Beauty, Bargains and Beyond

If you’ve been eyeing Phlur’s cult favorite fragrances, but your wallet says "No Can Do”, Primark has swooped in with a sweet-smelling solution. The high street giant is now offering affordable dupes that echo the vibe of Phlur’s beloved scents, but without the luxury price tag. These Primark versions capture the essence of Phlur’s minimalist, emotionally evocative fragrances, but retail for under £5, a fraction of the £25+ price tag for a full-size Phlur bottle. I love them because they are affordable and perfect for everyday wear without the guilt of spending a lot of money. They have stylish packaging with sleek bottles that look far more luxe than their price.  They are also great for layering, you can mix and match to create your own signature scent. Whether you’re a fragrance fanatic or just want something fresh for your handbag, Primark’s Phlur inspired perfumes are a savvy way to smell divine on a budget. I picked up the Whipped Cream Eau De Parfum, which costs £5 for 50ml...

I have found a great dupe for the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF30. This product is my absolute favourite SPF as its clear, so its very easy to apply on the go and it doesn't take ages to sink in or leave a greasy residue. It is quite pricey though at £36.50 for 50ml.  e.l.f. have a similar product called Suntouchable! Invisible Sunscreen SPF30. This costs a bargain £14 for 50ml. It has an identical clear consistency and like the Supergoop! product it is not fragranced. This is a multitasking product that also works as a primer, that blurs the skin and works really great under foundation. It feels hydrating and works on all skin types and contains meadowfoam seed oil and aloe. It does contain dimethicone which is a silicone based polymer, so if you are not keen on the slippery feel of silicone skincare products, then this one is not for you. I would say that the e.l.f. product has a slightly wetter feel to it, whereas the Supergoop! product feels more velvety on the skin at first...

I picked up the Primark Vitamin Enriched Moisturising Primer because it looked like it was a dupe for the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base. The Primark version costs £4.50 for 45ml and the Bobbi Brown Face Base costs £48.50 for 50ml, so there is quite a price difference.   I had always wanted to try out the Bobbi Brown product, so when I received a mini version in a gift with purchase goody bag I was really excited to try it out, but I have to say I was somewhat underwhelmed.  I have quite dry skin and the face base did not have as much slip as I was expecting, so it didn't feel smooth when I applied my foundation. For the price I was expecting to love it way more than I did. It does have a lovely lemon smell which I really enjoy, where as the Primark version doesn't really have a fragrance.  Overall, I actually preferred the Primark version as it is thicker and it made for a better base for my foundation. It also seemed to be more hydrating. I have defini...

When I found out that Aldi were releasing some Tom Ford Perfume dupes I couldn't wait to try them out.  I'm a big fan of Tom Ford and Black Orchid has been one of my signature scents for years now, although I do like to dabble in the newer scents such as Bitter Peach as well.  As they are so expensive it's a rare treat for me rather then something I buy often.  These Aldi dupes do give you the sense of Tom Ford and with the price points being under £5 compared to a couple of hundred for Tom Ford they are worth trying out, but you have to be quick as they don't stick around forever and I didn't manage to find the dupe for Black Orchid which I would have really loved to try out. I managed to get hold of the Solar Luxe EDP which I believe is a dupe for Tom Fords Soleil Blanc which is £4.99 for 50ml.  I really like this scent and will definitely wear this as you can't tell its a cheap scent.    I also got Amalfi Brilliante EDP which is meant to smell similar ...

Here's a quick haul from Aldi. I bought a couple of Lacura Super Booster serums, The Collagen & Gold Serum which helps to promote firm and tighter skin and the Hyaluronic Acid Serum which helps to promote hydrated and smoother looking skin. They were £3.29 each for 20ml. I also bought the Lacura Smoothing Glycolic Body Lotion with 10% AHA blend, mango and shea butters. This product cost £4.99 for 250ml. The Lacura Powder Puffs cost £2.99 for a pack of 2 and are great for applying loose power under the eyes and around the nose. Finally, I picked up the Lacura Intense Passion Eau de Parfum which cost £5.99 for 50ml. I will say that you never know what you will find in store with Aldi, as a lot of the beauty range seems to be limited edition. So if you see any of these products in store, grab them while you can.   Leigh 💜 I purchased these products with my own money

I love me some Tom Ford fragrances and I have quite the collection, but if you are like me then you know how expensive these puppies are (the 10ml Atomisers are £75 alone). Its an expensive collection. I have been eyeing up Tom Ford's Lost Cherry for quite some time, but I have such a huge collection of perfumes in general that I cannot justify such an expensive purchase right now, so when I tried Zara's Cherry Smoothie, I thought it was a great option for the price. Tom Ford's Lost Cherry is heavy on the dark cherry and almond which I love. Zara's version is definitely lighter and fresher and less in your face with the cherry, but the cherry notes still shine through in addition to almond which is the same as Lost Cherry. Tonka beans and black vanilla add a smoothness to this fragrance and it has pretty decent lasting power. Cherry Smoothie comes in a nice presentation box with a velvet ribbon on it so it makes for a perfect gift and at £17.99 for a 100ml Eau De Parfum...

When I heard that Aldi were selling products that are dupes for Bath & Body Works (B&BW) I raced down there to see what I could find. On the first occasion that I visited, I couldn't find anything that resembled B&BW, so left empty handed, but since I live within walking distance of Aldi (although I rarely actually shop there) I visited again and managed to find the products that I was looking for. I picked up Foaming Hand Wash (250ml) and Shower Gel (400ml) in the scents Winter Candy Apple, Winter Cookies & Ginger Bread Latte for £1.99 each and I also bought the Winter Candy Apple Hand Cream (100ml) for £1.79. The packaging does resemble B&BW a little bit, but most importantly how do they smell? First of all I should say that I am a massive fan of B&BW and I always stock up when in America (you can now buy a limited range in Next) and I also source some of my favourite products from a Facebook page ( Bath & Body Works Fans UK ) which I will continue ...

Sol de Janeiro's famous Brazilian Bum Bum Cream is one of my absolute favourite products ever, I just adore the scent (you can find my thoughts on the products from this brand here, here and here ). Unfortunately, as it is a rather pricey product at £44 for 240ml, it's a treat for me rather than a regular purchase, so I was intrigued to hear about a dupe for the scent sold by & Other Stories.  & Other Stories is one of my favourite stores and I have bought lots of jewellery from them as they sell really nice pieces at reasonable prices. They sell a range of products called Perle de Coco which I was informed smelled exactly like Brazilian Bum Bum cream (lets call it BBBC from now on) and it's much cheaper. Of course I had to go investigate at my nearest store and I picked up a couple of products to try out. First was the Perle de Coco Body Lotion which costs £8 for 350ml. As it's a body lotion rather than a cream, it is not as thick, rich and creamy as BBBC, ...