I Tried Aldi’s New Designer Skin & Makeup ‘Dupes’ — Here’s My Verdict

When Aldi's beauty brand Lacura burst onto the scene a few years ago, it caused quite the stir. Launching with a concealer, which looked suspiciously like YSL's Touche Éclat and a glycolic acid facial toner reminiscent of Pixi's cult Glow Tonic, the products flew off the supermarket shelves, and arguably, became just as popular as their designer counterparts.

In the years that followed, Aldi lifted the lid on a handful of impressive beauty buys, from blush and bronzer, to a wealth of skincare serums combining all of our favourite ingredients, like vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. We tried them all.

Fast forward to this summer and Aldi has unveiled yet another buzzy beauty drop consisting of moisturiser, translucent setting powder, a CC cream and another concealer. Though the products launch in store on the 28th of July, some beauty influencers have already got their hands on them — and they've already gone TikTok viral.

Before I get into my review, a caveat: at R29, we know that some beauty lovers are wary of 'dupes' for a number of reasons, one being that they are seen to pass off the work of other beauty brands as their own. On the other hand, the cheaper price tags make certain beauty products accessible to those who may not be able to afford them otherwise. With bills and costs skyrocketing, it's important not to judge where people choose to spend their money.

With that in mind, Aldi's skincare and makeup 'dupes' are being touted as the next best purse-friendly thing to a handful of cult buys we all know and love. First up: the Lacura Vitamin Primer, £5.99. TikTokers have pointed out physical similarities between this priming moisturiser and Bobbi Brown's Vitamin Enriched Face Base, £46.50, a moisturiser and primer in one. The ingredients vary, but Aldi's enlists a handful of close components like parkii (shea) butter and cyclopentasiloxane (a type of silicone used in skincare to lend a smoothing effect on skin). They both smell alike, too, with a fresh citrus scent.

I have oily, acne-prone skin, and though this was twice as thick as the moisturisers I'm used to, I really enjoyed it. Like the Vitamin Enriched Face Base, Aldi's buttery texture melted into my skin so easily (I only needed a pea-sized amount) and it gave me a matte finish, which I wasn't expecting thanks to the shea butter. If you're an R29 regular, you'll know that I never use eye cream, as I'm not convinced it really works. Instead, I take my moisturiser and SPF up to my eye area to smooth away dry patches and to temporarily plump out fine lines. This moisturiser-primer hybrid nailed the brief. My skin appeared even in texture, so much so, I didn't really want to put any makeup over the top of it.

One thing about this moisturising primer is that it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive skin. Mine is borderline, and thankfully, I didn't notice a tingle. If your skin is very reactive, you might want to try something more simple, like Beauty Bay's Thirst Class Rich Moisturiser With Oatmeal & Oat Lipid, £7.50, or Embryolisse's Lait-Crème Concentré Nourishing Moisturiser, £13.

Next up: the Lacura Flawless Coverage CC Cream, £3.99. Disappointingly, this only comes in six shades, which made finding mine quite difficult. I used number 4, which was a tad too dark for me, but actually, the perfect colour with fake tan. When not tanned, my true shade is number 2 for reference.

I don't like applying makeup with my fingers for fear of it collecting underneath my nails, so I applied this with a brush, instead. Granted, it glided on seamlessly, and the coverage was brilliant. So much so, I ditched my concealer. But throughout the day, I noticed that it became slightly patchy on my cheeks. I think this was my fault, as I only used one pump. The next time I tried it, I realised I needed at least two more squeezes for fuller coverage. Lo and behold, my skin gleamed in all the right places, and felt nourished and moisturised. Another thing I liked is that it didn't noticeably oxidise throughout the day or turn a dubious shade of tangerine. It smells nice, too, but if you're not a fan of fragrance, you might want to re-think this.

Surprisingly, this product contains SPF50, though the packaging doesn't shout about it. In terms of staying power, IT Cosmetics' Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream SPF50, £32.50, is a little better and feels a lot more hydrating on the skin. Still, for £3.99, Aldi's version is a great alternative if you're running low on makeup and need to pick up something else quickly on your weekly shop.

The penultimate product I got my hands on was the Lacura Radiant Concealer, £3.99. With its square tube and black lid, it looks a lot like NARS' Radiant Creamy Concealer, £25, but the shade range is nowhere near as extensive. With dimethicone (a smoothing silicone) and glycerin (a moisturising ingredient also found in skincare) this product is so thick and creamy. It lends really excellent coverage and blanketed my dark circles and a couple of angry red spots very well, but the shade range is a little off. As the day went on, I noticed that the product had darkened on my skin, so I'd suggest opting for a shade lighter than you think you need. Would I use this again? Yes, mixed with a little moisturiser to sheer it out slightly, as it's really thick.

Lastly, I tried the Lacura Flawless Veil Translucent Powder, £4.99. Again TikTokers are comparing the product to Laura Mercier's Translucent Loose Setting Powder, £34. Aldi's doesn't contain any talc. In fact, the ingredients list is markedly smaller than Laura Mercier's version, with just seven of them. I learned the hard way that you only need a touch of this powder for your entire face — a little goes a very long way. It mattifies greasy areas instantly without looking cakey (as it's so, ultra-fine) or feeling dry. I'd recommend using a small, flat powder brush like the Morphe M536 Under Eye Bullet Brush, £10, to powder certain areas strategically, such as your nose and chin, rather than fluffing the product all over. A little dewiness is a good thing.

Aldi's new collection also boasts a Microfilling Brow Pen, £2.99, and a Clear Brow Gel, £2.99. But if TikTok is anything to go by, it's the moisturising primer which has won the hearts of beauty obsessives everywhere — and I agree. The new Lacura collection is available in store from the 28th of July, but there's no denying it'll be very popular. Just like previous beauty drops, it's likely the products will be listed online on that date, too, but you'll have to be quick.

Happy shopping.