50+ beauty dupes for big brands including Elemis, Charlotte Tilbury, and Fenty
Eg, £6 Aldi overnight plumping face mask vs £45 Elemis
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, Primark, Boots, 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.
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.
New. Aldi dupes - including £6 face mask vs £45 Elemis, 87% 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, including what's new:
Aldi product |
Similar branded product |
| New Lacura Overnight plumping face mask, 50ml* - £5.99 (vegan) | Elemis Peptide4 plumping pillow facial, 50ml - £44.80 at Sephora (normally £56) |
| New Lacura Rose cleansing balm, 100g* - £6.99 | Elemis Pro-Collagen rose cleansing balm, 100g - £38.40 at Lookfantastic (normally £48) |
New Lacura 2% BHA toner, 100ml* - £4.99 (cruelty-free) |
Paula's Choice 2% BHA liquid exfoliant, 118ml - £28 at Paula's Choice (normally £35) |
| New Lacura Almond body lotion, 200ml* - £4.99 | L'Occitane almond milk concentrate, 200ml - £35.20 at L'Occitane (vegan, normally £44) |
| New Lacura cleansing balm, 100g* - £6.99 | Emma Hardie moringa cleansing balm with cloth, 100g - £32.40 at Lookfantastic (normally £47) |
| New Lacura honey infused hair oil, 50ml* - £4.99 | Gisou honey infused hair oil, 50ml - £35 at Gisou |
| New Lacura Original Wonder Spray, 200ml* - £4.99 (cruelty-free) | Colour Wow Dream Coat supernatural spray, 200ml - £18.90 at Lookfantastic (vegan, normally £27) |
| New Lacura Curly Wonder Spray, 200ml* - £4.99 (cruelty-free) | Colour Wow Dream Coat for curly hair spray, 200ml - £18.90 at Lookfantastic (vegan, normally £27) |
| New Lacura Almond body scrub, 200ml* - £4.99 | L'Occitane almond body scrub, 200ml - £17.20 at L'Occitane (vegan, normally £21.50) |
| New Lacura Almond shower oil, 200ml* - £4.99 | L'Occitane almond shower oil, 250ml - £15.60 at L'Occitane (vegan, normally £19.50) |
| New Lacura illuminating setting spray, 98ml* - £4.49 | Charlotte Tilbury airbrush flawless setting spray, 100ml - £22.50 at Cult Beauty (normally £30) |
| It's back Lacura vitamin eye primer, 15g* - £4.99 (cruelty-free) | Bobbi Brown vitamin enriched face base, 15ml - £32 at Lookfantastic |
| It's back Lacura vitamin face primer, 50ml* - £4.99 (cruelty-free) | Bobbi Brown vitamin enriched face base, 50ml - £41.60 at Lookfantastic |
| It's back Lacura Miracle cream, 50ml* - £4.49 (cruelty-free) | Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream, 50ml - £15.45 at AllBeauty |
| It's back Lacura Fabulash eye serum, 5ml* - £4.99 (cruelty-free) | Revitalash advanced eyelash conditioner, 2ml - £79.20 at Debenhams |
| It's back Lacura lip kit, 2.4ml/1.2g* - £4.49 (cruelty-free) | Kylie lip kit, 3ml/1.1g - £20.80 at Boots (vegan, normally £26) |
| It's back Lacura brightening Vitamin C concealer, 6.3ml* - £3.99 (cruelty-free) | Clinique 'Even Better' all-over concealer + eraser, 6ml - £18.50 at AllBeauty (normally £26) |
Aldi Plumping face mask (left) for £6 vs Elemis Plumping pillow facial (right) for £45?
Aldi's duplication of big brands even goes so far as to mimic the appearance of the packaging. Previous reviews on Aldi's site were mostly positive, though it seemed 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 it might be worth checking out Aldi's alternatives as you could save over 80% 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.
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 |
| New Double Act volumising mascara - £3.50 (cruelty-free) | Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High mascara, 9.6ml - £8.99 at Boots (normally £11.99) |
| New Sweet 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) |
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.
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) |
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'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) |
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' (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.
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 |
| New ELF Suntouchable! Woah glow SPF30 sunscreen primer, 30ml - £13.99 (vegan & cruelty-free) | Supergoop Glow Screen SPF30, 30ml - £32 at Sephora (vegan & cruelty-free) |
| Superdrug 'Naturally Radiant' hot cloth cleanser, 150ml - £8.99 (vegan & cruelty-free) £4.39 for Superdrug members | Liz Earle 'Cleanse & Polish' hot cloth cleanser, 200ml - £22.50 at Boots (normally £30) |
| ELF 16 hour 'Camo' concealer, 6ml - £7 (vegan & cruelty-free) | Tarte Shape Tape, 10ml - £27 at Tarte (vegan & cruelty-free) |
| Revolution Shimmer Bomb lip gloss in 'Starlight', 4.5ml - £4.99 (cruelty-free) | Fenty 'Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer' in 'Sweet Mouth', 9ml - £13.50 at Boots (normally £18) |
| 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 £9 vs Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser for £23?
Superdrug's own beauty dupes can often be subbed for other vegan and cruelty-free products, such as 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.
If you're interested in more sunscreen alternatives such as the ELF vs Supergoop, see my Sunscreen Downshifting Challenge for more information.
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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