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Splurge or Save Beauty Products - Help me Decide
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items I’m always stuck between wanting the expensive version… and thinking surely there’s a cheaper one that does the same thing.
But at the same time, I really don’t want to fall into the whole “buy cheap, buy twice” situation — I’d rather just get it right first time.
So this list is basically me doing the digging so you don’t have to.
I’ve put the “splurge” version everyone talks about next to a cheaper alternative that looks like it could do the same job.
Most of the cheaper ones are from Amazon purely because of the reviews — it’s just the easiest place to actually see what people think before buying.
I haven’t tried these yet, so I’m genuinely curious… are the dupes actually just as good or is the expensive one worth it?
If you’ve tried any of them let me know — I’m very easily influenced.
But at the same time, I really don’t want to fall into the whole “buy cheap, buy twice” situation — I’d rather just get it right first time.
So this list is basically me doing the digging so you don’t have to.
I’ve put the “splurge” version everyone talks about next to a cheaper alternative that looks like it could do the same job.
Most of the cheaper ones are from Amazon purely because of the reviews — it’s just the easiest place to actually see what people think before buying.
I haven’t tried these yet, so I’m genuinely curious… are the dupes actually just as good or is the expensive one worth it?
If you’ve tried any of them let me know — I’m very easily influenced.
Sections
2
Skincare Products
Self-Care Upgrades
Skincare Products
I love trying new skincare and usually go off recommendations, so these are the products I keep seeing everywhere. But instead of jumping straight to the splurge, I’ve been looking for more affordable dupes that give a similar result. Let me know if ...
This is the splurge side of this pair - I’ve matched it with the HKH capsules. It works out at about £1 per capsule, compared to the save options 50p so I'd want it to be twice as good.
SPLURGE - Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules
This is my cheaper alternative to the Elizabeth Arden capsules. Works out at about 50p per capsule (so literally half the price). Reviews are still really solid, so it feels like a really good value option.
SAVE – HKH Retinol Serum Capsules
This is the splurge side of this pair — I’ve matched it with the mixsoon one. It’s one of those cult products people always go back to, and all my friends recommend.
SPLURGE – ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
It took me a while to find a cleanser I felt lived up to the hype of Elemis but this one has similar ingredients and reviews at a fraction of the prices
SAVE – mixsoon Collagen Cleansing Balm
I’ve actually bought this a few times and I love it… it’s just so good. It’s one of those moisturisers that just sinks in, makes your skin feel really hydrated and glowy, and works under makeup as well. But for my bank account… I probably need to fin...
SPLURGE: Clinique Moisture Surge
So when I started looking for a dupe for the Clinique one, this kept coming up again and again. For the price it just feels like it’s worth a go - loads of reviews, really good ratings, and it’s that same kind of lightweight, hydrating gel texture. F...
SAVE: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Face Cream
This is one I see recommended everywhere and it’s meant to be amazing for hydration and that plump, glowy skin look. But the price is definitely on the higher side… so I went looking for a more affordable option that gives a similar effect without th...
SPLURGE: Estée Lauder Night Repair Serum
This is a dupe for the Estée Lauder serum and it’s about 75% cheaper… which instantly got my attention the, reviews on Amazon are really positive as well, so for the price it feels like a no-brainer to try first.
SAVE: Revolution Pro Miracle Night Rescue Serum
Charlotte Tilbury is one of those brands people say is “undupable” — and I do think some of their products are 100% worth the money. BUT when I read the reviews for the e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter (which is meant to be a dupe for this) and saw it’...
SPLURGE: Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter
Charlotte Tilbury is meant to be “undupable” - and I do think some products are worth the splurge. BUT theI saw the e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter is over 60% cheaper and still has a 4.4⭐ rating with nearly 20K reviews on Amazon…
SAVE: e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter
This is the splurge side of this pair — I’ve matched it with the Ziaja one. It’s all over the place for dry, sensitive skin and people rave about how hydrating it is. Definitely feels like a proper high-end skincare buy.
SPLURGE – Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturiser
This is my cheaper alternative to the Kate Somerville moisturiser. I saw a review saying “I was paying for high end creams NEVER AGAIN” and that kind of sold me 😅 Loads of good reviews, smells lush apparently, and feels like one of those hidden gems...
SAVE – Ziaja Goat’s Milk Night Cream
Self-Care Upgrades
These are the more expensive self-care upgrades I’ve been eyeing up as I get closer to 40… things like LED masks, sunrise alarm clocks, heatless curlers and wellness bits that just make you feel better overall. They’re not essentials, but the kind of...
Everyone’s heard of this… but the price definitely makes your eyes water 😅 This is the splurge side of this pair - I’ve matched it with the TYMO curler. It’s one of those tools people swear by and feels like a proper all-in-one, high-end hair invest...
SPLURGE – Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler
I’ve always wanted a Dyson Airwrap but I just can’t justify the price 😅 I’ve been doing a bit of research on dupes and I keep coming back to this one… the reviews are actually really good and it’s SO much cheaper. It’s a 7-in-1 as well so you can cu...
SAVE: 7MAGIC 7-in-1 Air Styler
I’ve heard so much about sunrise clocks and this is the more expensive one I’ve paired with the cheaper Lumie version. They’re both the same brand and pretty similar ratings, but this one is a lot more. It does have more features and it’s actually ce...
SPLURGE – Lumie Bodyclock Glow 150
This is the cheaper version I’ve matched with the Glow 150. Same brand, still really good reviews (amazon best seller), and it does the main things you’d want from a sunrise clock without all the extras. Feels like a good option if you just want to t...
SAVE: Lumie Sunrise Alarm
This is the splurge side of this pair — I’ve matched it with the LifePro one. It’s £629 which is a lot, but it has won loads of awards. This is the one you see all over wellness pages and it definitely has that “luxury health” feel.
SPLURGE: HigherDOSE Infrared Sauna Blanket
This is my cheaper alternative to the HigherDOSE one. Still not cheap, but at £277 it’s a lot less for what looks like a really similar setup. Good reviews, same kind of benefits, so it feels like one of those where you’re paying a lot extra for the ...
SAVE – LifePro Infrared Sauna Blanket