10 February 2024 , 11:52
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Aldi is a powerhouse in the world of makeup and skincare dupes, and its newest range will excite any beauty buff who loves high-end brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Lancome and Elemis.
Boasting an array of skincare and make-up essentials, each product costs less than £5, making Aldi's offering far friendlier on the purse strings than its luxury counterparts. But which beauty buys are actually worth picking up?
We asked London-based professional makeup artist Safia Cox to deliver her expert verdict. The beauty guru has painted the faces of the stars, including Georgia Harrison, TOWIE's Clelia Theodorou and Geordie Shore's Dee Nguyen, so it's safe to say I was in safe hands.
We headed down to Mirror HQ to put the products through their paces, getting to work on my face and transforming me from bare to glam. One product blew us both away with the likeness to the real deal.
All of the Lacura range is under £5I'm a sucker for anything skincare, so this new range piqued my interest - with budget-friendly takes on viral Elemis buys. Aldi's Lacura Hydrating Gel Serum costs just £4.99 compared to Elemis' Superfood Cica Calm Hydration Juice which is priced at an eye-watering £44.
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Another Elemis dupe comes in the form of Lacura's Illuminating Primer Moisturiser, said to be inspired by Elemis' Superfood Glow Priming Moisturiser, which costs £44. I've used the Elemis version before and loved it, so the bar was high.
For makeup, we tried out the Lacura Collagen Lip Oil (£2.99), a product inspired by the viral Charlotte Tilbury Lip Oil which costs £28. The packaging is almost identical, making it an easy dupe to spot. The last highly anticipated dupe we tried from the range was the Lacura Dramatic Lash Mascara (£4.99), a copycat of the Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara which would set you back £29.
Safia isn't opposed to cheap makeup - she's currently using an Aldi Specialbuy moisturiser herself. Using me as her muse, she kicked things off with the Lacura Hydrating Gel Serum. "Skincare is one of the most important parts before makeup, as it really sets the base for your foundation," she explained.
Safia was impressed with how the makeup sat on top of the serum and moisturiser (Daily Mirror)The make-up artist applied the Lacura serum and was instantly impressed. She said: "It's already tacky, which is a good thing as it means your foundation will stick well." The product flushed the skin with a burst of hydration, making it look plump and "dewy". But how would makeup apply on top?
The consitency of both serums is pretty much identical, they have the same smell, they are both cooling on my skin and both make my skin feel really hydrated. The Aldi version is a little stickier, which, according to Safia, is a good thing for make-up longevity.
Intrigued, she moves on to the Lacura Primer Moisturiser. "This is so glowy already," Safia noted, as she applied the moisturiser to my face. The pro is a big fan of a rich moisturiser, but likes the idea of having a hybrid product that does both, branding it a "good option".
"However this won't be good for people with oily skin as it's so hydrating, and it's made for dry to normal skin," the expert added.
Safia was impressed by the bargain products as they were all under £5 (Daily Mirror)
The Lacura lip oil was the exact same as the Charlotte Tilbury (Daily Mirror)She could instantly see the results and said: "This would be good for people who want a minimal makeup day. It would work well as a base with just a little concealer over as it's already so glowy and doesn't need foundation." A dupe of the Elemis offering, we were again struck by the similarity of the packaging. Both products contain the exact same type of shimmer, but the Elemis version was a bit thicker and more luxurious.
As I have oily skin, Safia advised that this wasn't the right product for me, especially as we'd already covered my face in a hydrating serum. I suddenly feared my skin was in hydration overload.
"The foundation is going on seamlessly," Safia said when applying over the Aldi skincare. The base was "brilliant" and the foundation was sitting well - until she blended out to my jawline.
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She then noticed that the base was starting to "clump" together around my jawline and suggested this was due to the richness of both of the products used for the base. However, given these products aren't the best ingredients for my skin type, she was still impressed overall by the way the makeup sat on the serum and primer moisturiser.
The Aldi version was almost identical to the Elemis versionI didn't have this issue when using the Elemis skincare before applyng foundation, as the high-end product absorbed into my skin better than Aldi's.
Safia applied the Lacura lip oil to my lips before she applied the foundation as she said it's a good way to give my pout "deep hydration" while applying my makeup. She instantly beamed as she realised it was an "exact copy" of the Charlotte Tilbury one. "It is the exact same. It's the same consistency and smell. It even has all of the same ingredients and packaging too," she said.
The application was smooth with a similar roller ball applicator, giving even more of a luxury feel as the oil went onto my lips. With the welcome boost of collagen, my pout was looking extremely plump.
"I love the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Oil and I can't believe how similar this one is," Safia added. I have to agree, my lips felt instantly hydrated and glossy. "A lip oil is also good as it's not sticky, so you don't have to worry about your hair sticking to your lips when it's windy," the pro noted, and that was me sold on it already. This is a product that has returned to the shelves as it was so popular, and I can see why.
The high end products gave me a glowy look
But I was equally as impressed with the Aldi versionsNext up was the Lancome mascara dupe. I always struggle with finding a good mascara as I usually end up looking like a panda when it comes to the end of my work day. Coating each one of my lashes, Safia was impressed and said: "This is a really really good mascara, it's giving your eyelashes a lot of length as well as volume, and the wand shape means there will be no clumps. It's getting each individual lash."
I was hopeful after hearing Safia's verdict and after five hours of wear, it stayed put - with no smudging or smearing in sight. The only criticism from Safia was that it's not waterproof. She said: "A good waterproof mascara won't transfer and run down your face or go onto your eyelids and make you look like a panda."
When I compared it to the Lancome mascara, it was evident they were very similar. I do feel as if the Lancome one made my lashes a little longer, but the Aldi version was a very good copy.
Safia was impressed with the quality of the Lacura mascaraAs she finished off with another coating of the lip oil, I was good to go, looking completely transformed - and hydrated. She was overall impressed with the range. Giving her verdict, the beauty pro said: "I have to say the lip oil is my favourite, it is exactly the same as the Charlotte Tilbury one and much cheaper". She gave it a strong 10/10 rating.
In joint second was the mascara and serum, as she gave them both another impressive 8/10. Coming in last was the Primer Moisturiser at 5/10, simply because it clumped on the surface of the skin when the foundation was applied.
Despite there being a few skincare hiccups, my foundation lasted well all day with the Aldi products, even on the sweaty train. The mascara was a surprising winner too. Sadly the lip oil absorbed into my lips within an hour - but I still love the way it feels when applied and the ingredients are brimming with benefits.
The Lacura Hydrating Gel Serum and Illuminating Primer Moisturisern are currently available in stores nationwide. Aldi's Lacura ProNight Skincare range will be available in stores nationwide from 25th February, while stocks last, which includes the Lacura Collagen Lip Oil and Lacura Dramatic Lash Mascara.