Aldi Lacura Naturals Nectar Eyeshadow Palette

I have been loving the discovery of new products from the Aldi Lacura range, the Too Legit Waterproof Mascara, which I have shared already and today is the turn of the Naturals Nectar Eyeshadow Palette, which at £5.99 is too good a bargain to not try it yourself.

This palette as you can see comes packaged in a a dark honey, almost gold coloured metal casing and impressively, the top half of the casing features a mirror, not something many high street brands manage to do.  The casing is also really well made and despite the number of times i've dropped it, it has survived with few dents. 

Frame and define your eyes with the Lacura Naturals Nectar Eyeshadow Palette. This selection of gorgeous golden and warm toned shadows will bring out the best in your eyes, making your natural eye colour standout. Perfect for daytime and evening looks whether it's a classic smoky eye, glamorous golden cut-crease or day to day neutral glam.

Inside the palette are 12 shades, which are best described as being a range of mattes, glitters and shimmers in shimmery golds, warm hues and of course browns to add some neutrality to the palette. This is, for me, one of those transition palettes which takes you through autumn into winter and you can just about keep using it in Spring too.

The first four shades are Harvest, Bloom, Bite and Monarch which are quite in keeping with the theme of the palette.

The lightest shade Harvest is a really light beige shade with a slight sheen to it and the colour payoff is quite impressive, it is one of those shades you definitely need to have in your stash as it works well as a base shade. The second shade Bloom is a light toned peach which I adore as a shade, it glides on smoothly with hardly any fallout but it is very sheer.  Next to it we have Bite and as a shade it surprised me with how deep a yellowy/orange undertoned shade it was, but I really like it. The final shade shown above is Monarch and it is a medium tone brown shade with a bronze shimmer.

The next set of shades are called Bumble, Pollen, Sunflower and Nectar, which again are amazing names for this palette.

The first shade, Bumble is one I was expecting to be a light brown shade, but instead it is a very light brown shade with very warm golden undertones and it is slightly darker than Bloom which is shown above.  Next to it we have Pollen which medium golden shade which again has warm undertones with an almost metallic finish. The third swatch is Sunflower which is a bright medium gold shade and again it has warm undertones with a metallic finish. Finally there is Nectar and it is a dark brown shade with a a shimmer to it and this is one of my favourite shades.    

The final four shades on the palette are named Comb, Guardian, Buzz and Nest which are my favourite four shades to use.

These shades are by far the most pigmented of all the shades shown on the palette and they are the ones I have used the most.  Starting with Comb which medium brown with warm undertones and it is almost matte but not quite because there is a slight shimmer.  Next we have Guardian which is a deep warm shade of brown and the most matte of all the shades. Next to it we have Buzz which is a medium copper shade which again has warm undertones and like both Sunflower and Monarch and it is one of the most pigmented shades. Finally we have Nest which is a dark brown matte shade and again, the colour payoff is as good as the rest of the shades.

With this Naturals Nectar Palette is also the inclusion of a double-ended brush and it is one of the best brushes I have used, that accompanies a palette.

This double-ended brush is described as being a multi-tasker which is ideal for all over shadow application, blending, shading and contouring.

At £5.99 I have no grumbles what so ever about this palette. The shades are really lovely and in-keeping with the name, they blend with ease, there is very little fallout, they work well on their own or together and they can take you from day time to night time all in one go.  As with the rest of the Aldi Lacura range, this palette is also cruelty-free.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Aldi Lacura Vitabase Moisturising Primer - Bobbi Brown Dupe?

Fans of Bobbi Brown’s popular Face Base primer might have to look twice with a new release from the Aldi Lacura range! Meet Vitabase Moisturising Primer which, at a first glance you can see exactly where its inspiration has come from and why it has been quite the TikTok phenomenon!

The Vitabase Moisturising Primer from Aldi Lacura retails at just £5.99 but the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base will cost around £46.50, so already that is quite the saving, if indeed Aldi does prove to be a dupe! Let's see.

