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Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper learned a discounter was launching a recent beauty line that appeared akin to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

She hurried to her closest outlet to buy the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its streamlined blue packaging and gold top of the two creams look strikingly comparable. And though Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she says she's satisfied by the product so far.

Rachael has been buying beauty alternatives from popular shops and supermarkets for some time, and she's in good company.

Over a quarter of UK buyers state they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This increases to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, as per a recent survey.

Lookalikes are skincare products that mimic bigger name labels and offer budget-friendly substitutes to premium items. These products often have similar names and packaging, but sometimes the formulas can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Beauty specialists contend certain alternatives to luxury brands are good standard and aid make skincare less expensive.

"In my opinion costlier is invariably superior," says consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not all budget skincare brand is inferior - and not all premium skincare product is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are truly amazing," says a skincare commentator, who hosts a podcast featuring famous people.

Numerous of the items inspired by luxury labels "sell out so fast, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry argues alternatives are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"These products will serve a purpose," he comments. "These items will do the essentials to a reasonable level."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can save money when you're looking for single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be alright in opting for a lookalike or something which is very affordable because there's very little that can go wrong," she says.

'Don't Be Sold by the Box'

However the professionals also suggest buyers check details and note that more expensive items are occasionally worth the premium price.

Regarding luxury beauty products, you're not only covering the label and promotion - sometimes the higher price also is due to the ingredients and their grade, the potency of the effective element, the technology employed to create the item, and trials into the item's effectiveness, the expert notes.

Beauty expert another professional argues it's valuable questioning how some alternatives can be sold so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she says they may contain filler ingredients that do not provide as numerous advantages for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

"One big question mark is 'How is it so cheap?'" she says.

Commentator Scott admits on occasion he's bought beauty products that look comparable to a established label but the actual formula has "little similarity to the premium version".

"Do not be fooled by the outer appearance," he warned.

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Regarding more complicated items or those with ingredients that can irritate the complexion if they're not formulated accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, she suggests selecting research-backed brands.

She states these will likely have been subjected to comprehensive trials to assess how effective they are.

Skincare products need to be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, notes skin doctor another professional.

When the company advertises about the performance of the product, it requires evidence to verify it, "however the seller does not necessarily have to conduct the testing" and can alternatively use testing done by different brands, she clarifies.

Examine the Label of the Bottle

Are there any components that could signal a product is poor?

Components on the label of the container are ordered by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to avoid… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up