50+ beauty dupes for big brands including Charlotte Tilbury, Chanel, and Fenty
Eg, £4.50 bronzer vs £46 Chanel, £4.50 blush vs £30 Charlotte Tilbury
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. Though 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, Boots, Lottie London, Superdrug, and Wilko, 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 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.
New. Brand-new beauty dupes available at Primark, Aldi, Lottie London, and Wilko
Here's a comparison of what’s available in stores or online now, 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 online (though you'll hopefully still find some of them in stores), which perhaps shows how many people out there have caught the bug for downshifting.
New. Primark dupes - including £4.50 bronzer vs similar £46 Chanel bronzer, 90% 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 |
| New 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) |
| New 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. |
| New Flawless Glow primer, 30ml - £6 (cruelty-free) various shades | Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, 30ml - £39 at Charlotte Tilbury (vegan & cruelty-free) |
| New Vitamin enriched moisturising primer, 45ml - £4.50 (cruelty-free) | Bobbi Brown vitamin enriched face base, 50ml - £42 at Allbeauty |
| New Conceal and Illuminate under eye concealer, 6.8ml - £3 (cruelty-free) various shades | Maybelline Eraser eye concealer, 6.8ml - £8.99 at Boots. Various shades |
| New 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 |
| New Bronze whip cream bronzer, £4.50 (cruelty-free) | Chanel Les Beiges bronzing cream, 30g - £46 at Chanel |
| New Highlighter Drops, 15ml - £3 (vegan & cruelty-free) | Iconic London Illuminator highlighter, 13.5g - £32 at Lookfantastic |
| New My Perfect Colour Illuminating foundation, 30ml - £6 (cruelty-free) | NARS Light Reflecting Foundation, 30ml - £31.20 at Sephora |
| New 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) |
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 an up to 90%ish saving compared to the big brand.
Aldi dupes - including £5 cleanser vs £26 Ole Henriksen, 81% saving
Aldi has a host of beauty dupes on its shelves – look out for its own-brand ‘Lacura’ on everything from day cream and concealer to a ‘Liz Earle-alike’ hot cloth cleanser. Stock varies between stores and can sell out really fast, especially online, so go quick.
I've highlighted some of my top picks from Aldi's beauty range below:
Aldi product |
Similar branded product |
| New Lacura Vitamin C cleanser, 125ml* - £4.99 (cruelty-free & vegan) | Ole Henriksen 'Truth Juice' Daily Cleanser, 150ml - £26 at Boots |
It's back Lacura pink clay mask, 50ml* - £5.99 (cruelty-free) |
Sand & Sky pink clay porefining face mask, 60g - £34 at Lookfantastic |
| It's back Lacura Original hot cloth cleanser, 200ml* - £1.99 (vegan & cruelty-free) | Liz Earle 'Cleanse & Polish' hot cloth cleanser, 200ml - £28.50 at Lookfantastic |
| It's back Lacura Radiant concealer, 5ml* - £3.99 (cruelty-free, other shades available, check in stores) | Nars Radiant creamy concealer, 6ml - £21.25 at Boots |
| Lacura caviar day cream, 50ml* - £7.99 (available in stores) | La Prairie skin caviar luxe cream, 50ml - £334.95 at Allbeauty |
Aldi Vitamin C cleanser (left) for £4 vs Ole Henriksen cleanser (right) for £26?
Aldi's duplication of big brands even goes so far as to mimic the appearance of the packaging. Reviews on Aldi's site are mostly positive, though it seems some reviewers didn't get on with the face creams. From the feedback we've seen, if you're a Charlotte Tilbury, Benefit, or Pixi fan – or you enjoy caviar-based skin care – it might be worth checking out Aldi's alternatives as you could save up to 97% by downshifting to Lacura.
Aldi also has a £6.99 line of 100ml perfumes that look and smell suspiciously like Jo Malone fragrances – which are also usually much pricier, at £90 for 100ml. Unfortunately, a lot of Aldi’s beauty dupes aren’t available year-round as they’re labelled ‘Special Buys’, so you may need to keep your eyes peeled each time you shop there.
