If there is one thing that has become a well known fact in recent years, it is that Aldi has earned quite the reputation for its range of luxury beauty 'dupes'.
From beauty and skincare products that are eerily similar to big-name brands such as Benefit, Bobbi Brown, Charlotte Tilbury, NARS and more, the supermarket's Lacura range has earned itself status as home to some of the most iconic budget-friendly products.
Despite coming with lower price-tags, the supermarket chain's range of products are said to deliver the same luxurious results as more expensive brands. Just recently, I tried out some of their affordable skincare products and got complimented on how "glowing" my skin had been since using them.
And with Aldi now deciding to branch out their beauty offerings into haircare, I was interested to see if their reputation for offering top quality 'dupes' would remain unmatched.
For those who are unaware - and I'll be very surprised if you are - Aldi has just recently expanded their Lacura beauty brand with the release of their Bonded range which is set to rival one of haircare royalties biggest brands - Olaplex.
The big name hair brand has been beloved by salon specialists and anyone looking to keep their hair in perfect condition for its 'repair bonds' in damaged hair. As someone who has been a blonde for most of my life, whether it be highlights or bleach, I have constantly had to give my hair a little TLC to keep it hydrated.
But with one Olaplex bottle setting me back £28, with a full bundle costing up to £100, I can safely say that my bills wont allow me to purchase the products as much as I would like. So, with Aldi's new range promising to offer similar results from as little as £3.49, I was quick to lather up my hair to see how it compares.
The products and first impressions
Included in Aldi's bespoke Bonded haircare range are three main products, a pre-wash treatment, shampoo and conditioner which are all priced at £3.49. The range is complete with a Perfect Proof Extreme Clean Dry Shampoo for just £2.99.
The German supermarket's products are specially formulated with premium ingredients including Vitamin E, Hyaluronic Acid and Hydrogenated Castor Oil which will help "repair damaged and frizzy hair." Honestly, this sounds perfect for my bleached locks.
On first look, Aldi continues to live up to its title for providing 'dupes' that also look eerily similar to their branded counterparts, as the bottles look exactly the same as the Olaplex bottles. The only difference being that the shampoo and conditioner is slightly larger, but the pre-wash treatment is the same dainty small size. I guess that is good news for anyone who wants to pretend that their products are pricier than they actually are.
One thing I did notice, is that the Bonded products are a bit more fragranced when compared to Olaplex which has a faint fragrance. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is the main noticeable difference.
Here are the main products from the Bonded range and their Olaplex 'dupes'.
- Lacura Pre-Wash Hair Treatment - A dupe for Olaplex's infamous No.3 Hair Perfector which is priced at a whopping £28. Designed to be popped on your hair for 10 minutes as a leave in treatment, it features extracts of Jojoba Seed Oil and Panthenol to help reduce damage and keep hair healthy.
- Lacura Bonded Shampoo - Similar to Olaplex's No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo (£28), this shampoo is designed to promote healthy hair follicles, adding proteins that repair from the roots down. The shampoo doesn't feature the brand's iconic bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate, but it does feature Glycerin, Castor, Banana and Pomegranate Extract.
- Lacura Bonded Conditioner - Aldi's answer to Olaplex's No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner (£28), is designed to result in a frizz-free finish thanks to the help of avocado and argan oil.
The process
I have applied Olaplex to my hair quite a few times over the years, and I have even had the salon treatment when I occasionally have those extra pennies, so I know how the process works like the back of my hand.
Now, I know Aldi's pre-wash treatment says it needs to be left on for ten minutes, I will be honest and say that I tried it once for ten minutes before leaving it on for a whole night the next time I decided to try it. The reason being that I have been advised by salon specialists to leave the No.3 Hair Perfector on for as long as possible to get the same results, so I wanted to treat Aldi's 'dupe' the same.
Popping on the treatment, I did notice that Aldi's pre-wash had a much different feel when compared to the No.3 product. For anyone who has used the popular product before, you will know the slimy and cold feeling you get when it has been massaged into your hair. Aldi's pre-wash treatment felt a bit less thick and my hair felt more like I had been standing under the shower for a while. Is that a bad thing? I couldn't really tell at this stage, because if the results are the same, then it shouldn't really matter.
After giving myself a full pamper session the night before, I washed off the pre-treatment in the morning. I did notice that, when washing out the treatment, my hair felt like it had been stripped off pretty much everything, and a bit too squeaky clean for my liking. But, I trusted the process and then popped onto the shampoo and conditioner.
Both products have the same thick consistency that comes with Olaplex's more expensive No.4 and No.5 products, which means that a little really went a long way. I also noticed that Aldi's products have the a bold expensive fragrance that makes them seem much more expensive than their £3.45 price-tag.
The shampoo lathered up perfectly well and gave my hair the much needed clean and moisture it needed after the pre-wash treatment, and the conditioner slid through my hair quite easily. The only small concern I had was that I needed to use a bit more conditioner than I would have liked, as I found that there were still some tangles in some areas.
Now that I was all cleaned and ready to go, I whipped on a towel turban and was keen to blow dry my hair to see the "grand reveal."
The overall verdict
Once my hair was fully cleaned and dried I did notice that my hair felt extremely soft, silky and a lot more hydrated than it usually does with some products. I have been using one brand that has weighed down my thin hair, so it was nice to find products that lived up to their promise.
Another added bonus was that my blonde felt that bit more vibrant as well. Anyone with blonde hair will know how dull and brassy it can become after a while, so this was perfect.
Generally the whole range gave my hair the same luxurious feel as the Olaplex products, but at £70 cheaper - which, I consider a win in my book.
Aside from having to use a bit more conditioner to get out the knots, my hair felt so silky and soft I felt like I had just come fresh from an expensive salon treatment.
Honestly, as a fan of Olaplex, I can safely say that Aldi's Bonded products are just as good and are another worthy entry into the supermarket's legendary line up of affordable 'dupes'. And, if the products come back into stock, then I will certainly be purchasing more.
Overall Rating: 9/10
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