Organic Beauty Dupes for Cult Beauty Products

Love these cult beauty products? Great, but they’re not clean…. Why not try some organic beauty dupes instead?

By Maryan Abdinur

You’ll see them in every mainstream fashion magazine imaginable. Their marketing campaigns are seemingly endless, and their advertising is impeccable. But often, top selling cult  beauty products are absolutely loaded with harmful chemicals. Chemicals that have been associated with everything from skin and eye irritations to cancer and other serious diseases. No wonder there’s a growing number of beauty companies 100% dedicated to using natural ingredients in their products!

Unfortunately though, these brands may be  harder to find. That’s because the companies are smaller and can’t afford to bombard consumers with their messages in larger magazines. But as a beauty pro who has tried and tested many organic and natural brands, I can assure you that these are often on par with, if not better, than their better known counterparts.

Here, we’ve listed some of the most frequently bought chemical cosmetics, and have carefully thought about which natural alternatives are close to the brand, if not better. But don’t take our word for it – try these organic beauty dupes yourself!

Clean Beauty Swaps For Popular Beauty Products

1. Instead of YSL Lipsticks

Axiology Beauty Lipsticks

YSL lipsticks are synonymous with bold lips, great colours and “silky and sensual” textures. Disappointingly, the attractive descriptors fail to mention the load of harsh chemicals we’re exposed to in the name of the shades we love. Synthetic colorants derived  from petroleum or coal-tar are especially concerning, as they can expose us to hard metals which accumulate in our bodies.

Fortunately, there is a beautifully packaged green alternative. Axiology saves us from having to forego bold lips forever. Their lipsticks use only natural minerals, including iron oxides, mica and titanium dioxide, to achieve beautiful colours.

Vegan and cruelty-free, Axiology ethically sources all of its plant based ingredients, and is an active voice in the movement against conflict palm oil.

Price: Around $15

2. Instead of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

True Organic of Sweden, All You Need Is Me Cream

Eight Hour Cream is heralded as being “the” lightly scented, go-to product for dry skin. It works on heels, cuticles, dry elbows and even lips. But guess what? The Elizabeth Arden classic is packed with chemicals, including petrolatum. A whopping 56.8%, in fact! That’s basically just Vaseline!

There’s also mineral oil, fragrance and propylparaben, a preservative than can act as a hormone disruptor. The formulation is akin to paying for some expensive Vaseline with a laundry list of harmful irritants, allergens and toxins to boot.

In addition, sadly, Elizabeth Arden’s place on PETA‘s List of  Companies that Do Test on Animals. For us, that’s another reason to bin the cult cream we once loved.

Not so for All You Need Is Me from True Organic Sweden.

Super intense and multi-purpose, the Swedes have got it right with this one. It’s seriously one of those organic beauty dupes that’s almost exactly the same as the original Arden product. But way healthier!

A little goes a long way and the 50mL tube is free of mineral oil, silicones, and alcohol. The natural balm is made up of 95% certified organic ingredients including castor oil, beeswax, olive oil, shea butter, vitamin E, blueberry seed oil and sunflower oil. That’s it!

And it protects your skin even better than the EA Cream does, seriously.

Price: Around $25

 

3. Instead of Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair

Oskia Super 16 Serum  

Estee Lauder  Night Repair Serum is marketed as a magical anti-aging product targeting lines and wrinkles. The formula is fragrance free however still receives an alarming 8 on EWG’s Skin Deep database. Its key ingredients, including BHT, Oxtinoxate and Retinyl Palmitate, are all flagged for serious health concerns. Estee Lauder also features on PETA’s  Companies That Do Test on Animals, so the serum can’t be classified as cruelty free.

On the other hand, Oskia’s Super 16  serum is cruelty-free, but that’s not all. It boasts a fusion of 16 super nutrients and bioactive ingredients which address multiple ageing concerns. In addition to multiple sea based ingredients, this serum also contains an innovative ingredient called Bakuchiol, which is derived from Indian Babchi Seeds (historically used to heal cuts). This new ingredient works much like Retinol, and Bakuchiol also reverses signs of ageing and prevents future skin damage.

