Aldi is best known for it's bargain prices on garden furniture, homeware products and every day items but could their skin care products be the best bargain of all?
Aldi's own skincare and beauty range 'Lacura' is giving big beauty brands like Liz Earle, Clinique, L'Oréal and Garnier a run for their money, as some of the Aldi's skincare products are almost identical to the products from expensive brands.
Aldi's skincare and beauty products are extremely cheap and value for money, most of the products are inspired by well known beauty brands and are known as 'dupes'.
Read more: Tesco v Aldi: I did my weekly shop at both supermarkets and one was much cheaper
What are dupes?
According to health and beauty website 'Mammabella' a dupe refers to a product that performs as well, or better, than a more expensive makeup product but is cheaper. It's not a rip-off of the original, nor is it a fake version of a premium product.
We have selected four of Aldi's skincare products and compared them to their dupes of branded products to see if Aldi really does give them a run for their money.
First up we have Aldi's Lacura, 'Eye Moisture Boost', costing £4.49
This eye cream, infused with caffeine and green tea is very moisturizing to the under eyes and is an all round amazing eye cream.
I found that the caffeine and green tea was super beneficial when applying this first thing in the morning as it gave my under-eye area the nourishment it needed and reduced inflammation and puffiness.
The name really lives up to itself as it moisturized my under eye area leaving the skin with a silky texture which helped my daily makeup products apply easier.
The cream itself is very creamy and is similar to a face moisturizer which I was surprised at as most eye creams are gel based.
For £4.49 you really can't fault this eye cream.
I would give this product a 4/5 stars.
This eye cream is dupe of Clinique, 'Moisture surge', costing £20.00
I had high expectations for this product as I am a lover of the brand Clinique but compared to the Lacura 'Eye Moisture Boost' I really can't comprehend the £15 difference in price when the product really is so similar.
Like all Clinique products, you can tell that this eye cream is from a luxury skincare brand, the product did soak into the under eye area very well just with one application.
The product is gel based so when I applied this product the cooling affect from the gel really helped reduce puffiness and dark circles and made me feel energized and awake first thing in the morning.
I would recommend leaving this product in the fridge over night for an extra cool down for the eyes.
I would give this product a 4/5 stars.
In comparison: Lacura, 'Eye Moisture Boost' Vs Clinique, 'Moisture surge'.
I was so impressed with this Lacura eye cream, I never thought that a skincare product from Aldi would be so similar to a product from Clinique. Even though the creams had different consistency's, they both left my under eye area so moisturized.
Within a few days of using both these products I really saw a change in my under eye area, the skin didn't feel dry and I felt my under eye circles had decreased.
The packaging on these products are almost identical, the only difference is that the Lacura product is made out of glass and the Clinique is made out of plastic which I was surprised at as the Clinique was £15 more expensive.
The verdict, I would choose the Clinique moisture surge out of these two products as I felt the gel really lifted my under eye area and made my skin feel tighter and brighter which is just what I need first thing in the morning.
We have Aldi's Lacura, 'Rose Water', costing £0.39
Can we just firstly talk about the fact that this cleansing water is ONLY 39 pence!
At first I felt a bit sceptical before using this product and I didn't really have high expectations due to the price, but I should not have doubted as this product was in fact amazing and worth all the pennies spent.
I thought a real test for this product would be removing my eye makeup as mascara and eyeshadow can be difficult to take off but with just one wipe almost all of my eye makeup had been removed.
For £0.39 you really can't get much better than that.
I would give this product 5/5 stars.
This micellar water is dupe of Garnier's, 'Micellar Rose Water Cleanse & Glow', costing £4.00
I knew this product was going to do really well as Garnier's micellar water's are such a go-to makeup remover and are very popular.
I love this product as it's not just a micellar water, it's a cleanser as well so my skin felt really clean and nourished after I used it. With just one wipe most of my eye makeup had been removed which is good as you don't want to be rubbing your eyes trying to get makeup products off.
The smell on this product is beautiful as it really does have that floral rose scent.
I would give this product 4/5 stars.
In comparison: Lacura, Rose Water Vs Garnier, 'Micellar Rose Water Cleanse&Glow
These two products really are the best micellar waters , especially for removing eye makeup as they both did the job really well.
