Aldi Dupes Vs The Originals
Written by Jessica Love
As the party season approaches it's time to get your hair and skin looking flawless.
Products like Colour Wow’s shine and texture treatments, Drunk Elephant’s Peptide Moisturiser and Paula’s Choice skincare are must-haves, but with holiday budgets, splurging on these high priced favourites isn’t always an option.
Enter Aldi’s Lacura beauty range, famous for duping high end beauty products at a fraction of the price, but do they really work as well? I’ve put them to the test to see if it’s worth splurging on the originals or if you really can get a runway ready look from your local supermarket.
Colour Wow Hair Products vs Lacura Dupes.
Original products: Colour Wow’s lineup includes the Money Mask, Xtra Large bombshell Volumizer and the Dream Coat Protector. These products have gained a following for their ability to combat frizz, boost volume and add a salon worthy shine. Their products went particularly viral with the Dream Coat Spray that celeb hairstylist Chris Appleton uses on Kim Kardashians hair to keep it looking sleek, water resistant and humidity proof.
Lacura Dupes: Aldi’s Lacura offers budget friendly alternatives to these high-end staples with similar claims of frizz control, volume and shine. The packaging even mimics Colour Wow’s simple but sleek design.
Price and ingredient comparison
Colour Wow ‘Dream Coat’: £27 vs. Lacura ‘wonder spray’: £4.99
(Both Products contain almost the exact same ingredients with only a few added preservatives in the Colour Wow Product)
Colour Wow ‘Xtra Large bombshell Volumizer’: £24 vs Lacura “Wonder Foam volumizer: £4.99
(The Lacura volumizer has a lot more added preservatives than the Colour Wow but does also contain Creatine which has been debated on whether it can create hair loss.)
Colour Wow ‘Money Masque’ £39.50 vs Lacura ‘Wonder Mask’ £4.99
(Both products have the same ingredients but The Colour Wow Masque contains more conditioning agents.)
Results: While colour Wow products excel at locking out humidity and adding serious gloss, the Lacura versions held their own surprisingly well. The frizz control and shine from the Lacura Dupe was definitely noticeable, but I found it doesn’t last through several washes like the Colour Wow spray does. The Lacura mask created a glamorous glossy look on my hair as does the original Colour wow Money Masque, and the Lacura volumizing Mousse gave my usually flat hair a generous lift.
Verdict: For everyday use, Lacura’s Dupes perform exceptionally well, especially considering the price.
Drunk Elephant Protini™ Peptide cream vs Lacura Multi-Peptide Moisturiser
Original product: Drunk Elephant’s Protini™ polypeptide cream whipped up a storm on TikTok, going viral for its aesthetic packaging and unique formula and had girls as young as ten wanting to incorporate it into their skincare routines. It is known for its rich blend of peptides that helps strengthen the skin's barrier and provide deep hydration.
Lacura Dupe: Aldi’s Lacura Peptide Moisturiser boasts a similar formula, packed with peptides for hydration and anti-ageing benefits. It has a similar outer packaging to the original, making it instantly recognisable but doesn’t include the same satisfying packaging as the original moisturiser.
Price and ingredient Comparison
Drunk elephant: £57 vs Lacura £6.99
(Although the formulas contain similar moisturising ingredients, the Lacura dupe is a lighter formula, that contains less oily ingredients giving a more matte finish, whereas the Drunk Elephant formula contains more heavyweight ingredients, providing deeper hydration and also contains more peptides.)
Results: While both products give your skin a hydrating and glowy finish, the Lacura dupe gives a lighter finish and is more suited to oily or combination skin, or for those who prefer a matte finish. The Drunk Elephant cream is richer, with more emollients and oils so is more ideal for dry, dehydrated, or mature skin types looking for deeper hydration and anti-aging benefits.
Verdict: For the Lacura Price point, the multi-peptide moisturiser is definitely worth getting your hands on but not if you want the same effects as the Drunk Elephant cream. As the original product is a lot more luxurious and gives longer lasting hydration than the dupe.
Gisou Hair Oil Drops vs Lacura Hair Oil
Original product: Gisou products founded by influencer and hairstylist Negin Mirsalehi should be a part of everyone’s hair routine, The Hair drops, infused with honey are loved for their nourishing, shine enhancing properties that will leave your hair feeling silky and smooth.
Lacura Dupe: Aldi’s version of the hair oil offers a similar product with botanical extracts and honey designed to smooth and shine.
Price and ingredient comparison:
Gisou: £33 vs Lacura: £3.99
(The Lacura hair oil features fewer botanical oils than Gisou and contains ingredients that give the product a lighter feel as well as floral scents. Whereas the Gisou Oil has more of a weight to the formula, leaving a heavier feel to the product and also has more prominent scents of honey than its dupe.)
Results: Both oils add a lovely shine and smooth flyaways. The Lacura oil is lighter weight and faster absorbing but doesn’t feel as luxurious and nourishing as the Gisou hair oil does.
Verdict: The Lacura oil is a great dupe for those wanting to add a bit of extra pamper into the hair routine, it leaves a lasting floral scent and enhances the hairs texture but if you want the oil to have a longer lasting and deeply nourishing effect, then the Gisou Honey Hair oil would be worth spending your pennies on.
Paula’s Choice Skin perfecting Toner and Clear Cleanser vs Lacura BHA cleanser and exfoliant
Original Product: Paula’s Choice BHA Liquid exfoliant and Clear cleanser are renowned for their effectiveness in clearing acne, refining pores and smoothing skin.
Lacura Dupes: Aldi’s range offers a salicylic acid toner and face wash designed to mimic the Paula’s choice of exfoliating and acne reducing properties.
Price and ingredient comparison:
Paula’s Choice Toner £36 vs Lacura exfoliant dupe £4.99
(Both products contain Salicylic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract and Methylpropanediol)
Results: Both toners help exfoliate and smooth the skin, though Paula’s choice offers a slightly stronger, more immediate effect. Lacura’s toner works well for milder skin concerns whereas the Paula’s choice tackles more stubborn issues. The cleansers are similarly effective however the original is gentler on sensitive skin.
Verdict: Lacura’s toner and face wash are great budget friendly options, but if you struggle with more severe acne or skin issues then Paula’s choice will deliver stronger results.
Aldi’s Lacura range offers impressive dupes for high end beauty products at a fraction of the price. While some of the originals still outperform their dupes in terms of longevity and effectiveness, Lacura products do provide solid alternatives, especially for those looking to save without sacrificing too much on quality.
Lacura proves that beauty on a budget is very much possible. The only downside with using the Lacura range products is that they are limited time buys so once these products are gone, they’re gone forever. So, I’d suggest stocking up!
