Please help me find budget dupes for my skincare/make up staples

[professionalnomad]

Having just bought a car I need to be a little bit more thoughtful about my spending over the next couple of months.

The time is coming very close for me to restock key items in my routine which does tend towards the more mid-range/high end. I would love to know if there are more affordable dupes that are equally effective out there!

FYI, I live in Istanbul so Boots/British based brands or Aldi/Lidl are not an option for me. I have dry skin and am 37.

However I do have access to a Sephora and most of the big global brands.

PRIMER:
At the moment I use Bobbi Brown Primer Plus Protection which is SPF 50++. I love this so if I need to bite the bullet to continue using this I'm okay with it. I can't imagine there is a high street alternative that makes my skin look so refreshed and smooth, holds my makeup all day and gives me sun protection. However, I'm okay to be proved wrong!

CLEANSING BALM:
I use Clinque's Take the Day off. I tried to save money by buying Darphin's Aromatic Cleansing Balm and I really dislike it. It is too heavily fragranced so it stings my eyes and doesn't really melt my make up off. So I went back to Clinique. It lasts ages and really does melt makeup off with the smallest amount without stripping all the moisture out of my skin and I love that it is unfragranced. I need a cleansing balm because I do a full face of makeup every day for work.

SETTING SPRAY:
Again, I need my makeup to last at work. I use the Urban Decay All nighter but I go through it quickly and is it expensive. It does work very well though.

EYESHADOW PRIMER:
Urban Decay Primer Potion - I tried a high street alternative once from GOSH cosmetics and it really wasn't very good.

FOUNDATION:
My favourite is Boots Hydraluminous which I bring back from the UK. Unfortunately, they have quite a restricted shade range so I can get my summer colour (Deeply Honey) but they don't have my winter shade. I therefore use Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua which is the closest I have found. However, it is expensive, not as radiant and it tends to patch off quite quickly and cling to dry bits of my skin.

Looking forward to receiving responses from the S&B hive mind! Thank you in advance to anyone who replies with suggestions.

I think you need to add more brands available to your list, eg do you have l'oreal maybelline the body shop etc

Yes
I have all the main global brands
L'Oreal
Maybelline
Nyx
Elf
Makeup Revolution
Rimmel
Revlon
All the French Pharmacy brands
All the brands you find in Sephora (pretty much every luxury brand)

The main ones I don't have are...
The Ordinary
Anything from Superdrug or Boots own brands
Anything from Aldi or Lidl own brands

Sorry
I have the Body Shop and Yves Rocher as well

Body shop Camomile cleansing balm in a tin is amazing for melting make up away.

If you can source IT Cosmetics, check out their cc+ creams. Multi-function cream, but does full coverage, spf50, hydration etc.. about £20 on Amazon, not sure about from places like Sephora.

Do you have Kiko? I love their products. Great range of products and prices.

@MakeMineALarge1
That's a great idea
I have a 15% off voucher as well so may try ordering this

@BinkySodPlop
Unfortunately not here yet although they do say IT Cosmetics is coming to Sephora soon....

@MakeMineALarge1
We definitely have Kiko
Do you recommend their foundations and primers? Do they have a setting spray?

I have used their setting spray, can't say I was overly impressed, but I haven't used one before so not sure what I was expecting.
I have just bought their primer
www.feelunique.com/p/KIKO-MILANO-Hydra-Pro-Glow-50ml?curr=GBP&gclid=Cj0KCQiAvJXxBRCeARIsAMSkApo7ObxDrfwxl8CpA8N1am9Zjk5jlLZB7y4FuVuoFBZm5od-_k5HnRkaAkKpEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I haven't tried their foundation as yet, but I have loads of their nail varnish, lipgloss and eyeshadow pencils. The staff are great and there always seems to be a sale on.

Just realised that is a link to a moisturiser, sorry, the primer is in the same packaging but I can't find it online

If you can get Cetaphil, their cleanser is great.

Nyx for eyeshadow primer. I've heard their setting spray is good too, but never used it.

Loreal True Match foundation is very good.

I use NYX setting spray; I don't notice any difference to urban decay which I used to use. My fave foundation is Bourjois Healthy Mix. It's difficult to get in the UK now but you might still have access to it.

I sometimes think cheaper alternatives are a bit of a false economy though especially if you've found a product that works for you - for me that's Laura Mercier powder.

Kiko are amazing - I have their crayon eye shadow (such a find, and so easy to apply). I also have their eyebrow "mascara" which is a coloured gel to fill in and tame eyebrows all in one (a super of Benefit I think or some other expensive brand and it is fab). Their lipsticks are gorgeous (I say this as a Chanel and BB devotee - they have the best nude I found on the high street). I haven't tried their foundation but DD has and she loves it.

I'd eke out what you have, and ask for beauty vouchers for birthdays etc. If you really love those specific products then it could be a false economy buying 'dupes' that you end up giving away because you don't get on with them.

Do you have any friends or family in the UK who could send you a boots/superdrug parcel?

Unfortunately the tax on imports makes it financially unviable.
I think I will order the Camomile butter from the Body Shop and I've also heard good things about the NYX setting spray so will try that too. I think I've used True Match from L'Oreal in the past and was pretty happy with it so may go and give it another go.

I don't mind using things up even if I'm not in love with them. I wear enough make up that it isn't too long until I replace it,

NYX is the better of the budget brands you've listed. The setting spray and eye shadow primers are very good, palette eye shadows are weak but sigle ones are good, mascara, eye liner etc. are all good. I've found there primers so-so but I don't like using primer in general, certainly no different from others I've tried. If you have a NYX store you can try samples of everything and sometimes they'll help you.

For foundation it's trial and error with drugstores, or hit the beauty counters and find The One. I insist on going outside to see it in daylight, which also gets me away from high pressure sales if I'm unsure.

The best cleansers are Cetaphile or Cerve hydrating gel face washes.

Kiko is a good shout - I’ve recently swapped my loose powder from Laura Mercier to theirs and my eyebrow pencil from Mac to theirs too.

Although I love Laura Mercier primer, I’m using a Max Factor multi function one that’s actually doing quite well - not so much staying power but my skin looks less dry with it.

Just stick to what you're already happy with.

Chances are you'll spend more £££ on lots of cheap items you don't end up using, costing you even more money in the long run.

I've bought the L'Oreal foundation, stuck to my Bobbi Brown primer, the NYX setting spray (they didn't have any eyeshadow primer in stock) and the body shop camomile butter yesterday.

I tried it all today and so far I'm very happy with everything and easily have saved myself about 50 - 60 pounds.

Thank you for all the recommendations.