The  serum itself has a light, naturally derived floral scent. It’s absorbed instantly, and feels silky smooth on the skin. The pipet ensures you don’t waste a drop, and skin feels velvety soft immediately after use.

But the true anti-ageing effects come with continued use. In fact, this product has won multiple awards for its effectiveness, and is a perfect choice for anti-ageing serum lovers who want a more natural, ethical product.

Price: Around $99

 

4. Instead of Chanel No 5

One Seed: Freedom

Classic scents define us when we enter a room, and Chanel No 5  is arguably the world’s most iconic perfume. Since its development almost a century ago, the formula of Chanel No. 5 hasn’t changed much. Whilst we love a classic scent, we’d prefer to take a pass on the toxic ingredient list.

Thankfully there’s a cruelty-free natural brand that creates  captivating scents without the harsh chemicals. One Seed from Australia designs, formulates and handcrafts 100% natural perfumes from their Adelaide studio. The boutique perfumery eschews synthetic chemicals for plant and flower extract blends  free from petrochemicals, solvents, dyes, alcohol, and pesticides.

While nothing is exactly the same as Chanel No. 5, One Seed’s Freedom Eau de Parfum is one of those organic beauty dupes that comes close. It features some of the same notes, such as rose, sandalwood, (plant derived) musk, and ylang ylang.

With prices starting at $15, why not give it a try?

Price: From $15 for a small bottle

 

5. Instead of  NARS Blush in Orgasm

Nabla Blossom Blush

Cosmetics lovers, MUA’s and beauty bloggers have raised NARS Blush in Orgasm to cult status. So much so that despite the hefty price tag, the single swatch compact seemingly flies off beauty shelves. This could be because the peachy-pink shade is almost universally flattering on different skin complexions. Plus, flecks of shimmery gold lend a luminous glow we love.

However, NARS Blush  is made up of a number of preservatives and colour additives. These are linked to organ system toxicity, allergies and skin, lung and eye irritations. Particularly concerning are the presence of parabens. Methylparaben, Propylparaben and Butylparaben to be exact.

Luckily, Nabla’s Blossom Blush is an all-natural option that is in almost the same hue as the NARS favourite. It applies smooth and buttery just like NARS does, and delivers the same gorgeous pigmentation.

Although you’re paying roughly the same price as the NARS blush, you’re not getting cheap synthetic compounds – it’s all about the mineral pigments and plant-based nutrients, here.

Price: $18

6. Instead of Creme de la Mer

Arbu Black The Cream – Rose/Jasmin/Caviar

It’s long been a celeb fave. But here’s a shocking fact about Creme de la Mer: this (animal tested) cult cream contains not one, not two, but FIVE of the 12 most toxic ingredients in cosmetics listed on the Environmental Working Group’s website, Skin Deep!

According to cult beauty blog, Paula’s Choice: “Crème de la Mer contains mostly seaweed extract, mineral oil, Vaseline, glycerin, wax-like thickening agents, lime extract, plant oils, plant seeds, minerals, vitamins, more thickeners, and preservatives.” At over £300 for a jar, but Creme de la Mer seems to be more toxic than it’s worth.

Instead, this all natural, plant-and-caviar based cream by Arbu offers all the goodness of the sea, but without any chemical nasties.

We’ve tried this super rich formula and can 100% testify that it’s one of the best organic beauty dupes for Creme de la Mer. It’s extremely gentle, very moisturizing and perfect for even the driest of skin. It also contains  a powerful lifting formula that restores youthful facial contours and re-texturizes the skin.

Like Creme de la Mer, it was scientifically developed with nourishing extracts from the sea. Namely, caviar extract, which is naturally rich in Glycine and Proline. There are also essential amino acids, part of the skin’s natural bio-feedback mechanism, which stimulates collagen synthesis.

