Craving & Saving: AW15 beauty must-haves
By Laura Mills
I don’t know about you, but I tend to find that I always want to buy more makeup around this time of the year. I’m not sure whether it’s due to colder nights or the constant Christmas collections being released, but there’s something about the autumn and winter seasons that just make me want to stock up on berry and plum shades with lashings of glitter and shimmer thrown in. However, with Christmas just around the corner, and the next loan instalment still two months away (boo), money can be a little tighter than it was in September. To lend a helping hand, I’ve chosen some of this season’s hottest makeup picks and found bargain dupes for them—meaning you can afford to treat yourself to a few extra goodies.
1. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in ‘Glastonberry’ vs. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in ‘Copenhagen’
Ahh… the perfect berry lip shade that everyone is lusting after at this time of year. The beauty bloggers’ fave—and possibly the most beautiful-looking lipstick I’ve ever seen—the award goes to this Charlotte Tilbury number. However, at £23 per lippy, it’s practically a week’s worth of food (or a Warehouse Project ticket). Nevertheless, NYX have a similar shade in the form of their Soft Matte Lip Cream in ‘Copenhagen’. Although it’s not an exact dupe, it’s pretty similar, and it will still give you that dreamy berry shade that you’ve been dreaming of. NYX has recently been stocked on Boots online, so it is now really easy to get a hold of. Plus, at £5.50 a tube, it won’t break the bank.
Saving: £17.50.
Craving, £23 Photo: Charlotte Tilbury Saving, £5.50 Photo: Feel Unique2. Urban Decay Naked Palettes vs. Makeup Revolution Iconic Palettes
Now these have to be the best dupes I have ever found. The ‘Iconic 1’ is a perfect dupe for the first Naked palette, ‘Iconic 2’ matches the 2nd, and ‘Iconic 3’ is a replica of the 3rd. Not only are the colours in each palette in the exact same order they appear in the Naked palettes, but they are also of similar quality and have an equally great colour payoff. At just £4 per palette, you can afford to buy all three beauty products—even before your next loan comes in—and the variety of shades will see you through every possible look you may want to try this holiday season. Sure, the packaging isn’t as pretty, but with a £34 saving you can’t really complain. So, before asking for your favourite Naked palette for Christmas, I’d highly recommend giving these a try. You can get 9.5 palettes for the price of one Naked palette—you know it makes sense.
Saving: £34.
Craving, £38 Photo: Debenhams Saving, £4 Photo: Makeup Revolution3. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in ‘Mood Exposure’ vs. Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in ‘Nude Mauve’
My favourite blush for this time of year has got to be this beautiful plum shade blush from Hourglass. It just looks so perfect with a berry lip! However, at £28 a blush, it’s not exactly student-friendly. But never fear, for Max Factor have coughed up a very similar colour in the form of ‘Nude Mauve’ for just £8.99. They both have a marbled effect to them, which gives you a lovely mix of colour and glow. This shade is also perfect for giving you that natural flush look that everyone desires. Again, the packaging has got nothing on the Hourglass one, but once it’s on your cheeks, you’re not going to be looking at what packaging it comes in.
Saving: £19.01.
Craving, £28 Photo: Liberty Saving, £8.99 Photo: SuperdrugThat’s a grand total saving of £70.51! What’s not to love?