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 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* - £5 (cruelty-free & vegan) | Huda Beauty Emerald Obsessions palette, 9.9g - £28 at The Face Method |
| 17 The Brow + Lash Lamination mascara in 'Clear', 10ml* - £2.50 (cruelty-free & vegan) | Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel in 'Clear', 7.93g - £18.40 at Lookfantastic |
| 17 Eye Pigment Quick Stick, 5g* - £4 (cruelty-free & vegan) | Laura Mercier Caviar Stick eye colour, 2g - £14 at Cult Beauty |
| 17 Precise Definition tinted brow gel, 5ml* - £4.50 (cruelty-free & vegan) | Glossier Boy Brow gel, 3.12g - £15 at Glossier (cruelty-free) |
| No7 Airbrush Away finishing powder, 10g* - £13.95 (cruelty-free) | Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless finish powder, 8g - £38 at Cult Beauty (cruelty-free) |
| Glow Essence serum, 28ml* - £5 (cruelty-free & vegan, currently out of stock online) | Glossier Super Glow serum, 30ml - £25 at Glossier (cruelty-free) |
| Sleek MakeUP cream contour kit, 12g* - £11.99 | Anastasia Beverly Hills contour cream kit, 27g - £42 at Boots |
Sleek MakeUP brow kit, 3.8g* - £9.99 (vegan & cruelty-free) |
Benefit 'Brow Zings', 2.65g+1.7g - £27 at Benefit (has been discontinued) |
| Sleek MakeUP Copperplate highlighting palette, 9g* - £9.99 | Huda Beauty 3D Highlighting Palette in 'Bronze Sands', 30g - £40 at Cult Beauty |
Boots 17 eyeshadow palette in 'Green at £5 (left) vs Huda Beauty 'Emerald Obsessions' palette (right) at £28?
Lottie London dupes - including £9 highlighter vs £31 Fenty, 71% saving
We featured several Lottie London bundles, 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 |
| Lottie X Gossip Girl lip kit set, 3.5g - £7.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Dior Lip glow - £28.50 at Allbeauty, and Glossier ultra lip, 3g - £14 at Glossier |
| Lottie X My Little Pony Sweet Lips lip mask and balm, 9g - £6.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Laneige lip sleeping mask, 20g - £19 at Lookfantastic |
| Lottie X My Little Pony gel eyeliner in 'Pastel Blue', 0.28g - £5.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Gucci eyeliner in 'Celeste' (pastel blue) - £24 at Gucci |
| Lottie X Gossip Girl sweet blush, 12ml - £6.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Ciaté dewy blush, 10ml - £19 at Ciaté |
| Freckle tint, 3ml - £6.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Freck faux freckle, 3.15ml - £25 at Beauty Bay (cruelty-free & vegan) |
| Diamond Bounce highlighter, 8g - £8.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Fenty Diamond Bomb highlighter, 8g - £32 at Boots |
| Eye Foil liquid eyeshadow, 5.5g - £4.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Stila Glitter & Glow liquid eyeshadow, 5ml - £23 at Lookfantastic (cruelty-free) |
| Ready Set Go translucent loose setting powder, 15g - £6.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Laura Mercier translucent loose setting powder, 29g - £31 at Space NK |
| Dewy & illuminating setting spray, 80ml - £8.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Iconic Prep-set-glow setting spray, 120ml - £22 at Flannels (cruelty-free & vegan) |
| Arch Rival Microblade eyebrow pen, 0.7ml - £5.60 at Lookfantastic* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Ciate Microblade eyebrow pen, 0.7ml - £11.50 at Asos (cruelty-free & vegan) |
| Sweet Lips overnight lip mask & balm, 9g - £6.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Laneige lip sleeping mask, 20g - £19 at Lookfantastic |
| Glitter Switch lip gloss, 3ml - £6.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Ciaté Glitter Flip lipstick, 3ml - £7 at Ciaté (cruelty-free & vegan) |
| Slay All Day liquid matte lipstick, 6ml - £5.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Kylie Cosmetics matte lip kit (with 1g liner below) - £23.80 at Boots |
| Slay All Day lip liner, 9g - £6.95 at Lookfantastic* (cruelty-free & vegan) | Kylie Cosmetics matte lip kit (with 3g lipstick above) - £23.80 at Boots |
| Lottie London eyeshadow palette in 'The Rusts', 7.2g - £4.95 at Lottie London* (cruelty-free) | Huda Beauty Obsessions eyeshadow palette in 'Topaz', 10g - £36 at Bare Face |
| AM to PM eyeliner pencil, 2.59g - £4.95 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 - £4.90 at Perfume Click (cruelty-free & vegan) | Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Glow Kit, 4.2g - £32 at Bare Face (cruelty-free & vegan) |
Lottie London 'Diamond Bounce' (left) for £9 vs Fenty 'Diamond Bomb' for £32?