Firstly is the packaging, both have an outer white box which describes the product inside and then both have a glass pot, again detailing what the product is.  At a first glance, they are similar but not identical, personally I think the Aldi Lacura bottle is far sturdier of the two.  

For products that are described as dupes, texture and ingredients for me are what makes a product. Starting with the texture, from Lacura we have a texture which feels very much like a moisturising cream and it is slightly thicker than Bobbi Brown's version, but only just and admittedly, I am a fan of both textures. On the skin, from Aldi Lacura, Vitabase glides onto the skin effortlessly and isn't greasy or tacky and it has that fresh light zesty scent to it.  So we still tick those boxes for being similar but not identical.

When it comes to ingredients from Aldi you have Vitamins B, C and E alongside Shea Butter, Sodium Hyaluronate and Geranium Oil and from Bobbi Brown you won't be too surprised to find the ingredients are the same as those I have listed from Aldi Lacura, only Bobbi Browns trumps the grapefruit scent as being energising and within Vitabase it is pink grapefruit.  This has been one of the closest dupes I have come across and yes, I am using that D word that I don't use too often.  Used in exactly the same way as Bobbi Brown, it is faultless for me.

If being on a budget is where you find yourself, then the Aldi Lacura Vitabase Moisturising Primer is one to find and buy in bulk.  There is absolutely nothing I dislike about the product, it performs just as well as my Bobbi Brown version and at a saving of £40, worth every single penny!

The Aldi Lacura range of beauty and makeup products is not one to ignore, from their Pro Collagen range to the fragrance range it is always worth keeping an eye on what is coming next.  On my blog, I have quite a few newly launched products to share over the coming weeks.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Aldi Lacura Flawless Coverage CC Cream

Another new launch from Aldi and it is their Aldi Lacura Flawless Coverage CC Cream, said to be inspired by It Cosmetics CC Cream.

The It Cosmetics CC cream is one of my absolute must-have products and even at £36.50, I don’t even hesitate to repurchase as soon as a I run out, it’s become almost like a comfort blanket when my skin just needs perking up, blemishes covering and that natural look being the end goal, so what if Aldi can recreate that product at a fraction of a cost? Well let’s see if it does!

Packaged in purple, it’s notable that the packaging is not the same in any way shape or form, nor is the applicator similar, however both tubes have the holographic strip, similar writing on the tube and both have the SPF50 claims. 

It Cosmetics offer a total of 14 different shades and Aldi Lacura offers 6 - all of which I have seen in store and I have Shade 1 which is fair.  So the downside to Aldi Lacura is that the shade range is limited.

Despite having a similar ingredients base, think hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed collagen, niacinamide and peptides, the textures are completely different. Anyone who is familiar with It Cosmetics will recognise and possibly adore that slightly thick texture which glides onto the skin effortlessly (shown here), blending like an absolute dream. From Aldi Lacura, the formula is much lighter though it also applies like a dram and doesn’t an incredible job at covering blemishes, leaving the skin with that Demi-matte appearance.

Longevity, It Cosmetics is much longer lasting, in so much as once I’ve applied it to my skin, I’m happy to not have to top up or re-apply in an evening, though with the Aldi Lacura version, there was patches I would definitely need to top up and re-apply - though personally I don’t find that much of an issue.

Priced at £4.99 it is worth looking out for in your local Aldi store if you are a fan of It Cosmetics or have been wanting to give it a try.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Aldi Lacura Aloha Bronzer - Is it a dupe for Benefit Hoola?

One of my favourite bronzers is Benefit Hoola, it is one product I have repurchased over and over again and every time I stray away and try something new, it is Hoola that I always come back too.  As Benefit has over the years introduced new members to the Hoola family (review here), it is the original I always opt to use because it is just so versatile and for me, works just as well as an eyeshadow as it does a bronzer.

I have made no secret that I find myself giggling away in the much coveted middle aisle in Aldi where you can find everything from Zoflora to an entire garden seating set and every so often there is a beauty product or two that grabs my attention.  Last time it was the Nip + Fab Glycolic Cleansing Pads Dupe and this time it is the turn of the Aloha Bronzer and as you might have guessed from the title, could it be a dupe for Hoola by Benefit?

