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Rachael Parnell

After discovering a consumer found out a supermarket was offering a recent beauty line that looked comparable to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

The shopper dashed to her closest shop to pick up the Lacura face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

The smooth blue container and gold lid of both creams look noticeably similar. And though she has not used the high-end cream, she says she's pleased by the dupe so far.

She has been purchasing lookalike products from high street stores and supermarkets for some time, and she's part of a trend.

More than a fourth of UK buyers state they've bought a skincare or makeup dupe. This jumps to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, based on a February survey.

Lookalikes are skincare products that imitate bigger name labels and present affordable alternatives to luxury products. They typically have alike labels and design, but occasionally the formulas can vary substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Always Superior'

Beauty specialists say many substitutes to luxury brands are reasonable quality and aid make beauty routines more affordable.

"I don't think higher-priced is invariably better," states skin specialist one expert. "Not every affordable product line is inferior - and not all premium skincare product is the top."

"Some [dupes] are truly amazing," notes a skincare commentator, who runs a program about public figures.

A lot of of the items modeled on high-end brands "disappear so rapidly, it's just insane," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry argues alternatives are fine to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and cleansers.

"These products will be effective," he explains. "These items will handle the fundamentals to a acceptable degree."

Another skin doctor, suggests you can save money when seeking single-ingredient products like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be okay in using a dupe or a product which is fairly inexpensive because there's not much that can be problematic," she explains.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Packaging'

Yet the professionals also advise buyers do their research and state that costlier items are at times worth the premium price.

With luxury beauty products, you're not just funding the label and marketing - often the higher cost also stems from the ingredients and their standard, the strength of the effective element, the research employed to produce the item, and studies into the item's performance, she says.

Beauty expert she suggests it's worth questioning how certain dupes can be sold so cheaply.

In some cases, she states they could contain filler ingredients that do not provide as significant advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as high-quality.

"The major uncertainty is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she says.

Podcast host Scott notes in some cases he's bought beauty products that appear comparable to a big-name brand but the product itself has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

"Do not be sold by the container," he warned.

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Regarding potent products or those with components that can inflame the skin if they're not made correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, Dr Bhate suggests selecting research-backed companies.

The expert states these probably have been subjected to costly tests to assess how efficacious they are.

Beauty items need to be tested before they can be sold in the UK, explains skin doctor another professional.

If the brand states about the effectiveness of the item, it requires evidence to back it up, "but the manufacturer doesn't always have to do the testing" and can alternatively reference studies done by different firms, she clarifies.

Examine the Label of the Pack

Are there any ingredients that could signal a product is low-quality?

Components on the back of the container are ordered by amount. "The baddies that you should be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up