It’s coming up to everyone’s favorite time of the year. Well, everyone except our bank accounts. Christmas can be one of the most expensive times of the year, with buying presents for the big day, preparing fabulous dinner parties (not forgetting the famous Christmas dinner), and stocking up on cozy clothes to keep us warm during the freezing temperatures.
However, with the ever-increasing cost of living, buying trendy items is becoming more and more difficult due to the extreme rise in the cost of everyday items.
Despite this, non-luxury brands often make it their mission to provide cheaper alternatives to fan favorites of more expensive items. Highstreet brands make a lot of profit through ‘dupes’, as they’re popularly known on social media.
Dupes provide the same style as luxury brands, without the crazy-expensive price tag attached. Or, another way to look at it is as a trial run to see if you want to invest in the real thing.
Along with being some great Christmas presents, here are five of the best dupes on the market, if you want to try some of the trendiest items for a slice of the price.
1. Elf’s ‘Halo Glow’, instead of Charlotte Tilbury’s ‘Hollywood Flawless Filter’
One of the biggest makeup trends of the year has been that stunning, glowy, and youthful skin finish, made popular from the ‘Hollywood Flawless Filter’ foundation from Charlotte Tilbury.
Known for their iconic rose gold packaging, Charlotte Tilbury’s products have taken over the dewy, luminous makeup trend, becoming a staple for those who choose to have that glowy finish to their makeup routine.
On TikTok, the #CharlotteTilburyFlawlessFilter has over 59 million views, proving itself as extremely popular among TikTok users- the majority of which are Gen-Z. The makeup product retails at £39.
At this price point, it is not accessible to every budget. However, the popularity of this product means that many brands followed in its footsteps, and created similar products of their own.
One of the best dupes on the market for the Hollywood Flawless Filter is the Elf ‘Halo Glow Liquid Filter’, which retails at £14 in the UK. Reviews say that it works just as well as the Charlotte Tilbury product, with the only drawback being that there are only 8 shades.
It is a great alternative to the famous Tilbury product, especially if you want to test out how the radiant, glowing complexion looks on yourself before you invest in the nearly £40 product.
2. Babyliss’s ‘Air Style’ instead of Dyson’s ‘Air Wrap’
Again, a huge trend of the year, well a few years now, is the Dyson Air Wrap. Known for its advanced hair styling technology, using hot air instead of a hot iron to curl, straighten, and dry hair. It has become essential for people in everyday life, in hair salons, and for hair stylists.
But, if you didn’t already hear about it in reviews when it first emerged, this product costs a hefty £479.
Now, I love making my hair look beautiful, but for £479 I could just pay someone to do it for me once a week instead. And I think this is the philosophy of many customers who refuse to pay this significantly high price for the product. Instead, people with a smaller budget, but the same big love for hair styling went in search of cheaper alternatives.
Now, since the airwrap does everything, it was hard to nail down the best alternative that will give you the same options. However, the best dupe on the market as it seems is the Babyliss Air Style.
With a blowdry, hot brush, straightening, and curling attachment, it offers all the amenities of the Air Wrap, just without the different size barrels for curls. The Babyliss styler retails on the official Babyliss website at £50, but there are multiple Black Friday offers on it, including one on Boots for £39 (time limited offer).
3. Urban Outfitters’ Iets Frans ‘Riley Puffer Jacket’ instead of The North Face’s ‘Nuptese 1996 Jacket’
Of course, each North Face Jacket is priced differently, and you can find less expensive alternatives in the same brand, but one of their most popular jackets is the ‘1996 Nuptese’ coats, which retails on their website at £315.
North Face coats are known for their durability and good insulation during the colder months, however, it is a very high price point.
One alternative for this particular style of coat is the Iets Frans ‘Riley’ jacket found on Urban Outfitters. At a still relatively high price point (£79), it is still not accessible to every person. However, if you are looking to invest in a durable coat, this may be a good option if you have a little bit of extra money to spare.
If not there are many alternative puffer jackets on the market, as one of the most versatile and popular styles of coats of the year.
4. EGO’s ‘Ultra Mini Ankle Boot,’ Instead of UGG’s ‘Ultra Mini’
This year is the year Ugg boots came back. The most popular style has been the Platform Mini, the Ultra Mini, and Ugg Tazz.
The price point for Ugg Boots ranges from roughly £140 to £175 for these specific styles, which of course, are not great when trying to save money.
Furthermore, they are popular for the winter months but are made from suede, which, as we know, is not a cold and wet weather-friendly material. So, paying a big chunk of money may not be the best investment. In this case, it may be better to invest in a cheaper alternative.
The brand EGO makes great dupes for the popular Ugg styles for a fraction of the price. Most EGO boots retail between £30 and £35 for an almost identical look.
5. Catrice’s ‘Full Power Lip Care’, Instead of Clinique’s ‘Pop Plush Creamy Gloss’
One of the biggest trends in the beauty community has been the resurgence of the popular Clinique gloss, specifically in color ‘Black Honey.’ It was a very trendy color in the 90s and 80s, so it clearly stands the test of time through all the different makeup routines and results.
The color is popular on all skin tones, which may be why it is such a universally loved product. The gloss itself is not the same price as the other products, retailing at only £22, but in comparison to its rival, it is an expensive buy.
There are many duplicates for this product, including the NYX ‘Fat Oil Lip Drip’ in the color ‘Status Update’ or the Elf ‘Hydrating Lip Core’ in ‘Delightful’. But, the one product that stands out as the best alternative for the Clinique gloss is Catrice’s ‘Full Power Lip Care’ in color ‘Addicting Cassis.’
Many have referred to it as the ‘best alternative to Clinique’s Black Honey’, despite the huge amounts of dupes on the market. The color and finish are reported as ‘almost identical.’
No matter who you’re buying for or what the occasion is, it is always helpful to have options. Of course, you want to be able to give loved ones gifts they will enjoy, but having ‘dupes’ as an option for a smaller budget or as a trial run, can be a great way to test new and trending products without the commitment to the high price point.