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' (norm £8ish), and even though some people say they don't think the colours are as strong as the branded Anastasia Beverly Hills alternative (norm £41), 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 favs before buying.
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.
| Product at Superdrug | Similar branded product |
| Superdrug 'Naturally Radiant' hot cloth cleanser, 150ml - £7.99 (vegan & cruelty-free) | Liz Earle 'Cleanse & Polish' hot cloth cleanser, 200ml - £27 at Sephora |
| ELF 16 hour 'Camo' concealer, 6ml - £6 | Tarte Shape Tape, 10ml - £27 at Tarte (vegan & cruelty-free) |
| Revolution brow pomade cream, 2.5g - £5.99 (vegan & cruelty-free) | Anastasia Beverly Hills 'Dipbrow' brow pomade, 4g - £16.98 at Lookfantastic (vegan & cruelty-free) |
| Revolution Shimmer Bomb lip gloss in 'Starlight', 4.5ml - £5 (cruelty-free) | Fenty 'Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer' in 'Sweet Mouth', 9ml - £18 at Boots |
| Revolution Conceal & Define concealer, 3.4ml - £4.99 (vegan & cruelty-free) | Tarte Shape Tape, 10ml - £27 at Tarte (vegan & cruelty-free) |
Superdrug 'Naturally Radiant' hot cloth cleanser for £7.99 vs Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser for £28?
Superdrug's own beauty dupes can often be subbed for other vegan and cruelty-free products, like the ELF mineral face primer. All Superdrug B's products are vegan and cruelty-free, and all Superdrug-branded items are labelled as being suitable for vegans or vegetarians.
Some dupes are hard to compare if they're vegan and/or cruelty free and the alternative isn't, but there are a lot, like Superdrug, that now label what is and isn't suitable.
Wilko dupes - including £3.25 mascara vs similar £25 IT Cosmetics mascara, 87% saving
You're probably not thinking of popping to Wilko for beauty dupes, but hear me out. MoneySavers have found dupes for Glossier, Charlotte Tilbury and more for bargain prices – well worth a quick look if you're passing a store. In fact, the Essence Lash Princess mascara is such a popular dupe that people think Aldi previously made a £2.79 dupe of the dupe.
| Product at Wilko | Similar branded product |
| Essence Lash Princess false lash effect mascara, 12ml* - £3.25 (vegan & cruelty-free) | IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara, 9ml - £25 at Lookfantastic |
| Essence Soft Touch Mousse foundation, 16g* - £3.75 (vegan & cruelty-free) | Maybelline Dream Matte mousse foundation, 17ml - £8.99 at Lookfantastic |
| Essence Camouflage concealer, 5g* - £3 (vegan & cruelty-free) | Tarte Shape Tape, 10ml - £27 at Tarte (vegan & cruelty-free) |
| Essence Stay All Day 16h foundation, 30ml* - £3.75 (vegan & cruelty-free) | Tarte 'Amazonian Clay' 16-hour full coverage foundation, 50ml - £36 at Tarte (vegan) or Smashbox 'Studio Skin' 15-hour foundation - was normally £31 before being discontinued in the UK |
| Essence Make Me Brow eyebrow gel, 3.8g* - £2.50 (vegan & cruelty-free) | Glossier Boy Brow eyebrow gel, 3.12g - £15 at Glossier (cruelty-free) |
Would you give up your favourite brand and downshift to a dupe? What are your favourite beauty dupes? Let us know on Twitter.
19 September 2023
-
Martin: Car insurance up 41%
Home not far behind. Lock in now to save
-
Cheapest ever iPhone 14 deal
As iPhone 15's launched
-
12 ways to cut your food bill
Deals, tricks & tips
-
FREE National Trust day pass
For a family – normally £30ish
-
TWO new bank bribes launch
Get up to £210 FREE
-
With E.on? Beat the Price Cap
With its new fixed-term tariff
-
Council tax band A to D (or E in Scot & Wales)?
You may get free insulation
-
Read the full email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today – it's spam-free!
Recent Blogs
Blog Topics
Martin's Money Mantras
Before spending
If you answer 'NO' to any of the following questions, don't buy.
Skint? Ask:
- Do I need it?
- Can I afford it?
Not skint? Ask:
- Will I use it?
- Is it worth it?
Want more great deals?
Visit our Deals & Vouchers section to ensure you don't miss out on the best deals.