A dupe (short for duplicate) in the beauty world is essentially a version of a higher-end product that retails for a fraction of the price. A lot of the time, these dupes perform exactly like the original; they are changing the game for all ages.
As social media rises and the beauty industry expands, makeup is becoming more expensive and less-affordable, especially for teens. But, E.L.F. makeup has managed to dupe every single viral product, while still making it cheap and favorable. Since there is a portion of people who either can’t afford high-products or would rather buy less expensive products, dupes have become a necessity in many people’s beauty bags. With that being said, product placement and good marketing has allowed teens all over to have access to high-quality and affordable makeup. By making a name for themself, E.L.F. makeup has made a comeback in the past year and continues to impress a wide range of consumers. The influence of social media is making teens think they need expensive products, but dupes and brands like E.L.F. are changing that.
E.L.F. has been around for a long time, and as many might not know, is an acronym for eyes, lips, face. The brand was founded in 2004 and is known for cheap makeup and beauty products. But, within the past year, E.l.f has managed to duplicate every single “viral” beauty product to a tee. From the Halo Glow dupe for Charlotte Tilbury “Flawless Filter” to the lip oil dupe for Dior’s “Addict Lip Glow Oil,” E.L.F. has managed to legally duplicate pretty much everything.
Yes, E.L.F. dupes are actually good products, but with the help of strategic marketing and product placement in movies, they’ve become one of the top drugstore brands. The brand used to only create their own products, with no relevance to any popular viral trends. But, by E.L.F. choosing to replicate every viral product, and sometimes even make it better than the name-brand one, they have made an even bigger name for themselves.
Senior Lucy Misischia has a makeup routine of which about half is affordable. Misischia believes that makeup does not need to be expensive to be good.
“At the end of the day if you can get a version of those high ticket items that are just as good and a fraction of the cost, I kind of see it as a win-win,” Misischia said.
Through TikTok, influencers can promote E.L.F. By creating a short, 15-second clip of them using the products. Additionally, literal ads pop up for E.L.F. as soon as every other video. Let alone in the newest “Mean Girls” movie, E.L.F. products were placed throughout all of it and was basically an ad for the brand. E.L.F. Also created a “Mean Girls”-inspired bundle with a variety of products called “Every Day We Wear Pink.” Even if the product placement seems annoying to viewers, the fact that people are talking about it is exactly what their goal was.
Senior Ruby Jameson has been a beauty-lover ever since she can remember. But, has always used a combination of drugstore and name brand products due to her performances at dance competitions including Mac Cosmetics and CoverGirl. Jameson thinks it’s always a struggle to find good affordable products.
“I didn’t use much E.L.F. makeup until recently since it didn’t get my attention in the past, but ever since they started duping higher end products, I’ve gotten more into it,” Jameson said.
Aside from all the facts, it’s key to think about if E.L.F. doing this is even moral. People might think that name-brands or luxury brands get frustrated with “copycats” like this, but the fact is, they really don’t care; there will always be people out there who care more for the name than the product.
By purchasing cheaper, drugstore beauty products, people often worry about what compromises might come with it. However, with E.L.F., there really are no major ones. E.L.F. is cruelty-free, clean and even hypoallergenic. Although this might not be the case with other drugstore beauty brands, it is the case for E.L.F.. Other drugstore brands such as NYX and Essence (along with E.L.F.) have made a name for themself and created good makeup that’s also affordable, especially for teens. Since some people can’t purchase luxury beauty products, these brands have shifted the momentum of dupe culture.
