While the German discount supermarket giant is known for its less expensive dupes of many well known products, both food and beauty products alike, they’ve really hit the nail on the head with this one.
I’m a massive fan of the very luxurious and tropical scented body butter “Bum Bum Cream” by the Brazilian brand Sol de Janeiro. However, that ish ain’t cheap, it retails for almost €50 for 240ml in Ireland!! Enter....... “Booty Balm” by Aldi’s beauty and skincare range Lacura. On the left in the picture below is the Sol de Janeiro cream and on the right is the Aldi version.
I'm honestly unsure as to how this is even legal but whatever they're doing, it's working! The Aldi cream is €5.99 for 250ml which, if you're an avid fan of the original is a huge saving. I literally bathe in the Sol de Janeiro cream because its so comfortable to wear, but she's a pricey habit. Even the formulas themselves look identical. Both are a thick, creamy moisturizer with a yellow tinge to them and an incredible tropical scent that smells just like holidays.
The ingredients are actually pretty comparable considering the major price gap. Both creams contain Guarana extract, a native Amazonian plant enriched with caffeine - perfect for stimulating circulation and keeping skin smooth. Considering both the creams claim to firm and tone the skin, this seems to be the magic ingredient that gives the formula the ability to do so. Now I'm no scientist and I'm not claiming to be so I can't 100% guarantee whether or not the ingredients in the SDJ cream are better for you or work better perhaps than what's in the Aldi cream ( I mean, there has to be some reason for such a huge price difference between 2 very similar items) but I do still really enjoy both products. Both are non-sticky or greasy and dry very quickly.
So packaging, formula and ingredient wise, the two are definitely closely related - if not long lost cousins, but how do they compare when it comes to performance? What I did notice between the two is that Aldi's Booty Balm doesn't give off the same glow to your skin as what you get from the Sol de Janeiro cream which for some people might actually be a good thing. I personally love the glistening effect Bum Bum Cream gives your skin, especially in the summertime when I have a tan. Also, the Aldi cream's scent isn't as pungent as SDJ's. It is quite strong and delicious but it lacks that caramel punch the Bum Bum Cream packs. Nor does the Booty Balm scent last as long on your skin as Sol de Janeiro. As far as moisturizing abilities go, it's honestly much of a muchness between the two. Sol de Janeiro's body butter has a slightly longer lasting power, but not by a lot.
All in all, would I repurchase Aldi's Booty Balm? Absolutely! In fact I loved it so much, I went back to Aldi about half an hour later and purchased a back-up pot. While I don't usually love or go for many of Aldi's beauty or skincare products, they really outdid themselves on this one in my opinion. But will I ever stop purchasing my Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream? Not a chance in hell. I still do love it and I'll definitely be treating myself to another couple of pots but I'll have to wait until I go back to visit the US as it's a little cheaper over there ($45 in Sephora - roughly €40)
Booty Balm is one of Aldi's "Specialbuys" so when it comes in, it doesn't stay for very long. But not to worry, they usually bring back popular items for a limited time again. It's out of stock online on the UK website here but I do know that Booty Balm is currently IN-STORE NOW (definitely in stock in my local ALDI in Glenageary, Dublin) so if you are looking to get your hands on this, I'd move fast.
Michelle
xx
#beauty #skincare #aldi #lacura #specialbuys