The biggest giveaway that there are some similarities starts with the packaging.  Whilst one might be pink and the other purple, there are some very obvious dupes on the lid from Aldi with the canes and flowers.  Again, inside the box, we have a mirror in the lid and a brush sitting inside a plastic holder. The one major difference at this stage is the Benefit Hoola box is of much better quality and less flimsy than Aldi's option.

The brushes at a first glance are almost identical, Benefit is blue and Aldi is pink and whilst I do love the colour pink, it is the bristles of the brush which are important and again, for me, there is a huge difference between the two.  Firstly, Aldi packs a lot more into their brush but in doing so, they are not as soft as those offered by Benefit and it is one of the few brushes that comes with a product that I have liked to use, so to find a dupe is quite something.  Sadly, just because there are more bristles doesn't make it a better brush.  It applied the bronzer fairly well, but it is patchy because it just doesn't grab enough and that is whether I use Aloha or Hoola.  With Benefit, you get a much smoother and much more even application and it blends seamlessly, unlike the Aldi option.

When it comes to the actual bronzer, this is where the duping continues, but not in the way you might think.  Both Aldi and Benefit offer 8.0g of product and again, nestled inside the square pan of the box is the bronzer.

At first glance, from Aldi, the bronzer looks much deeper in colour than Benefit and much less smooth but all of this is arbitrary because what really matters is how the shade sits on the skin and below is a finger swatch, unedited onto my wrist and I have kept it as simple as possible because having read previous posts on the Aldi Lacura Aloha bronzer, the one thing I've never found is a swatch.

I found both Aldi and Benefit bronzers really easy to use and swatch, I didn't need to try multiple times to pick up some colour to do the swatch and this is the swatch.

If you want to find out which swatch is which then you will find that answer at the bottom of this post but as you can see from the swatches, the top swatch is lighter and there is a slight shimmer to it whereas the bottom swatch is much more muted. The bottom swatch also has much less of a red undertone than the top swatch, so would probably suit those with a very pale complexion.

For me, whilst there are some nominal differences between the two products as shown so far, the ingredients used are quite interesting.  One thing Aldi is known for is their cruelty-free beauty and there for everyone to see is the Leaping Bunny symbol, something that Benefit does not have.

There are some ingredients which appear in both products and right at the top of that list is Talc for both Aloha and Hoola, they both have ingredients referred too as CL 77491 which is a synthetic red shade, CL 77492 which imparts a purple shade and CL 77499 which is a black Iron Oxide and although Aldi Lacura Aloha says 'may contain' these ingredients they do appear on the label.

So with all of that taken into account, does one bronzer do a better job than the other? For me, I like to mix and match my products and that often includes my bronzers.  Overall for me, Benefit Hoola is my preferred shade and it is the one I find much easier to work with, the one I find easier to blend and the one that works better with my skin tone.

Aldi Lacura Aloha Bronzer retails for £5.99 when it is on sale and if you are curious, then it is well worth grabbing because it does work as a bronzer, it just takes a lot more effort when it comes to blending and building up coverages.  However, it is £20 cheaper than Benefit Hoola which currently retails for £26 (here) and of course, it is cruelty-free, which I know for some is the most important issue when choosing cosmetics.

So which swatch was which?  The answer can be found below - did you guess right?

Have you tried any of Aldi's beauty products before?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Aldi Lacura Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kit Dupe

It is well known now that I love a good Aldi Lacura beauty product and in recent months there has been some brilliant releases, from the exciting Sweet Angel Shower Gel, which may or may not be similar to Snow Fairy from Lush, Their BHA Toner which is aid to be similar to Paula's Choice, through to their Charlotte Tilbury inspired lip launches.  Today it is another inspired product and the Lacura Lip Kit.

Said to be inspired by the Kylie Cosmetics Matte Lip Kit, £28. Looking at the packaging, you can see that similarly just like Kylie Cosmetics, the Aldi Lacura version is housed in millennial pink packaging with the lip print and inside it contains two products a matte liquid lipstick and liner duo. 

