Now we all know how important skincare is in our daily routine, but do you just think, how can I afford all of this stuff? After all I am a student! I have bills to pay for, expensive books to buy, meals to prepare, so how can I have good skin, without taking out another loan for my skincare regime. It’s ok, I have you sorted for the rest of your uni life...You can thank me later.

First, and foremost is the highly famous, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream, which nearly every blogger raves about. But the price of £45 for a tub is not so amazing. Now that’s a lot of money, which I could be saving for something else.

Well, let me introduce you to the Nivea cream. Yes ladies for £5 for a tube of magic to keep your skin hydrated and glowy throughout the winter, or to just hide all the stress behind a veil of moisture. The Nivea cream has a rich consistency, which instantly melts into your skin, leaving it bright and moisturised. If you’re going for your weekly grocery shopping, pop into the beauty section and see if you can find the Nivea cream. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Another contender which is a moisturiser from a French Pharmaceutical is Embryolisse Lait- Crème Concentré. Now there is no doubt that this cream is one of the best for most beauty gurus and celebrity artists. However, who said we can’t find an alternative? Now, the E45 cream, which I shall assume most of us have used it once in our life, and probably still have it somewhere in our house. It's a great alternative to the Embryolisse cream.

Interestingly, my sister ran out of her Embryolisse, and placed an order for the next one to come which took almost a week to arrive. Now of course she couldn’t disregard her skincare in the meantime, just because her favourite moisturiser ran out. So she improvised and used what she had. After her first application of the E45 cream, she was shocked at the similarities between the affordable E45 in comparison to the Embryolisse.

Next, is for those of you who prefer to use organic skincare, maybe due to health consciousness, or simply because your skin reacts best to natural ingredients. Victoria’s Secret Model Miranda Kerr has her line of Organic Skincare which is available on Net-a- Porter. Now I must admit, when using this cream, I absolutely loved the experience of applying the cream, till I used every inch. However, let’s be a bit more realistic... £50 for a daily moisturiser is not realistic on a student budget.

I started to research for other affordable brands that also sell Natural / Organic products that are equally beneficial for my skin. I came across an article that Victoria Beckham uses this affordable cream, which is readily available at all drugstores. So I went and purchased the Waleda Skin food cream, and started using it. Although, the consistency is thick, for anyone who suffers from dry skin, it’s a great option to help keep your skin hydrated throughout the day, without making your skin feel dehydrated at any point.

Last, but not least, oil. We all need some sort of oil within our skincare routine, because the truth is, oils are amazing with so many benefits. Oil can also be very pricey, as everyone wants the best ingredients and purest form of oil. For a few months, I used the Trilogy Rosehip oil, which typically was one of the first brands I knew that produced rosehip oil, as I found out that the Duchess of Cambridge uses the same company. So I thought, well if our future Queen is using this brand, then it must definitely be a bottle of magic. Little did I know that that The Ordinary was also selling the same oil, also 100% organic Rosehip Seed oil, which was essentially the same thing, which I was paying £30 for, when I could be paying £9? Yes you read it correct, £9, which is a fraction of the price, of the high end oil I was using, which was giving the same results.

And with that I conclude, my secrets of encountering the many dupes to high end skincare products, which are just as equally great.

Written by HUmaira from Humaira's Corner Blog Spot and @humairascorner.

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