ALDI ARE ABSOLUTELY throwing out the dupes for high end products. 

But do they measure up at all, or does the packaging simply look the same? 

I tested three of the products against their doubles. They’re really not holding back here. 

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow v Aldi’s Shape and Glow 

Price

Charlotte Tilbury’s palette will set you back €65, while Aldi’s is €7.99. 

Ingredients 

Charlotte Tilbury: Talc, Mica, Isononyl Isononanoate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch, Dimethicone, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Zinc Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethiconol, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Hexylene Glycol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Silica, Tin Oxide, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)

Aldi: Mica, Talc, Paraffinum Liquidum, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Magnesim Myristate, Dimethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Tin Oxide. May contain CI 77891, CI 16035, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 . 

Swatches 

With flash. 

Without. 

So, is it Any Use? 

The Charlotte Tilbury Bronze and Glow palette is a hero product of mine. It can take a minimal makeup look up a notch, or you can go to town to add the cherry on top of a big look.

As you can see from the pics above, I am extremely pale right now. You can also see that the two tones are extremely similar, in fact, it was kinda hard for me to distinguish the two. In this aspect, I’d say it’s a solid dupe. 

The texture was quite velvety compared to the CT palette, and I found it to be pretty pigmented on the face. I had that glow. It was slightly harder to blend than the CT palette, but I’m not good at blending the original either, so maybe that’s my problem.  

The verdict 

I’d say this is a pretty decent dupe of the Filmstar Bronze and Glow if you’re looking for the glow without the price tag. 

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer v Lacura Snapshot Ready Foundation Primer 

Price 

Smashbox’s primer will set you back around €35 in Arnotts, while Aldi’s costs €5.99. 

Ingredients 

Smashbox: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Trisiloxane, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Extract, Cola Acuminata (Kola) Seed Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Water\Aqua\Eau, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Propylene Glycol 

Aldi: Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Octyldodecanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenly Trimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Camella Sinensis Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Retinol, Glycerin, Aqua. 

What does it look like? 

So, is it Any Use?  

Not really. As you can see above it’s a lot more transparent than the Smashbox primer, and almost has a jelly-like texture when rubbed in. I’d actually compare it to Vaseline. On the face, it took a lot longer to dry in than the Photo Finish side, and made me feel a little greasy. The ultimate test though, was how it helped my foundation.

Here, it’s not so bad. Once you get a grip on it gave a nice finish and while it’s not a great dupe, it’s not atrocious either. 

You can see the difference after a minute on my hand here. 

The verdict 

There are plenty of better primers out on the budget beauty market.

Benefit Hoola Bronzer v Lacura Aloha Bronzer 

Price 

Benefit’s is roughly €35, and Aldi’s is €5.99. 

Ingredients 

Benefit: Talc, Iron Oxides (CI77491-CI77492-CI77499), Zinc Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Titanium Dioxide (CI77891), Dimethicone, Manganese Violet (CI77742), Methylparaben, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Boron Nitride, Propylparaben, Butylparaben.

Aldi: Talc, Mica, Dimethicone, Silica, Polymethyl, Methacrylate, Magnesium Myristate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol. May contain CI 77491, CI77492, CI77499.

Swatches

Without flash. 

With flash. 

So, is it Any Use? 

Again, it’s not a bad product, it just doesn’t stand up to the original. I didn’t try this one on my face at all, but as far as I can tell from using the included brushes on my arm, the Lacura one just doesn’t have the blendability Hoola is known for. The brush isn’t great to begin with, it’s too large and weak, so most of the product just dusts off it before it comes into contact with the skin. It’s also slightly too shimmery and warm to be an exact dupe of Hoola. 

The Verdict 

For €6, it’s hard to knock it as a decent bronzer. If you’re looking for something a little warmer and glittery than Hoola can offer you, it might just be even better for you. But if you’re looking for an exact match or a matte bronzer like the Benefit cult product, look elsewhere. 

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