Plant-derived phyto-elastin helps tissues regain their original shape and structure. Organic Acerola extract, an excellent source of   vitamin C, provides strong antioxidant action to protect the skin against the damage caused by free radicals.

And compared to Creme de la Mer, it’s a bargain, too!

Price: Around $135

 

7. Instead of Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

Lily Lilo Black Mascara

Makeup artists around the world rave about Maybelline Great Lash black mascara for it’s simple, straight brush that separates lashes and lasts and lasts. But Maybelline is on PETA’s ‘list of shame’ for animal testing. And even despite those barbaric, torturous tests, there are still plenty of ingredients in their mascara that can irritate sensitive eyes, causing itchiness and rashes around the eye socket, inflammation of the eyelashes (sometimes leading to shedding).

On the other hand, Lily Lilo makes the perfect Maybelline substitute! Its well loved mascara lengthens, curls, volumizes and lifts lashes using all-natural ingredients. Formulated with none of the FD&C dyes and chemicals in most commercial mascaras, it’s one of the best organic beauty dupes for Maybelline and other leading mascaras.

Like Maybelline, its brush is straight, but it features denser bristles, which hold more product.

This mascara is gentle enough for even the most sensitive of us, and also uses nourishing ingredients that can help the lashes to grow to their potential.

Price: $12

 

8. Instead of Lancome Renergie-Lift-Makeup

ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint

Lancome’s Renergie Lift foundation gets rave reviews for its moisturizing texture and added SPF 20. Customers say that it gives enough coverage to cover light hyperpigmentation and never settles in fine lines, even without a primer. This is all certainly true, but once again, this French brand is marked by PETA as doing animal testing. And of course, like most mainstream beauty brands, this one comes packed with chemical colourants and preservatives.

I’ve personally tried both brands. While they are remarkably similar in terms of hues and coverage, because it never tests on animals and contains only natural ingredients, ILIA’s tinted  moisturiser definitely comes out on top. Plus, like Lancome’s product, it contains an SPF but it’s an SPF of 40 instead of 20! And there’s even more to it than that.

ILIA’s tint gives enough coverage to hide blemishes, and lasts all day long without ever settling into fine lines. In fact, I would say it even gives me a bit of a glow!

Price: $48

 

9. Instead of MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick

Inglot Red 408

MAC Ruby Woo lipstick has long been a favourite for its pure red hue and perfect finish. But recently, MAC has fallen out of favour with animal lovers including Pamela Anderson, a former MAC spokesperson, because they’ve started to sell in China, where animal testing is required. Plus, MAC uses all kinds of toxic chemicals to create its makeup. Just look at the labels!

Inglot Red 408, on the other hand, is a high quality, long lasting matte lipstick enriched with natural ingredients such as macadamia nut oil and avocado butter to protect the lips. Its non-sticky, long lasting formula ensures even application.

This Inglot lippie provides an opaque, perfectly creamy berry-red finish without any harmful ingredients. And of course, this eco-minded brand never tests on animals.

Price: $18

 

10. Instead of Rodial Dragon’s Blood Hyaluronic Moisturiser

Dr. Organic Dragons Blood Anti-Aging Moisturiser

Sure, many beauty fans are raving over Rodial’s Dragon’s Blood Hyaluronic Moisturiser. Why? Well, it transforms their skin from dry and dull to smooth and luminous with just a few applications. But we’re raving about a skincare dupe that is a fraction of the cost with super clean ingredients!

This dupe by Dr. Organic is about half the cost of Rodial’s. But it’s just as good! This pro-collagen complex is rich in biotin and hyaluronic acid, which increases skin hydration by over 50%, pretty much immediately.

Oh, and though it sounds like a mysterious and non-vegan ingredient, ‘dragons blood’ is actually a kind of tree sap.

Price: Around $23