Makeup dupes are finally taking over the cosmetic industry. Unlike in the past, when drugstore makeup was frowned upon. If you weren’t using luxury items like Anastasia brow pomade or Kat Von D eyeliner, it was hard to be taken seriously in the makeup community. But in 2022, makeup artists are now taking a second look at drugstore products.
What once was seen as taboo is now something embraced across all social media platforms. If you are a makeup lover, you have heard countless influencers raving over the holy grails known as Milk Hydro Grip Primer and the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter. For college students, it can be hard to spend 45 dollars on a foundation or a concealer. Influencers are starting to push the message that drugstore products are just as effective as high-end cosmetics.
This is where dupes come into play. Makeup dupes are products that are similar to expensive items but promoted and priced through different makeup brands.
The Power Grip Primer from Elf Cosmetics is seen as a dupe of the Milk Hydro Grip Primer. This is due to the color, feel and consistency when first applying it to the face.
Milk Hydro Grip Primer retails for $34 at Sephora, while Elf’s Power Grip Primer retails for $10 at Ulta Beauty.
The Milk Hydro Grip Primer is a leading makeup product, but its price is what causes people to look for cheaper dupes.
Crystal Durham | The Montclarion
Ashley Lopez, a TikTok influencer posted a video on her thoughts about the Elf Power Grip Primer and debated whether or not it’s a dupe compared to the expensive item.
“The Elf [primer] definitely gets a little bit tackier and stickier, which is very promising,” Lopez explained. “I would absolutely say for $10, this is a great dupe for the Milk Hydro Grip Primer. Go get it.”
Power Grip Primer from Elf Cosmetics is a great dupe of the Milk Hydro Grip Primer.
Crystal Durham | The Montclarion
When you are trying to choose primers, it depends on the look you’re going for. The tackier the consistency is, the better. This allows the foundation to be applied flawlessly over your pores.
When getting into the base of your makeup routine, it can get very expensive for newcomers on the scene. Many foundation prices range from $40 to $50 depending on where it’s purchased. When Charlotte Tilbury announced their new flawless filter foundation back on March 1, the product checked off every box needed to impress beauty consumers. This airbrush formula created a full coverage consistency that felt weightless on the skin.
The Charlotte Tilbury foundation is sold for $44 in Nordstrom. Over time, this product became up for debate after the launch of the Elf Cosmetics Halo Glow Liquid Filter. The Liquid Filter retails for $14 at Target. Aside from the products themselves, what sets these two products apart are their prices. Both products emphasize their complexion booster components and make it known that no filter is needed when wearing these foundations.
Influencer Sarah Wolak created a TikTok video about the viral foundations and put them to the test. Wolak explained that Charlotte Tilbury’s foundation looks better from afar, but up close you can see her pores. In the makeup community, seeing pores within a full face is never what makes the foundation a go-to product. She emphasizes that this normally doesn’t happen with the Halo Glow Foundation.
“The Elf one adapts to my skin tone better, [and] it’s like a quarter of the price,” Wolak said.
After researching, it is interesting to examine how many dupes come with luxury cosmetics. This pattern is not uncommon within the makeup industry. Believe it or not, a lot of dupes are highly requested over the original products.
Overall, what makes these products more desired by the target audiences are the prices and long-lasting wear of the product. If makeup brands aren’t producing the products that fit their target audience, people like young college students will find another way to recreate what they desire for cheaper.
