Save or splurge? The affordable beauty dupes that work just as well as high end products
Beauty dupes – cheap cosmetics that mimic expensive brands – are a whole industry in themselves.
While it's a treat to splurge on the hottest new mascara that everyone's raving about or invest in that contour kit, sometimes a copycat works just as well. And it means you have money left over to update your whole make-up collection, without going into your overdraft.
So here are some of the most striking. But do they match up to the originals? Our Octavia finds out…
Ciaté Glitter Flip, £17
When you first apply this it looks like a normal gloss, but press your lips together and the magic happens – it turns into a glitter gloss. Holly Willoughby loves it.
Lottie London Glitter Switch, £6.95
Only four shades to Ciaté’s 13, although they’re a useful four – nice pinks from neutral to punchy. It says to wait 1 minute before pressing, but I found it worked better waiting longer – anyway that’s half the fun. It’s just as glittery as its more expensive counterpart.
Lancome Miracle Cushion Foundation, £32
Featherlight and lovely. It comes in four shades, but they are surprisingly adaptable. Also, it’s refillable, with the refills costing £19.50 (less landfill too – yay!).
Maybelline Dream Cushion, £13.99
Maybelline and Lancôme are part of the same parent company, L’Oréal.
That doesn’t mean their products are identical, but they do share tech – Lancôme just usually gets first dibs. I liked both of these. Lancôme edged it, but not enough to spend more than double on (although I do love the fact that it’s refillable, so if I was buying regularly I’d splash out first time).
The brow tamer
L'Oreal Brow Artist Pomade, £9.99
Buildable, long-lasting brow colour with its own applicator hidden in the lid. In five colours.
George Tamer Brow Cream, £2.50
I’m picky about brow products – so many have red undertones, which I hate. This Asda version only comes in three shades, of which Medium is a bit red (tsk!). However, the other two are perfect, so if you’re Light or Dark you’re quids in. It’s great.
The mascara
Benefit They're Real! £21.50
The UK’s No1 mascara and a favourite with the Notebook beauty team. Revolutionary applicator with bristles that curve around the end of the brush, to pick up every tiny lash.
W7 Absolute Lashes, £6.95
Cripes, it sure looks identical. It still has bristles going around the end, although not as many. The formula isn’t a patch on the more expensive version, though. That’s not to say it’s actually a bad mascara: I quite like it, but it’s not fake lashes on a stick.
The eyeliner
Clarins 4-Colour Pen, £28
School pencil case favourite reimagined as a lip and eyeliner. In 3 colours, each has 3 eye shades and a bright or nude lip liner.
I Heart Revolution Multi Eye Liner, £5
Shade-wise, this doesn’t have the multi-tasking usefulness of the Clarins, where I’d be using at least two shades at a time. With this, I’d only use one at a time, which begs the question of why I’d need to carry the other colours with me. That said, the brights version would be nice in my holiday make-up kit.
The blending sponge
BeautyBlender Original, £17
Loved by celebs from Emma Watson to Oprah Winfrey, this cult applicator is shaped to perfectly apply foundation on your face and neck. It’s washable and reusable.
Superdrug B. Blending Sponge, £4.99
A dead ringer, and works well. You need to soak and squeeze it for longer than the original before first use, or it doesn’t expand enough and feels
rigid, and it’s not as long-lasting (some of the pink came out on washing). I’d say two of these lasts as long as one original, and still costs less.
The contouring kit
KKW Beauty Contour Kit, $48 (around £35)
Queen of countouring Kim Kardashian’s own take on how to do it. This kit (double-ended contouring stick, highlighter and blending brush) just keeps on selling out. A bit like a Kardashian, really.
Primark PS… Highlight and Contour Kit, £8
How do Primark get away with this? Who cares? They have. The colours are a good match, although it only comes in one shade (quite dark), the pigment is good, the brush – well, it brushes. And you get an extra brow highlighter in this version. The only difference (except the price tag) is it’s never had Kim’s mitts on it.
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