Priced at just £4.99 each, there is a choice of three different shades, my local Aldi had just the one shade in stock and thankfully, the one I wanted in Nearly Nude, which is said o be inspired by the shade Kylie.  The other options are ‘Just Peachy’ which is similar to ‘Sweater Weather’ and then the shade ‘Velvet Sugar’ which is inspired by he shade Twenty’

As expected, both of these products are really impressive, described as having a long-lasting formula and of course it is Vegan.  

The liner which is more of a pinkier brown shade than it looks, glides onto the lips as thought it is a balm, it is so soft and smooth, easy to smudge if the need arises and it does wipe away if a mistake is made, but you need to do it before it settles.  However, what it does is create a great liner for your lips and it works well with other lipsticks too.

Then the liquid lipstick, I adore it, there ive said it.  It is bright, it is pigmented, it glides smoothly onto the lips without being taut and whilst it does dry down quite quickly, it is a definite liquid lipstick which some might want to add a gloss too, depending on which type of finish you like, But the colour is also slightly more Pink than its inspired offering, so something to have in mind.

As you can see from the swatches above, which are not edited, both the Lip Pencil and the Liquid Lip do give good colour pay off and they work with other products that you might have in your stash.

Each one of these Aldi Lacura lip kits is priced at £4.99 each and in comparison to the Kylie Cosmetic Lip Kits are priced around £28, it is quite the saving!  As with most Aldi Lacura products, if you spot them in the middle aisle, grab them as quickly as you can if you want to give them a try because they never hand around for long!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Aldi Lacura Cleansing Balm - Emma Hardie Dupe?

Aldi have a bit of a thing for creating dupes - from good and drink to homeware and beauty. The latest edition to their beauty line has created quite the stir because it is claimed to be a £6.99 dupe of this much-loved Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, which just so happens to be my favourite cleansing balm ever, so how does this version compare?

The Aldi description of their Lacura Cleansing Balm. reads: 

"Try an alternative luxury way of taking off your make-up with the Lacura Cleansing Balm. The lightweight formula is enriched with moringa oil, shea butter and cocoa butter. It transforms from a solid balm into a silky smooth oily texture to remove make-up and dirt leaving your skin deeply cleansed. Implement into your daily routine to help your skin feel balanced, refreshed and hydrated."

From the description alone it sounds pretty much like my beloved Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm with its Moringa Oil, the ingredient that gives the balm that most incredible scent. It is also a solid balm, like Emma Hardie and again when it comes into contact with water it transforms into a silky smooth oily texture - but this part is where Emma Hardie wins hands down because the formula is similar but it is not as good. From Aldi you get a texture which is much more oily and the balm isn’t as solid, the Moringa scent which is clearly noticeable when the lid of removed from the pot isn’t as strong but, and this is a big but, the Aldi Lacura version does do a pretty good job at removing that dirt, grime and other detritus from your skin, especially when used as a first cleanse and this includes waterproof mascara - including the most difficult to budge!

The hero ingredient, as you might expect is moringa oil and it is worthy of a mention because lol it is best known for its anti-inflammatory and collagen-building properties as a start and added to that, it is also said to help fight fine lines and wrinkles, it is suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive of skin and if that’s not enough it is also a great oil that addresses other skin issues such as pigmentation, soothing sunburned skin, healing scrapes, and burns. Aldi’s version also includes both Shea and Coconut Butter which leaves the skin feeling smooth, hydrated and nourished. 

How to use it? Massage a small amount into the palm of your hands and apply directly onto dry skin before rinsing off with water and removing the excess product using the cleansing cloth. Speaking of cloths, this one also comes with a dual sided microfibre muslin cloth which is designed to remove the Lacura Cleansing Balm and gently exfoliate and polish the skin - again, the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm also comes with one of the best cloths I have ever used and I seem to buy them a lot, but this cloth, well I didn’t hate it, given the price tag, but it isn’t as good, the texture of the cloth from Aldi isn’t as good on the skin, but it is a great back up to have if you should ever need a cloth and you’ve run out of your favourites.

