Written by Clémence Rubiella | Published on 04 August 2023 | Skincare
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Dear readers,
Once you love a skin care product, I know how hard it is to give it up for the sake of trying something new or even just wanting to change. We stick to what we love and know works for us. But when the price tag is high, it hurts a little bit every time we make a repurchase. So why not try some Korean dupes? For half or even one-third of the price of your favourite product, you can get the same effects. Let's have a look at some of the product highlights of several beauty brands and their Korean dupes.
Dupes recommendations:
Lip Oils: Dior Lip Glow Oil in Cherry ($40) vs Missha Superfood Lip Oil in Berry ($5)
Serum: Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum ($125) vs Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule 5X ($23)
Moisturizer: Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Omega Rich Cloud Cream ($60) vs Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream ($18)
Peeling Solution: The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution ($10) vs SoNatural Red Peel Tingle Serum ($32)
Facial Oil: Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil ($25) vs Huxley Secret of Sahara Oil: Light and More ($23)
1. Lip Oil
Dior and its Lip Glow Oils have received a lot of attention in the past year and it is understandable why, although I am personally not a fan of it. If we omit to look at the ridiculous price for 6ml of product, what we are left with is a very sheer, scented lightweight lip oil. Let's be honest, we can find a lot better and cheaper options on the beauty market. Missha offers the same quantity of a beautifully balanced lip oil that truly hydrates and is slightly more pigmented than the Dior one. It has a berry scent that is most agreeable. The applicators are very similar and it looks so glossy on your lips. Long-wear as well. So please, give the Missha Superfood Lip Oil a chance, you won't regret it.
2. Serum
The Estee Lauder night serum has been around for more than 40 years and was reformulated only once back in 2020 to include some new ingredients. There is no denying the success this night serum had over the years and is still very much loved and used by many people. It is suitable for all skin types but mature skin is most loving it. Being in my 20s, I did not notice any difference week after week of using this product diligently. Let's not even talk about the price tag. Not sure what ingredients inside justifies such a high price, to be honest. In Korea, the Missha Night Repair Ampoule 5X is somewhat of a common gift to make for mothers or mature women. And its popularity is widely spread amongst men and younger generations. After a few weeks, your skin does look firmer and has a natural glow from within. For one-fifth of the Estee Lauder serum, it is worth giving it a try.
3. Moisturizer
Again for this moisturizer, it is the same dilemma as for the Estee Lauder serum. Kiehls famous midnight blue cream is remarkable for its skin benefits, a plumper skin when you wake up. But for less than half of the price, Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream does the same for your skin. It contains chamomile that helps soothe dry, inflamed skin and promote cell regeneration. As for the centella extract, it heals irritations and blemishes by strengthening the skin barrier and helping regenerate new skin cells. You genuinely feel the soothing when you apply this cream, almost instantaneously. And when you wake up, your skin feels so fresh.
4. Peeling Solution
This is the only Korean dupe product that is more expensive than the original. The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution was not available during my time in Korea so I had to turn to alternatives. I believe it was due to a concentration regulation from the authorities. The Ordinary Peeling Solution is a brilliant product, effective and affordable for exfoliating the skin and brightening up the complexion. But the SoNatural Red Peel Tingle Serum is such an amazing K-dupe. They only have one difference between those 2 products, for the rest they are 100% similar, which is that the SoNatural serum feels more gentle on the skin when you leave the serum on for a few minutes. So if you find the Ordinary peeling serum too aggressive for your skin type, you can try the Korean SoNatural Peel serum.
5. Facial Oil
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