadow, 5.5g - £3.47 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan, normally £4.95)

Stila Glitter & Glow liquid eyeshadow, 5ml - £16.80 at Boots (cruelty-free)

Ready Set Go translucent loose setting powder, 15g - £4.87 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan, normally £6.95)

Laura Mercier translucent loose setting powder, 29g - £27.37 at Lookfantastic

Dewy & illuminating setting spray, 80ml - £6.27 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan, normally £8.95)

Iconic Prep-set-glow setting spray, 120ml - £19.20 at Lookfantastic (cruelty-free & vegan)

Arch Rival Microblade eyebrow pen, 0.7ml - £3.47 at Lookfantastic* (cruelty-free & vegan, normally £4.95)

Ciate Microblade eyebrow pen, 0.7ml - £11.50 at Asos (cruelty-free & vegan)

Sweet Lips overnight lip mask & balm, 9g - £4.87 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan, normally £6.95)

Laneige lip sleeping mask, 20g - £19 at Lookfantastic

Glitter Switch lip gloss, 3ml - £4.87 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan, normally £6.95)

Ciaté Glitter Flip lipstick, 3ml - £7 at Ciaté (cruelty-free & vegan)

Slay All Day liquid matte lipstick, 6ml - £4.17 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan, normally £5.95)

Kylie Cosmetics matte lip kit (with 1g liner) - £23.80 at Boots

Eyeshadow palette in 'The Rusts', 7.2g - £4.17 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free, normally £4.95)

Huda Beauty Obsessions eyeshadow palette in 'Topaz', 10g - £36 at Bare Face

AM to PM eyeliner pencil, 2.59g - £3.47 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan)

Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner, 1.2g - £18 at John Lewis

Shimmer Squad highlighter palette in 'Holographic Haul', 16.8g - £5.65 at Perfume Click (cruelty-free & vegan)

Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Glow Kit, 4.2g - £32 at Bare Face (cruelty-free & vegan)

Beauty-Dupes-Lottie-Fenty.png

From Fenty, to Anastasia Beverly Hills, Ciaté and more, Lottie London's got an alternative for under a tenner. With the range being affordable already, discounted bundles are always snapped up – proving popular with MoneySavers. If you aren't signed up to our MSE weekly email, join for free so you don't miss the next time we feature a Lottie London set.

Personally, I really like that a lot of Lottie London products are vegan, and they're all cruelty-free. I've used the Shimmer Squad highlighter in 'Holographic Haul' (normally about £8), and even though some people say they don't think the colours are as strong as the branded Anastasia Beverly Hills alternative (normally about £40), at 81% cheaper I can say I certainly felt shimmery enough.

It's always worth checking there's not a sale on the branded version, for example, a sale previously made the Ciaté rainbow highlighter cheaper than the Lottie London dupe, so be sure to check your favourites before buying.

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Superdrug dupes - including £8 hot cloth cleanser vs similar £27 Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser, 70% saving

I’ve taken a look at feedback online, and tried a few of these products myself, and these are some of the best dupes I’ve come across at Superdrug. Its own products often match or exceed the cruelty-free and/or vegan status of the expensive brands they appear to be emulating.

Would you give up your favourite brand and downshift to a dupe? What are your favourite beauty dupes? Let us know on Twitter.

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