Best Creme de la Mer Dupes!

I love Creme de la Mer products and having worked there got addicted to basically all of them. However, sadly I can’t afford to sustain this fan-dom, and as a thrifting blogger I thought I’d better see if I could find some bargain alternatives. I’ve been trying out loads of different things over the past couple of years and of course nothing is quite as good (you get what you pay for really) but they make pretty amazing dupes.

Here’s the results…

The Toner

I never used to use toner and didn’t entirely see the point of it, but since I’ve started using it between cleansing and moisturising my skin has improved hugely. It’s amazing how much grime (sorry for the over share!) comes off onto the cotton pad even after you’ve cleansed. Getting that last little bit seems to stop all my spots appearing. Amazing!

The thing I love about this toner is that’s really thin and watery – I just put a drop onto a cotton pad and sweep it over my whole face. Most toners I looked at were oily or creamy but these ones leave no residue at all. This No7 ‘Soft and Soothed Gentle Toner’ is identical to the Creme de la Mer toner as far as I can tell. Definitely a winner!

Creme de la Mer ‘The Tonic’ – £65

No7 Soft & Soothed Gentle Toner – £8 (and always on offer!)

The Cleansing Fluid

I was never sure about oil cleaners until I tried this Creme one – I figured it’d be really oily and terrible for my oily skin. However, once I tried it I finally believed all the hype. It balances my skin really well, makes it supple and clear instead of tight and dry. You hardly need any each time so they last forever. I just use one pump of either of smooth it onto dry skin. You let it sink in a bit so it gets all the mascara off and then wash it off with a damp cloth. I find these are the only cleansers that get everything off so I’m not stuck with panda eyes in the morning.

The Creme de la Mer ‘The Cleansing Oil’ has the added benefit of being awesomely glittery iridescent in the bottle, but the L’Oreal version smells incredible – super fruity!

Creme de la Mer ‘The Oil Cleanser’ – £65

L’Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil – £7.99

The Refining Facial

I tend to be a bit rubbish about forgetting to exfoliate or use face masks, but whenever I do I really notice the differences. The beauty of the Creme de la Mer Refining Facial is that you can rub it on damp skin as an exfoliator or paste it onto dry skin and leave it for a few minutes as a face mask. It’s super thick and chalky and the exfoliant is diamond powder (too cool!!!). I’ve never seen another exfoliator like it – they’re normally too liquid or the beads are massive and oily and don’t do anything. This one is exactly the right balance between too rough on my sensitive skin, or full of pointless ‘beads’.

Creme de la Mer ‘The Refining Facial’ – £65

Soap & Glory ‘The Fab Pore Facial Peel’ – £6.67 (but £13.34 per 100ml – the same as the Creme product)

The Concealer

When it comes to concealer I can’t see any point messing around with something that doesn’t cover up 100% of the redness or bags. When I tried this Creme de la Mer concealer I was an immediate convert – it gives flawless coverage that lasts all day and isn’t cakey or shiny. It’s a cream in the packet and then on your skin it looks powdery and perfect – exactly like you perfect skin! I’ve never found anything quite as good but bought this Look Beauty concealer pallet on a whim when it was reduced in Superdrug – and was so happy I took a risk. The formulation is really really similar to the Creme version and you get two shades so you can mix and contour too. It’s not quite as long lasting and flawless, but it’s pretty darned close!