ROSIE GREEN reveals her best beauty bargains: High-street heroes that beat the most expensive luxury brands
Designer dupe? High-street hack? Consider it not skimping, but winning, says Rosie Green.
I’d like to give you a fiver. Let’s make it a tenner. No, more like £20. As a beauty editor, when I tell people about a product that’s low on price and high on performance, it feels like I am giving them a beautifully beribboned gift. Or at least a bit of cash. A joy akin to imparting a winning racing tip, or a prime piece of insider gossip about a movie star. They literally skip away, bolstered by potential savings that run into the tens, if not hundreds of pounds. They tell me they love the fact the recommended product is beauty editor-endorsed, reasoning, quite rightly, that I get to try everything, yet I am actively choosing to have these low-cost lovelies in my bag or on my shelves.
Because I believe that, while luxury products have their place, there is no doubt that high-street heroes can really deliver. I’ve seen the best make-up artists and top hairdressers use them on famous models and movie stars with no detriment to their looks (quite the reverse sometimes). At a glossy magazine I worked on we once challenged an A-list make-up artist, who only used designer brands, to paint a supermodel’s face with budget products. Everyone was happy with the result – with her saying the only categories she would go premium on in the future were powder and foundation.
If January is bringing you, like me, some financial challenges (mine involve a frothy coffee ban and eating the food from the back of the freezer for a month) please consider these brilliant buys. At least you’ll be looking and feeling great. Even if you are eating unidentifiable mush.
8 cut-price classics
Elf Lip Plumping Gloss in Sparking Rosé, £7, .
Elf is great for budget buys – backing up sleek looks with hardworking and wearable formulations. Its lip gloss is a true winner, rivalling much more expensive iterations. It goes on easily, is substantial enough to last but isn’t too tacky or sticky. Makes lips look more voluminous and polished.
L’Oréal Paris Elnett Hairspray, £6, boots.com.
The OG hairspray and still the one loved by the pros. It’s so good that I once saw a hairdresser paid thousands to represent another brand sneak this on to a celebrity photoshoot. Why? Because it delivers strong hold but still feels light. And it brushes out easily. Oh, and the smell is iconic.
Zara Balade De Figuier fragrance, £35.99 for 100ml, zara.com.
Zara has a well-deserved reputation for creating sophisticated perfumes at half the price of its designer rivals. This is a case in point: part of the brand’s collaboration with Jo Malone, it’s a sensual mix of vetiver and white musk, freshened by Mediterranean scents of citrus and petitgrain.
L’Oréal Paris Perfect Slim By Superliner in Brown, £6.99, boots.com.
A great eyeliner is hard to find, but here it is and it’s under £7. A long, thin tapered tip makes it easier to get in close to the lash line and it lasts beautifully.
Revlon ColorStay Crème Eye Shadow in Creme Brulee, £7.99, boots.com.
Revlon often gets overlooked for showier brands, but its long cosmetic heritage means it delivers on wearable, lasting formulas. This richly pigmented creamy shadow easily enhances eyes. Use the built-in brush or your fingers.
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution, £6.40, theordinary.com.
This product is great for tricksy skin. It decongests, reduces redness and – thanks to the ingredient squalane – hydrates without making skin feel greasy or overloaded.
Sanctuary Spa Signature Natural Oils Ultra Rich Shower Burst, £9, boots.com.
Elevate your everyday shower with this luxe-feeling foam. It cleanses the skin beautifully, leaving it soft, scented of jasmine and grapefruit and veiled in glistening almond oil.
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, £16.99, superdrug.com.
This brand is beloved of dermatologists because it cleans skin without stripping it of natural oils. In chic utilitarian packaging, the formula is loaded with moisturising hyaluronic acid and ceramides that keep the skin calm and healthy.
Deputy beauty editor: Alice Robertson.
