Super Beauty: The Best Supermarket Beauty Buys

Shopping for beauty has never been a more universal pursuit. Whatever you’re up to, there’s a great opportunity to discover a new hidden beauty gem. And one of the unlikeliest (but most lucrative) treasure troves? Why, it’s the humble supermarket, of course!

Believe it or not, amidst aisles of frozen peas and tinned soup, you can find some of the very best in beauty. There’s always a lot on offer, so cutting down to only the best can seem tricky. Luckily for you, I’ve got an edited round-up of the best in supermarket beauty buys.

Supermarket: Aldi

Best for Cotton Rounds

Let’s start by getting the most boring out of the way. Aldi does the most perfect cotton rounds on the market. They’re just the proper levels of firm and soft, never fall apart or scratch, and are unbelievably bargainous, too. Just throw some in your cart next time you’re in the store – I promise you won’t regret it.

On the Aldi train, they also offer some surprisingly amazing skincare – although tracking it down in-store can be a bit of a scavenger hunt. If you spot it, though, the Lacura Mud Mask is absolutely worth a purchase. It’s almost exactly the same as the Glam Glow mask it clearly takes its inspiration from and costs around the same as a high-end oven pizza.

Aldi also does a fine line in permanent skincare products. These tend to be more basic (and less obviously influenced by other products) but are nonetheless good skincare standbys. The Lacura Q10 Serum, in particular, is a really great choice if you want to up your skincare game but don’t want to wait until payday. Seriously, it’s like £3. 

Supermarket: Sainsbury’s

Best for Clay Masks

Sainsbury’s have recently massively overhauled their beauty section. Alongside their own brand Boutique line (check out the surprisingly excellent lipsticks), they’ve also started stocking a fantastic range of brands. If you’re overwhelmed by choice, though, I think the Super Facialist Ant Blemish Clay Mask is a great option across the board. It’s excellent for clearing up and tightening the appearance of pores. The mask won’t be over-drying or irritating to sensitive complexions.

Supermarket: Tesco

Best for Everyday Essentials

If you are in a Tesco, I have two strong recommendations for you to check out. The first is undoubtedly the best budget brush brand, Real Techniques. They’ve recently made their way into the supermarket’s beauty range. If you need a high-quality makeup brush, you need look no further. Their Everyday Essentials set is a perfect place to start.

A true beauty best-kept secret is the Syoss Salonplex Shampoo and Conditioner. They can be found tucked away in Tesco’s extensive haircare section but are good enough to give higher-end options a real run for their money. If you have particularly damaged hair and are at your wit’s end, give these bargainous options a go.

Supermarket: Asda

Best for Spin Brushes

Asda’s beauty standouts come from its NSpa range. If you are building a skincare routine from scratch, they have excellent cleansers and moisturisers in particular. One fun item I would like to draw your attention towards is their Expert Face Cleaning Brush. If you’re curious about digitising your cleansing experience but don’t quite want to drop a pretty penny, this is an excellent option to test out. It exfoliates, deeply purifies, and creates big foamy beards out of your cleanser, which is all anyone could want, really.