Why I can’t resist a bargain buy

Designer dupe? High-street hack? Consider it not skimping, but winning, says Rosie Green

I’d like to give you a fiver. Let’s make it a tenner. No, more like £20. As a beauty editor, when I tell people about a product that’s low on price and high on performance, it feels like I am giving them a beautifully beribboned gift. Or at least a bit of cash. A joy akin to imparting a winning racing tip, or a prime piece of insider gossip about a movie star. They literally skip away, bolstered by potential savings that run into the tens, if not hundreds of pounds. They tell me they love the fact the recommended product is beauty editor-endorsed, reasoning, quite rightly, that I get to try everything, yet I am actively choosing to have these low-cost lovelies in my bag or on my shelves.

Because I believe that, while luxury products have their place, there is no doubt that high-street heroes can really deliver. I’ve seen the best make-up artists and top hairdressers use them on famous models and movie stars with no detriment to their looks (quite the reverse sometimes). At a glossy magazine I worked on we once challenged an A-list make-up artist, who only used designer brands, to paint a supermodel’s face with budget products. Everyone was happy with the result – with her saying the only categories she would go premium on in the future were powder and foundation.

If January is bringing you, like me, some financial challenges (mine involve a frothy coffee ban and eating the food from the back of the freezer for a month) please consider these brilliant buys. At least you’ll be looking and feeling great. Even if you are eating unidentifiable mush.

I get to try everything, yet I choose to have these in my bag or on my shelves

L’oréal Paris Elnett Hairspray, £6, boots.com. THEOG hairspray and still the one loved by the pros. It’s so good that I once saw a hairdresser paid thousands to represent another brand sneak this on to a celebrity photoshoot. Why? Because it delivers strong hold but still feels light. And it brushes out easily. Oh, and the smell is iconic.