In terms of the packaging for these products, there is no similarity which I was surprised at as their name is so similar so I thought they'd go with similar packaging as well.
The verdict, For this one I am going to have to choose Aldi's Lacura Rose Water as For £0.39 as it's just amazing value. It did exactly the same job as the Garnier product so you really can't go wrong.
Here we have Aldi's Lacura 'H2 Overnight Face Sleeping Mask',costing £4.99
This is a really affordable and beneficial gel based sleep mask that left my skin feeling refreshed and soft every morning after use.
I applied this 2-3 times a week and applied it thirty minutes before going to bed to ensure the product had time to sink into my skin. The product absorbs into the skin very well and is light weight and non sticky which is perfect before bed.
I would suggest putting this product in the fridge before applying as is it a gel so it's very cooling, especially in these hot summer months.
You will have to keep applying this product for a 2-3 times a week or a few weeks to see noticeable changes to your skin but It's the perfect cool down and refreshing sleeping mask.
I would give this product 4/5 stars
This over night sleeping mask is dupe of Laneige, 'Water Sleeping Mask', costing £19.90
This Laneige sleep mask was really hydrating, leaving my skin clear, bright and well nourished.
The smell on this product is very relaxing, it's infused with a delicate floral fragrance which was prefect for winding down in the evening.
Like the Lacura H2 Overnight Face Sleeping Mask, I used this product 2-3 times a week and applied it thirty minutes before going to bed to ensure the product absorbed.
This sleep mask wasn't sticky and greasy, the gel formula did reduce puffiness to the skin and my skin did appear to be brighten after use.
I would give this product a 4/5 stars.
In comparison: Lacura 'H2 Overnight Face Sleeping Mask Vs Laneige, 'Water Sleeping Mask'.
These two products packaging are almost identical, even the applicator is exactly the same. I honestly don't think anyone would be able to tell these products apart as they both did the exact same job and were the perfect evening skincare.
Both products feel like a luxurious and expensive skincare mask and is perfect for anyone who wants to feel refreshed and well rested waking up in the morning.
The verdict, due to the Aldi product being almost identical in packaging and having the same results as the Laneige. The Aldi's Lacura, 'H2 Overnight Face Sleeping Mask' wins this one.
Lastly we have Aldi's Lacura 'Rejuvelate Day Cream' costing £3.49.
This day cream is the perfect cream for anyone who wants a lightweight everyday day cream.
The product wasn't sticky when applied but was a little bit greasy but that's due to it's thicker consistency .
The plus of this day cream is that it's SPF 30, which is great for summer days as your skin is moisturised and also protected from the sun.
When using this product, my skin felt very moisturised and clean as the fragrance on this day cream is very floral.
This affordable face cream is the perfect every day essential day cream.
I give this product 4/5 stars.
This day cream is a dupe of L'Oréal Paris, 'Revitalift Hydrating SPF 30 Cream', costing £8.66.
I had high expectations of this product as L'Oréal Paris face creams are very popular and are known to have great results.
This product is very creamy but it feels lightweight on the skin which is perfect for a day cream as thick day creams can feel very heavy on the skin. The product soaked quickly into my skin and left it feeling silky and non greasy.
After applying this moisturiser for a week my skin did begin to feel firmer and I think it would be great for anyone who wants to reduce wrinkles and their brighten skin.
This product also has SPF 30 which is great when applying under makeup as your skin is protected all day from the sun.
I would give this product 5/5 stars.
In comparison: Lacura, 'Rejuvelate Day Cream' Vs L'Oréal Paris, 'Revitalift Hydrating SPF 30 Cream'
Both of these products are really affordable day creams, with immediate results after a few uses.
I loved how they both contained SPF as it's very important to protect your face from the sun.
Again, like all the products in this review the packaging was very similar, both products have a red and white theme and the product containers are exactly the same.
I would defiantly recommend the Lacura day cream if you are looking for a cheap and effective day cream as it's great value for the results.
The verdict, even though both products were so similar, I have chosen the L'Oréal Paris, 'Revitalift Hydrating SPF 30 Cream' as the winning product as even though it was a creamy moisturizer, it really did feel lightweight on the skin and was non greasy which is important when wearing a moisturizer for 12+ hours a day.
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