The magnificence dupes pretty much as good as the actual factor… for a tenth of the worth. Beauty editor NADINE BAGGOTT reveals her secrets and techniques

As a beauty editor of more than 30 years, I have a love-hate relationship with budget ‘dupe’ versions of expensive cosmetics. I love them because we all deserve a little hit of happiness – and what better than finding something that resembles an expensive buy for just a few pounds?

But I hate them because they are copies of an original idea. Then again, the companies being duped make millions and we live in financially uncertain times. So, I guiltily admit I wear these dupes myself and often recommend them to others.

And as a beauty veteran who has tried thousands of products so you don’t have to, I’ve got some golden rules on how to shop for dupes. First, you need to ask yourself: who owns who? Most beauty products are created by one of ten beauty behemoths.

For example, L’Oreal owns, yes, L’Oreal Paris, but also top-end brands YSL and Armani and High Street ranges such as Maybelline and NYX.

If you assume its wares for these differing brands – which sell at very different price points – don’t come from the same labs or factories, then you’re very much mistaken. They share technology and formulas, shades and suppliers. So, your ‘dupe’ could in fact be a very similar product in cheaper packaging.

However, when it comes to presentation, you do get what you pay for. There’s no denying dupes rarely have the expensive magnetic closure on palettes or that satisfying click of a compact.

Be aware, too, that your chosen dupe might not come in as many shades as the original, because it takes more investment to develop a full shade range.

When it comes to buying fragrance dupes, any fragrance can be accurately copied (by a technology called headspace that analyses odour compounds).

It’s the strength of the fragrance notes which is super expensive to reproduce – that’s what creates long-lasting silage, the fragrant waft that follows you around. My advice? Buy the dupe and reapply regularly – save the real thing for nights out when you’ll be on the go for hours.

And my final golden rule?

No One Will Know. I love to tell everyone about the great dupes I find, but you don’t have to; no one need ever be the wiser. Your secret is safe with me.

So read on to find my ranking of the top beauty dupes in store and online right now…

ALDI’S MIDDLE-AISLE LIP OIL

Lacura is Aldi’s own-brand beauty line which has been around for 22 years. It has a core offering, including face creams, but it’s the limited-edition products you need to look out for. Released throughout the year, they can be found in the middle aisle on Thursdays and Sundays. Aldi’s social media and in-store leaflet offer a sneak preview.

BEST PRODUCT: Lacura Tinted Lip Oil, £3.99, in Aldi stores now.

But be quick – Aldi’s dupes are always fast sellers. This is a dupe of Rare Beauty’s viral Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil (£20) and it’s good. What’s more, it’s a fifth of the price.

ELF’S GROWN-UP HIGHLIGHTER

American budget beauty brand e.l.f. (which stands for eyes, lips and face) hopped across the pond into Superdrug in 2017 and Boots in 2019. Today, it is the fourth most popular mass-market make-up brand in the UK. Prices start at £3 for a lip liner.

BEST PRODUCT: Halo Glow Liquid Filter, £15,

boots.com (far right). If you love the soft-focus glow of the iconic Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (£39) then this is as good as it gets. Same texture, same applicator and bottle, same finish, and it comes in 12 shades.

Wear alone, under your chosen base or just on high points as an adult, super-subtle highlighter without the teen glitter that can settle into lines.

PRIMARK’S GORGEOUS ROSY GLOW DROPS

Primark is the UK’s most popular budget High Street store and its beauty is as sought after as its fashion.

While some of its offering is targeted at younger audiences, its PS… Pro premium line has a grown-up feel.

BEST PRODUCT: PS… Pro Instant Blusher Drops, £3.50, in store only. If your teenagers want skincare brand Drunk Elephant’s £34 O-Bloos Rosi Drops but you wince at the cost, these are a great copycat version at around a tenth of the price. They come in a range of blush and bronze shades and blend beautifully to add colour or a glossy tan.

You can’t purchase Primark beauty products online, so you have to face the marauding hordes in store. But it’s worth it for skin of any age.

ZARA’S BACCARAT BODY DOUBLE

Spanish retailer Zara has been in the perfume game since 1998. There are around 120 perfumes on offer, and limited-edition scents are frequently added to the permanent collection. Jo Malone created an exclusive line with Zara in 2019.

