Let's talk Dupes/Knockoffs

[Dayjoy]

Quality versus price is a tough argument, but sometimes there are things that the name is really what we're paying for. Or is it? Are dupes or knockoffs ever worth it or of equal quality? What types of items are worth duping and which ones will you never buy second fiddle? Eyeshadows? Brushes? Wipes? What?

I ask this because I started a thread a little while ago asking for a dupe of NARS Crazed and many of you SMART ladies told me to just buy the real thing. I did and am happy. However I bought what I thought were two different knockoffs of Taj Mahal (NYX Love Mosaic Powder and Milani Sunset Shores Blush/Bronzer). Now I know that I just wasted $14 and should have bought the real deal in the first place. It's not like I didn't have the $25 to spend.:ohwell:

[lilsparkle825]

i will dupe simple things like makeup remover and eyeshadows; brushes, too - i love my mac 187 but essence of beauty's eye and concealer brushes are a dream.

[gabulldawg]

I agree that SOME things can be "duped." IMO brushes can, as well as some lipglosses and lipsticks. Eyeshadows can be duped SOMETIMES, but not always. Blushes, too. I guess when it comes to certain products it's a case-by-case basis. :yep:

[asummertyme]

yeah, i will buy a duped item in a minute if its worth it...

[LovelyLionessa]

Yes, dupes can work in spite of the savings. Sometimes you can find great e/s for less, also eyeliners and lipglosses, sometimes face powder as well. You can also find steals on make up brushes too.

Also I like to shop at CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens. I've made returns at all 3 stores for makeup that didn't work out.

[FoxyScholar]

It's probably inadequate to call them "dupes" or "knockoffs" in general because in several instances, more than one brand is owned by the same company (e.g., L'Oreal owns owns Maybelline, Lancôme, Redken and several European brands). Same product marketed at different price points: drugstore, dept. store, etc.

So it's nice to flex my MAC StudioFix compact and I can wear that with some Revlon Nude Lustre lipgloss from Walgreens, who can tell the difference?

[Dayjoy]

So when I bought those two Taj Mahal knockoffs I wasn't just being cheap, but was being foolish (since they didn't work out), or maybe I didn't recognize what one can't dupe.

[newflowers]

I really think it depends on the ingredients - some less expensive products will have the same or similar ingredients as more expensive ones. Sometimes, more expensive products means you're paying for the brand name and the packaging - not worth my dime because I don't care about brand names or packaging. Sometimes, however, less expensive means a lesser quantity of good active ingredients (even though they're in there) and/or fillers which serve no purpose except to fake you out make you believe you believe you're paying less for the same thing - I would say most often (not always but quite frequently) you're paying less for less. And sometimes, you can find a good company that sells quality products for less.

I recently purchased the Coastal Scents neutral palette and think the shadows are as good as the Bobbi Brown shadows I own. These days with the ability to buy online, vendors don't have to keep expensive storefronts and other expensive costs of doing business, so the products they sell can be less expensive because their overhead is less expensive.

I do think trying any product is a trial and error process.

[Tee]

Some things are ok to dupe. You have to make sure you have a true dupe though.

[indigodiva]

do any of you guys use knockoff fragrances? One of my BFF's (a guy) who has always loved to smell good uses the roll on fragrances from the incense man at the mall back home and if I didnt see the roll on thingy, I would never be able to tell.

I think the knockoff quality is based on who makes it. Sometimes you get what you pay for, other times you get a great deal..its a crap shoot with any knockoff...

[gymfreak336]

Some things are ok to dupe. You have to make sure you have a true dupe though.

:yep:

Plus, just because its a color dupe won't make it a product dupe. Texture and ease of blending are just as important, if not more important. For example, the dupe of Mac Coppering es is milani flame. I love it and it is the exact same color but I notice that I have to use a little more for the same impact and I have to be careful with how I blend it.

[kelleigh]

I think it's easier to knockoff a look using inexpensive products rather than doing a product by product comparison. If you have your heart set on a certain product, just buy the real thing.

I used to work at Sephora and I didn't get the difference between eyeshadows that were the same color from different brands at different price points. One of the make-up artists did a side by side comparison for me between a Nars eyeshadow and a Clinique eyeshadow. They were the same shade, but when she applied the Nars shadow to my skin it went on evenly and the color was much richer compared to the Clinique shadow.

That being said, if you've tried on the color and you know it looks fabulous on you, you're going to be hard pressed to find a cheaper product that looks as good.