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The Aldi beauty products that are (and aren’t) worth your money
We put the hyped up products to the test
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Aldi’s Lacura beauty range has been the talk of the internet for quite some time now. Recent launches include a £14.99 hair dryer that bears a strong resemblance to the Dyson supersonic, as well as a £5.99 alternative to baccarat rouge 540. But our attention is firmly on the range of skincare and make-up.
The budget-friendly supermarket has restocked a whole host of popular products that are rumoured to rival Weleda, Elemis, Sol de Janeiro and Kylie Cosmetic. True to form, people are flocking to the famous middle aisle for the coveted budget beauty buys.
The question is, how do the products fare? We got our beauty writer on the job, putting the Lacura rich moisturising cream (£3.99, Aldi.co.uk), tropical essence booty balm (£4.99, Aldi.co.uk), lip kit (£4.49, Aldi.co.uk) and illuminating priming moisturiser (£4.99, Aldi.co.uk) to the test.
Keep reading to discover our honest thoughts, including the products that wowed us and the ones we wouldn’t spend our money on.
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How we tested
Testing the primer, balm, moisturiser and lip kit for a full day’s wear, we paid attention to scents (noting if they were familiar with premium alternatives), textures, their feel on skin/lips and wear/effectiveness throughout the day.
For the lip kit, we hoping for an even solid colour which left a moisturising feel throughout the day.
For the booty balm, we assessed the scent and whether it had a hydrating feel. When testing the rich cream, we wanted a dry skin saviour that was capable of reviving flakiness and dry patches without leaving a greasy residue. Lastly, the primer needed to quench any remaining dryness post-moisturise, leave a desirable dew and reduce excess shine. Keep reading for how they faired.
Aldi Lacura tropical essence booty balm
- Best: Body moisturiser
- Size: 250ml
- Key ingredients: Revitalising guarana extract, coconut oil, water, glycerin and anti-ageing benzoic acid
- Cruelty-free: Yes
- Fragranced: Yes
- Why we love it
- Smell is less overpowering than its luxury Sol de Janeiro inspiration
- Thick, whipped-like consistency
- Doesn’t feel sticky
From the ingredients to the skin-softening effects, we were wowed by this booty balm. Despite having a thick, whipped-like consistency, it felt almost weightless on the skin and absorbed quickly, without leaving a sticky residue.
The scent is lighter than the likes of Sol de Janeiro’s £40 bum bum cream, making it arguably more wearable. As for the pink and orange packaging, it certainly packs a punch.
Aldi Lacura moisturing cream
- Best: For very dry skin
- Size: 75ml
- Key ingredients: Lanolin, water, glycerin and skin barrier-repairing sunflower seed oil
- Cruelty-free: Yes
- Fragranced: Yes
- Why we love it
- Smells heavenly
- Would make a good cream for decolletage, cracked heels or really flaky skin
- Take note
- Too oily for under make-up
While our tester has oily skin, they reached out to the wider IndyBest team to ask if they felt the cream was a fitting pick for dryer skin types. Across the 10-plus person team, we universally agreed that the cream left too shiny a finish for most skin types, terming the formula better for flaky skin, decolletage moisturising and cracked heels. One big plus? It does smell lovely and citrusy and, in this area, makes a good affordable alternative to Weleda skin food.
Aldi Lacura lip kit
- Best: Lip kit
- Size: 1 x 2.4ml lipstick and 1 x 1.2g lip liner
- Key ingredients: UV protecting benzyl salicylate, silica, wax and conditioning phenyl trimethicone
- Cruelty-free: Yes
- Fragranced: Yes
- Why we love it
- Lovely, even coverage
- Colour in nearly nude is very flattering
- Lip liner is a star
- Take note
- Liquid lipstick feels very drying
While we were initially sceptical of this lip duo from Lacura (said to be an affordable alternative to Kylie’s lip kits), we were unbelievably impressed with the quality of the two products, especially the liner.
Both products applied seamlessly, with the liquid lipstick having a cupcake-y scent. The liquid lipstick did, admittedly, feel very drying on the lips and ever so slightly uncomfortable, but it didn’t budge in the slightest. Plus, we’ve previously found the Kylie lip kits to conjure this same dry feeling upon application. In essence, if you’re a fan of Kylie, we think you shouldn’t miss out on this affordable alternative.
Aldi Lacura illuminating priming moisturiser
- Best: For a primer
- Size: 50ml
- Key ingredients: Water, redness-soothing black tea ferment and skin barrier-repairing sativa seed oil
- Cruelty-free: Yes
- Fragranced: Yes
- Why we love it
- Leaves a flattering and dewy glow
- Feels lightweight on the skin
- Take note
- Packaging is rather uninspiring
For dry to combination skin types, we found this illuminating primer to be flattering under make-up, leaving our skin looking and feeling plump and hydrated. The formula has a subtle shimmer, making it a good addition for evening make-up especially. It’s perhaps slightly too oily for shiny-prone skin, and the packaging is a little basic, but we can’t complain for less than £5. A top pick that certainly gives Elemis a run for its money.
The verdict: Aldi’s Lacura beauty
All in all, our tester was very impressed with the Lacura collection’s summer product refresh, finding the booty balm a skincare sensation and the priming moisturiser a 10/10 affordable beauty alternative. Whether you’re an Elemis fanatic or a Sol de Janeiro cult purchaser, we can’t recommend these products enough, even if you’re not on a money-saving mission. The lip kit also offers buyers a budget opportunity to sample similar results to its Kylie Cosmetics counterpart. As for the rich cream, we recommend saving your money – Weleda wins this time.