BEST PRODUCT: Red Temptation, £22.99, zara.com. This is a brilliant dupe for Baccarat Rouge, the cult scent from Maison Francis Kurkdjian that comes with a £245 price tag. I featured this in an item on This Morning and presenter Rochelle Humes, who is a huge Baccarat Rouge fan, could not tell the difference. 

That said, as with all dupe scents, it might smell strikingly similar but it won’t last as long as the original.

However, at well over £200 cheaper it is a great option.

SUPERDRUG’S LUXE CLEANSING BALM

B. by Superdrug offers products across skincare, make-up accessories and hair removal. Its goal is to create luxurious-feeling creams and other skincare at a low price point.

BEST PRODUCT: B. Rosehip Melting Cleansing Balm, £9.99, superdrug.com. Did you know that cleansing balms – which gently melt away make-up – are hard to create cheaply because they need to stay stable in all temperatures? So this is a huge coup for the Superdrug team, as it’s a genuinely impressive dupe for Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm (£49).

It’s smaller at 65g compared to 100g, but it’s great value.

H&M’S FLAWLESS FACE CRAYONS

H&M’s sparse beauty offering was given a makeover in 2015, and today the vast range includes everything from mascara to conditioner and make-up brushes. Last year, make-up artist Raoul Alejandre, who has worked with celebrities including Zendaya, became creative make-up lead for H&M Beauty.

BEST PRODUCT: Do-It-All-Stick, £8.99, available in six shades at hm.com. It’s a pretty much flawless copycat version of Nudestix (£24), Ilia (£36) and Milk Makeup sticks (£22), those best-selling chunky crayons that can multi-function on cheeks, lips and lids.

L’OREAL PARIS’S LOOKALIKE LIPPY

L’Oreal Paris is the single most successful High Street beauty brand, and little wonder when it can look to the likes of Armani and YSL – owned by the same conglomerate – for inspiration.

L’Oreal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers is now the richest woman in the world so, trust me, there is a lot of money in great High Street beauty.

BEST PRODUCT: Glow Paradise Balm-In-Lipstick, £9.99, boots.com. A gorgeous lip balm that looks like a lipstick, this is a great alternative to the YSL Loveshine Candy Glow (£36), but at around a quarter of the price. Ingredients include pomegranate extract oil to lock in hydration.

However, it doesn’t come in as many shades as the YSL product – one of several ways they keep costs down.

W7’S TILBURY TRIBUTE

W7 takes its name from the postcode of the west London neighbourhood where it was founded just over 20 years ago. The range launched in-store at Boots in 2022 followed by Superdrug and New Look in 2023.

BEST PRODUCT: Lip Culture Soft Satin Lipstick in four shades, £2.80 boots.com.

I challenge you to find a better-looking dupe for Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks (£28). Gold-ridged bullet packaging, soft satin finish, sexy names. Now I love Charlotte Tilbury but, again, once it’s on your lips, who will ever know? P.S. Naked Desire is their Pillow Talk.

COLLECTION’S MASCARA BEATS THE ORIGINAL

Based in Liverpool, Collection Cosmetics was launched in 1987 and can be found on shelves in Boots, Superdrug, Tesco and New Look. Following a rebrand last year, the brand now has a more fashionable TikTok generation appeal.

BEST PRODUCT: Mile High Mascara, £5.59, boots.com.

This is the best high street mascara I have tried for ages, even better than its inspiration Maybelline Sky High (£13, boots.com). Budget mascaras tend to have less actual ‘juice’ but the brushes and tubes are the same. That makes them sound like a con, but, in practical terms, means they are less likely to overload the wand and clog and clump.

REVOLUTION’S MIRACLE MOISTURISER

Revolution is a staple of Boots and Superdrug with a huge range, including many intentional dupes. The company is partly owned by fast fashion giant Boohoo.

BEST PRODUCT: Pro Miracle Cream £10, revolutionbeauty.com and in stores at Superdrug and Boots.

Love them or loathe them, Revolution do some great dupes and this is ‘inspired by’ Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream (£52), the best-selling, super-hydrating moisturiser that makes a great make-up base, especially if you have dry skin. It is a great blend of hyaluronic acid and camellia oil with vitamins B3 and C and peptides.

And a whopping quarter of a million customers who have bought and repurchased this cream can’t be wrong, right?