Aldi beauty dupes have been some of my favourite discoveries - from Laneige and Elizabeth Arden to Nip + Fab and Pixi Aldi has offered similar products of the much loved iconic and cult brands and their products at a fraction of the cost and they sell out super quick, this Cleansing Balm sold out as quickly online as it went live and even finding it store has become quite tricky.

The Lacura Cleansing Balm is priced at £6.99 is definitely not something to sniff at, it does an alright job, you would absolutely love it without question if you haven’t tried Emma Hardie, but I’m an Emma Hardie fan and for me that cleansing balm cannot be duped or replaced, it is a firm favourite from the scent and the feel of the balm to being something I just want to bathe in from head to toe.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Aldi Lacura Launch Estée Lauder Dupe Range

Well it was going to happen and here it is! Aldi, with their Lacura brand has launched the ProNight Advance range which you could say is very much inspired by Estee Lauder.

It has now launched in stores and is expected to sell out, as all the Lacura launches do, especially as it is priced from just £4.99.

The ‘ProNight Advanced range’ which is dermatologically tested and boasts the perfect combination of natural and antioxidant-rich ingredients that work overnight to repair, hydrate and rejuvenate whilst reversing daytime sun damage.  It features three products and combined, are said to give you a saving of up to 90% compared to the  luxury brand, Estée Lauder!

Starting with the Lacura ProNight Advanced Face Cream (£5.99, 50ml), not only is it incredibly hydrating, but it is designed to rejuvenate the appearance of dull and dry skin. 

Formulated with ingredients that have moisture-binding properties, you will find  Shea Butter, Hyaluronic Acid and Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract (a form of seaweed/kelp) to reduce the look of wrinkles, dark circles and signs of ageing.  I have only been using this cream for a few days and what I like is the texture is not thick, greasy or tacky when applied to the skin, it is infact smooth and really hydrating, so I am looking forward to see how this works over the coming weeks.

Potential Dupe for the Estée Lauder Nightwear Plus Face Cream.

The second product within this range is the Lacura ProNight Advanced Face Serum (£5.99 30ml) and possibly the product most people will be curious about. 

Designed to promote younger looking, radiant skin, it has a lightweight, fast-absorbing formula which is enriched with Copper Peptides, Hyaluronic Acid and Allantoin for an all-in-one recovery complex that will soothe, moisten, and restore.  I am a huge fan of the Estée Lauder Night Serum and can't even count the number of bottles I have used over the years, so this product is definitely the one to catch my attention within this range.  It does have a dropper to help apply the right amount of serum and whilst the textures are different, with this one being slightly runnier, it does feel delightful on the skin and isn't sticky or tacky - a big issue I have with any serum!

Potential dupe for the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum

The final product within this trio is the Lacura ProAdvanced Eye Serum (£4.99, 20ml) and whilst I don’t have this in my collection, you can bet that I am intrigued to try it.

Enriched with Caffeine, Algae and Chamomile Flower Extract to rejuvenate and visibly reduce signs of ageing around the eyes, the ingredients are said to help improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles and age spots.   Again, Aldi have created their product with a dropper to help with the application of this serum and again, the description does state that it absorbs super quick into the skin on application.

Potential dupe for the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix

As you can see, this is an impressive looking range from Aldi 's in house Lacura brand and you might notice there is one huge difference - the packaging.  Not the same and possibly only similar with the bronze/brown coloured bottles of the serums.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Aldi Lacura Flawless Veil Translucent Powder - Laura Mercier Dupe?

You might have noticed that Aldi Lacura has released an impressive amount of products in recent weeks - the Flawless Coverage CC Cream and Vitabase Moisturising Primer to name two of them. Today I am back with another product and that is the Aldi Lacura Flawless Veil Translucent Powder.

