When is a dupe really a dupe? Mac Strobe Cream v The Botanics Radiance Balm

For the past few months, it seems that every single blogger, including myself, has been all about the Boots Botanics Radiance balm. For weeks and weeks the Radiance balm was out of stock in Boots across the country, as makeup addicts rushed to buy it to achieve radiant looking skin. The reason for this? Well Boots Botanics Radiance balm is said to be a dupe for the makeup artists favourite Mac strobe cream and who doesn’t love a dupe.

Yet here is the thing, Just how alike are Strobe cream and the Boots Radiance balm? Is the €7.99 product from Boots as good as the Mac classic for €33.50? And when is a dupe really a dupe?

It seems that the word dupe is bandied about quite a bit. Every single day I see people claim that one less expensive product is a fantastic duplicate for a much more popular high end product. Bloggers are rushing to get the next Facebook like, Twitter retweet and increase their Instagram following with their latest “dupe” discovery.Yet here is the thing. A dupe is only a dupe if it performs the exact same way as the more expensive product. The fact that the colour is the same, or it kinda looks similar in the packaging does not make it a dupe. Unless a product performs the exact same way, then it is not a dupe. Personally I have come across very few products that are genuine dupes for their higher end alternatives.

Which brings me back to Mac Strobe Cream and the Boots Botanics Radiance balm. Is the Radiance Balm a legit dupe, or does it kinda just do a similer job to Strobe but just not as well? For the past few weeks, I have put both products to test underneath a range of different foundations and have come up with some interesting findings.

Both products are applied to your skin after you moisturise and before you put on your foundation. They promise to give your skin a glow underneath your foundation , and bring a little bit more life and radiance to your skin. While they both do exactly what they say on the tin, it is Mac’s Strobe cream that completes this job with a little bit more finesse.

The first difference between the two is in the texture. I find that the Botanics radiance balm feels a little more greasy on the skin, whereas Strobe cream is much more creamy. Don’t get me wrong, the Radiance balm does not apply greasily to the skin, but on application there is a little bit more of a greasy feel. You can feel the luxury when applying Strobe Cream compared to the Radiance balm.

Secondly Strobe cream soaks into your skin a lot quicker than the Radiance Balm. I find that you have to wait a minute or so to let the Radiance balm soak in, whereas with Strobe cream you’re ready to apply your foundation almost immediately.

Finally, Strobe Cream gives a little bit more of a glow straight away with one layer. Whereas you would need to apply two layers of the Radiance Balm to achieve the same glow as Strobe cream.

Yet here is the thing. Once they are both on the skin, the final result is the exact same thing!! They both give a beautiful glow to your skin, banish the dull look, and give you an over all more radiant appearance, but in my opinion, Mac strobe Cream does it that little bit better.

While I love the Boot Botanics Radiance balm, and really hail it as a work horse of a product, I personally prefer Mac Strobe cream. Not only because it gives a more intense glow, but also how it applies to the skin, the feel on application and the fact you can achieve your desired glow quicker than the radiance balm. This isn’t a real deal breaker, and I would happily use the Radiance balm, but for me Mac just has the edge.

So is the Boots Botanics Balm really a dupe for Mac Strobe cream? Once on the skin there really is no denying that the Radiance Balm works just as hard as Mac Strobe cream. It is just personal preference on application as to which one is better.