The Skin Nerd: My best beauty dupes from Charlotte Tilbury to Jo Malone
The Skin Nerd: Beauty dupes
In a recent report, Mintel revealed that the increased cost of living is having an effect on women and spending – and the beauty industry is currently taking a hit.
According to Vogue Business Beauty Index, 35% of consumers will reduce the frequency with which they shop for beauty if the price of beauty products increases, while 30% said that they would buy products that were less expensive.
Now, I am not here to tell you that you should or shouldn’t be spending money on skincare and beauty – but what I am here to tell you whilst some products require an investment, many others have a lower priced ‘doppelganger’ that can be used in its place when money is short.
What is a dupe, I hear you ask? Put simply, a dupe is a cheaper ‘duplicate’ of a product that is said to function as effectively as the original.
‘Dupe culture’ has been on the rise for a while now, and whilst a straight-up replica of a high-end product can be bad taste and even lead to legal issues, products that are inspired by cult status formulas can help to serve the customer with a slice of the benefits at a lower price, and I can be in support of this – provided the quality is there.
And for many categories, there really is room for both! A luxe product and its dupe can work together side by side, with one bridging the gap when you run out of the other a little too far from payday and the pricier (and often more potent) version reserved for treats and gifting when necessary.
So put your credit down and relax back into your overdraft as I reveal my round-up of the best dupes on the market...
When it comes to dupes, budget-friendly makeup brand e.l.f. reigns supreme with countless cult product-inspired launches that have become fan favourites in their own right.
My pick of the bunch? e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter, €15, which is frequently touted as a worthy alternative to the legendary Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter, €49.
The latter is a makeup artist must-have but also costs €34 more than e.l.f’s version, which has been doing the TikTok rounds thanks to its ability to give the skin an ultra-flattering soft-focus glow.
Like Flawless Filter, e.l.f’s Halo Glow complexion booster can be worn alone or under makeup and is infused with skin-loving ingredients such as squalene and hyaluronic acid to attract moisture to the skin and leave it plump, hydrated and dewy.
There is no doubt that Jo Malone makes beautiful fragrances, but they also set you back enough pennies that restocking may end up being a yearly occurrence rather than on an as-and-when-needed basis!
Irish brand Jenny Glow’s scents are not only available in similar fragrances but cost considerably less, meaning you can spritz to your heart’s content. They are even encased in a similarly pleasing, sophisticated aesthetic, meaning we don’t miss out on shelfie value either!
If you are a fan of Jo Malone’s Signature Pomegranate Noir scent, it’s worth trying Jenny Glow’s Pomegranate fragrance, which delivers rich top notes of strawberry, pink pepper and melon, without leaving you feeling overly poor post-purchase.
Clarins Lip Comfort Oil is a nourishing tinted oil that delivers a glossy shine with subtle colour.
Enriched with 93% ingredients of natural origin, lips are left hydrated and comfortable. W7 offers an ultra-thrifty alternative with its Thick Drip Lip Oil, which costs just €2.66 and contains a blend of anti-oxidising Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil and soothing Jojoba Oil to restore and condition the skin.
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, €45 has won countless awards thanks to its instant blurring effect and lightweight feel but another worthy investment that leaves you with a little more disposable income is HNB Cosmetics Soft Focus Loose Powder, €15.85.
This budget-friendly buy shares a number of attributes with Laura Mercier’s best-selling product – including being lightweight, setting makeup, blurring pores and providing zero photo flashback.
Huda Beauty Nude Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette is a wonderful warm-nude eyeshadow palette, containing nine versatile shades that allow you to create day-to-night looks with ease!
If the price is too much of a stretch, a great alternative is NYX Professional Makeup Ultimate Shadow Palette in Warm Neutrals, which saves you over €10 and contains an impressive 16 shades!
When it comes to eyelashes, I like a bit of drama and few products rival the mighty Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, €34.
Famed for dramatically lifting and enlivening the most timid of lashes, the award-winning formula stretches, lengthens, and curls lashes for extreme volume thanks to the inclusion of film-forming polymers which curl lashes and lock them into place.
Volumising L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mystic Black, €16.99, also promises to ramp up the drama in an intense extra black colour for a false lash look.
Lash health is also a priority to Lash Paradise, which contains castor oil, rose oil and cornflower water to nourish lashes and help to avoid any flaking.
Restoring damaged hair has become a lot less problematic since the launch of at-home hair bond repair systems like Olaplex, which work to heal and strengthen the hair shaft from within.
Whilst these systems undoubtedly excel at strengthening your locks, some products can considerably weaken your bank balance. At the lower cost end of the market is the Revolution’s Plex range which is a triple-molecular-weight protein cascade system that targets different layers of the hair fibre helping to repair and strengthen damage from within.
Fans of Olaplex No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner, €29.50, may want to consider Revolution Haircare Hair Plex 5 Bond Flex Conditioner, €7.99 when feeling the pinch.
This deeply nourishing conditioner still works to strengthen the hair from within but allows you to stretch your budget that little bit further.
Murad’s vitamin C-infused SPF is a favourite at The Skin Nerd but if it’s a little out of your budget right now, Boots Vitamin C Brightening Day Cream SPF50+, €7.99, is a great alternative.
Enriched with vitamin C and YUZU extract, this brightening day cream provides UVA/UVB protection, whilst helping to nourish and reveal glowing skin.
