The Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base primer has long been considered one of the cult-favourite beauty products in the makeup bags of shoppers, celebrities and makeup artists alike. It's so popular, in fact, that last year the brand recorded that one is sold every 24 seconds globally.
But the best-selling primer doesn't exactly come cheap, costing almost £50 for 50ml of product. But as with many coveted cosmetic purchases, there's always a brand or two waiting to make an affordable alternative to answer the prayers of our bank balance.
And it appears that Aldi and Revolution - two of the beauty worlds best 'dupe' providers - have come through, providing similar primers that customers say rivals the premium product.
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So, we put all three to the ultimate test, comparing Bobbi Brown's Vitamin Enriched Face Base to Revolution's Super Base Vitamin Primer and Aldi's Vitabase Primer. You can already see from the names where fans may have drawn their dupe conclusions.
I tried out all three moisturising primers, comparing them on price, appearance, scent, texture and their overall results - and one in particular comes pretty close to the real deal, so could end up saving beauty buffs a fortune.
Here's what we found when we compared Bobbi Brown's bestseller to it's apparent 'dupes':
Price
The first notable difference between these three makeup primers is, of course, the price. At Boots, the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base is usually £49, but it’s currently part of a sale which sees it reduced to £39.20 - still four times the price of Revolution’s and six times the cost of Aldi.
By comparison, the Lacura Vitabase Primer comes in at £5.99 for the same size 50ml tub, with Revolution costing £9.99 for 25ml, so would really be £19.98 for the same size.
There are ways to get the Bobbi Brown primer slightly cheaper though, by looking out for deals and discounts online. Alternatively, you can opt for a smaller version of the primer, like I did. You can pick up a 7ml pot of the primer for £9, or 15ml for £16.50.
If your heart is set on this high-end primer though, the best option is to go for the 100ml for £73, which will save you money in the long run.
Appearance
Stacked on top of one another without the name of the brand facing you, you’d be forgiven for mistaking these as the same brand, or at least the same family of products. All in glass pots with dark lids, there are few differences between the packaging. The Aldi jar has the same shape as a full-size Bobbi Brown primer, but the high-end mini comes in a straight, round pot.
Aldi’s lid is also grey, rather than black, and Revolution’s car is matte with a frosted finish, rather than clear like Aldi and Bobbi Brown.
In terms of colour, both the Bobbi Brown and Aldi have a creamy, yellow tone, while the Revolution is a bit more of a neutral peach.
Smell
One of the biggest appeals about the Bobbi Brown primer is its zesty scent, which has been replicated in the Aldi Vitabase Primer with geranium and grapefruit notes. It does feel a little more synthetic in the Aldi product, but it’s still a very pleasant fragrance and makes it perfect for summer.
Meanwhile, Revolution’s product appears to be fragrance free - either that, or Aldi’s was so overpowering that I couldn’t smell Revolution’s afterwards.
Ingredients
When it comes to ingredients as to what makes these ‘vitamin primers’, the lists look strikingly similar.
Aldi’s Vitabase contains vitamin c and e with shea butter for a nourishing and delicate foundation treatment. These same three ingredients also feature in the Revolution Super Base and Bobbi Brown Face Base, but the latter two also mention vitamin B and hyaluronic acid.
Application
All three primers are a very thick and creamy formula. Of the three, I’d say Bobbi Brown’s is the thickest, but also the one you need to use the least amount of, as it seems to go further than the other two.
Revolution’s primer is most noticeable on the skin after 15 minutes or so. It still feels tacky, rather than absorbing into the skin. Bobbi Brown’s was undeniably the most hydrating and did feel super-luxe, while Aldi’s £6 primer felt practically weightless, melting into the skin and leaving it with a nice dewy sheen.
But the ultimate test happens once makeup is applied, and it’s safe to say that my foundation went on well with all three primers - however, would my makeup last all day?
Overall
Out of all three primers, Bobbi Brown’s held up my makeup the best, which is unsurprising since it is the most expensive - but Aldi’s wasn’t far behind, with my makeup still looking great after hours of being out and about running errands.
The Revolution primer was my least favourite, but that’s not to say it isn’t any good. It held my makeup up well, but I did start to notice problem areas, like oiliness around my nose, sooner with this primer than with the others. It also feels different on the skin compared to Aldi and Bobbi Brown, which is why I’m inclined to say that while it’s a pretty good primer in its own right, it’s probably not an outright dupe of the high-end beauty buy.
For me, the Aldi Lacura Vitabase is the closest dupe to the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base, with similar active ingredients in the shea butter, vitamin B and C, and the same zesty geranium and grapefruit scent. Coming in a heavy, glass jar packaging, the appearance and texture is most similar, and both left my skin feeling hydrated, nourished and ready for makeup application.
What other shoppers say
Bargain-hunting beauty fans have been heaping praise on both the Aldi and Revolution primers, claiming them to be ‘dupes’ of the £49 Face Base.
The Aldi version has racked up 47 five star reviews, compared to only one one star rating, which was only left as the user had suffered an ‘allergic reaction’ to the product, and reminded others to ‘patch test’ before using something new.
Others have said it’s ‘absolute luxury in a jar’ and ‘literally no different from the Bobbi Brown’. Another added: “Same as Bobbi brown primer , a little bit thicker but makes it feel more luxurious. Will never spend the money on the face base again.”
Meanwhile, Revolution's has two one star reviews after one shopper said it ’doesn’t work as well as I was expecting’. But 49 five star ratings say otherwise, with customers stocking up on the budget beauty product.
One said: “Omg, I’m in love! As I near 40 I’m trying to find products that lessen the appearance of fine lines and let my makeup look as natural and glowy as possible. This is the product I’ve been searching for! My skin feels so nourished and it really helps my concealer, foundation etc go on as flawless as possible. I will 100% be stocking up!”
Another wrote: “”I love this product very like the Bobbi Brown. Will be placing an order for two more so I can have some extra in my makeup room.”
But ultimately, the superior product is the original Bobbi Brown Face Base, which has racked up more than 600 five star reviews, compared to 10 one star ratings on the Boots site.
One customer commented: “Best primer on the market. Used to use Clarins Flash Balm - this is way better.”
“Best moisturiser / primer, for all skin types,” added another. “Always repeat buying this as can’t manage without.”
A third said: “I am now on my second pot of face base. This really is a wonderful product. It has a lovely consistency and a gorgeous delicate scent. I use it every day and it provides all day moisturisation and a beautiful glow.
“I'm 65 years old, have gone through many products over the years but this makes me feel and look a million dollars! Please please Bobbi never change or 'improve' the magic that is Face Base.”
The Aldi Vitabase Primer is £5.99 and returned to Aldi stores only today (May 18), while Revolution’s Primer can be bought online for £9.99, with Bobbi Brown available here at Boots.
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