As you might have guessed, the Aldi Lacura Flawless Veil Translucent Powder has been inspired by the much loved Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, which everyone, including myself, raves about.  The difference between Aldi and Laura Mercier is £4.99 v £34 which is quite the saving, but is the Aldi Flawless Veil Translucent Powder any good?

Well as always, the packaging is always a highly contentious debate and I don't think they are too similar this time, with the Aldi jar being matte white but with a shiny bronze, slightly domed lid.  Then with the powder, Laura Mercier prides herself on having a lightweight, exceptionally milled powder and it really is both of those, Aldi whilst being talc free, is slightly heavier, though still light enough that when applied you can barely notice it - that is once you have got the hang of applying it.

Right now in the heat, I am sure many of us are 'no makeup' and whilst I still wear tinted moisturiser, I tend to use a setting powder for those shiny face parts and with this powder, whilst there is no accompany powder puff, I instead use a small flat powder brush to dab it on to the areas I need to use it on.

What this powder doesn't do is make your skin look as though you have just placed it in a bowl of talcum powder (thankfully), it also doesn't have a scent to it either.  What it does do is mop up all that excess oil, keep the shine at bay and does a pretty good job at setting makeup.  

When it comes to how long it lasts, Laura Mercier claim their version sets makeup for up to 16 hours, how true that is I don't know because I don't ever wear makeup for that long and if I am going out in the evening, chances are I will re-apply my makeup anyway.  The Aldi Lacura version definitely lasts 4-5 hours, even in this heat before you need to re-apply and it also does a good job at blurring pores and imperfections, just as the Laura Mercier one does. 

At £4.99 this is a really good back-up if you are very much a Laura Mercier fan, definitely worth trying.  You can find it in stores from 28th July!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Aldi Lacura Miracle Cream

Aldi's ever-growing beauty line Lacura, is known for its classic take on those high end brands, whatever your view on that is, then that is fine, but for me, it is like a discovery of trying to find similar but better.

The latest additions to my collection is the Miracle Cream and the Miracle Oil, two products which you might think you have seen elsewhere, they definitely give those Elizabeth Arden Vibes if you quickly steal a glance, but that’s for me whether the similarities pretty much start and end. Today I am sharing the Lacura Miracle Cream.

The Miracle Cream is, as you might think a dupe for the 8 hour cream and at £4.49 v’s £30, it would be rude to pass up an opportunity to try it out. Described as being a skincare miracle when it comes to moisturising and protecting the skin, it has numerous uses and benefits which are listed as follows:

• Helps sooth dry skin
• Helps promote healthy skin, seals in moisture and protects the skin
• Aids the relief of irritation and redness
• Helps moisturise rough, dry and cracked heels
• Softens chapped lips
• Can be used to tame your brows

So an impressive list of things this cream is said to do and help with.

Inside the tube, the orange sap-lip cream, which is more of a salve has a definite floral scent to it, which differs to the Elizabeth Arden option, which has more of a medical scent to it.  On the skin, the cream is much thinner and less icky, which is definitely a plus point, a little goes quite a long way and once it has been absorbed, there is no trace left on the skin.

The ingredient list with this Miracle Cream is petrolatum, so it is the same as the other one in that regard and there is also the same inclusion of Salicylic Acid, Castor Oil, Corn Oil and Linalool though in a slightly different order and the ingredients list for the Lacura Miracle Cream is far longer. So, whilst both creams are what is termed ‘occlusive’ aka help to form a barrier against moisture loss, they also both contain vitamin E to improve hydration and act as an antioxidant.

How does it fair? I’m not a real fan of the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream, the texture is something I find really off-putting, if it was more like this, then I’d be much more of a fan, so given the option, I am going to choose this Aldi Lacura Miracle Cream every time. Since using it, there has been no irritation, redness and admittedly I’ve used it as more of a lip salve and a lotion for my elbows which became quite dry and I’m impressed with the results! Oh and it is cruelty free too and displays the leaping bunny on its packaging.

Always one to look out for in an Aldi middle aisle and for the price, it is more than worth trying! As with pretty much else that you will find from their beauty section.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.