Want to recreate the A-lister’s anti-ageing artillery on a shoestring? Swap high end for high street with our top beauty dupes
How much would purchasing the favourite products of an A-lister set you back? Around £2,000 if a picture shared by Catherine Zeta-Jones on her Instagram page is anything to go by.
Posting a snap of her face and body essentials, her cabinet boasts a covetable collection of all things high end beauty. Including a £288 face cream, a £418 neck cream and a £100 eye cream on its shelves, its combined price tag is regrettably more the makings of fantasy than reality for most bank balances. However, thanks to a bevy of budget brands stepping up in the last few years in the skincare stakes, it’s now possible to recreate such a collection for a fraction of the price.
From the £3.89 eye makeup remover we can’t live without to an £8 retinoid serum, here are our top blowout vs budget swaps (Catherine Zeta-Jones edition) that come in at £20 and under.
1. The eye cream
Catherine's pick: Natura Bisse The Cure Sheer Eye Cream , £100
Budget pick: Olay Eyes Ultimate Eye Cream , currently £16.66 at Boots (instead of £24.99)
Targeting dark circles, eye bags and crow’s feet, this new eye cream from Olay acts the perfect purse-friendly pick-me-up for tired eyes.
2. The face mist
Catherine's pick: Rhonda Allison Cucumber Spritz , £20
Budget pick: Jax Coco , £2.79
As cooling to sip on as it is as a spritz, simply pop into a spray bottle, refrigerate and pop into your handbag for instant refreshment when on the go.
MORE GLOSS: The Gloss Report - hydrating mists tried and tested
3. The Vitamin A serum
Catherine's pick: Rhonda Allison SynErgy A , £98
Budget pick: The Ordinary Advanced Retinoid 2% , £8
As innovative in their ingredient lists as they are in their price points, this skin treatment serum including two forms of retinoid acts as a small but mighty addition to many an anti-ageing artillery and is best for those who’ve already developed a tolerance to retinoid-containing products.
MORE GLOSS: Retinol & retinoids - the skin experts’ guide
4. The eye makeup remover
Catherine's pick: Lancome Bi-Facil cleanser , £21.50
Budget pick: Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Makeup Remover , £3.89
A budget beauty favourite of the GTG team’s, this cost-effective eye makeup remover dissolves both stubborn and waterproof makeup with ease, cares for eyelashes and forgoes the need to rub and tug day old eyeliner away.
5. The tinted face cream
Catherine's pick: Natura Bisse The Cure Sheer Face Cream SPF20 , £153
Budget pick: La Roche-Posay Effaclar BB Blur SPF20 , £16.50
Brilliant at subtly ‘blurring’ away visible pores and slight blemishes, this matte effect sheer cover-up scores full marks from us.
6. The super hydrating cream
Catherine's pick: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream , £70
Budget pick: Eucerin Anti-Age Hyaluron Filler Night Cream , £17.33 from Escentual
Containing two types of hyaluronic acid, this effective hydration booster leaves skin soft, supple and smooth the morning after a late night before. With the former created with ‘hungover skin’ in mind, the budget variation works as a pre-empter of sorts to make the most of the valuable hours of beauty sleep you do manage to get.
7. The hot cloth cleanser
Catherine's pick: Skyn Pure Cloud Hot Cloth Cleanser , £22.50
Budget pick: Sanctuary Spa Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser , £10
For a thorough deep clean for a face full of makeup, look no further than this creamy cleanser enriched with essential oils, cocoa butter, coconut and jojoba oil and soothing camomile.
MORE GLOSS: The best cleansers for dry skin
8. The anti-pigmentator
Catherine's pick: Sarah Chapman Skinesis 3 Skin Tone Perfecting Booster , £59
Budget pick: L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Renew Day Cream SPF25 , £19.99
Bank balance friendly pigmentation products are notoriously hard to find, but this anti-wrinkle and anti-dark spot high street find comes as a welcome boost to both skin tone and texture.
9. The face oil
Catherine's pick: Sunday Riley Flora Hydroactive Cellular Face Oil , £70
Budget pick: Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil , £19.50
A pint-sized anti-ageing hero, this cult favourite comes to the rescue of all manner of skin woes to leave complexions glowing.
10. The skin plumper
Catherine's pick: Natura Bisse Diamond Extreme Moisturiser , £288
Budget pick: Olay Regenerist 3 Point Day Cream with SPF30 , now £19.99 at Boots (but usually £29.99).
Containing skin strengthening niacinamide alongside a cocktail of hydrating and anti-ageing skin goodies, this daily moisturiser acts as an effective extra defense for face, neck and decolletage when it comes to protecting skin against environmental and external aggressors - plus it has an SPF of 30 as an added bonus. We're sold.