Why you need to shop around for beauty dupes

If I asked you to define the word ‘dupe’ you would probably go straight to the dictionary meaning. Deceit. Trickery. Et cetera.

In the world of beauty, a dupe means a different thing — it’s a product that could in one or some ways work and sometimes even better than a more expensive, fancified version usually of a more famous, even iconic brand.

The plural of dupe is dupes. Dupes apply to perfumes, cosmetics, skincare products, outfits and even shoes. When a product is released into the market by a high-end brand or a design house, it usually costs more than most women can, are able or even willing to spend. Dupes are what you buy on a budget and more often than not at Carrefour, Chandarana, Goodlife, Walmart, Sephora or a beauty store near you. They are by no means a knock-off. They are not fakes. They are not substandard. What they are is affordable.

OVERRATED

A dupe is a dupe for several reasons. It could be because of price. Have dry skin? Weigh your options against Creme de La Mer, a luxury product that costs $90 (Sh9,225) for half an ounce. The bottle fits right into the palm of your hand. It is that tiny, legendary and rather overrated.

The flip side of this product is Nivea Crème. Remember the original Nivea in a tin? They both need to be warmed up, the base ingredients are similar, both have a lightly scented fragrance and same thick consistency — do not use either of these products if your skin type is oily — and out of their packaging, they look pretty much the same.

Amazon sells Nivea Crème from Germany at $14.99 (Sh1,537) for a pack of three because buying just one costs less than shipping.

Sometimes a product is a dupe because there are American and European versions, one with a main ingredient and the other without.

La Roche Posay, the company that makes Effalar Duo, has its best-selling Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment with 5.5 per cent Benzoyl Peroxide at between $30 (Sh3,075) to $37 (Sh3,792).

It also has the perfect blend of BP, salicylic acid and Vitamin E. The catch is it treats, and moisturises, and it saves you the trouble of having to buy an acne wash with salicylic acid, which can doubly dry the skin, and a moisturiser. It is the BB cream of acne products. Plus it has an award-winning formula.

LOCAL PHAMARCY

Pure Benzoyl Peroxide in any local pharmacy ranges from Sh800 to Sh1,200 depending on the location of the pharmacist. La Roche Posay introduced Effaclar Duo with Adapalene Gel 0.1 per cent in 2019, also at Sh3,075. Differin, the leading Adapalene Gel brand, costs Sh800 over the counter but in the US, retinoids are prescription only.

Locally, Effaclar costs just about the same amount. The lesson here is to look at the long term value of a dupe instead of simply looking at the cost, settling for the cheaper option then springing your wallet open.

The rise of drugstores and beauty stores locally has by no means eliminated the need for dupes. A jar of Neutrogena water gel will cost $3,000 (Sh307,525) while its dupe, and I swear I am not making this up, Generic Hydration Gel Moisturiser, costs $8 (Sh820). You literally get way more than a twofer for that price.

Dupes are not different from each other. For example, a foundation from MAC is considered ‘expensive’ at Sh4,500. I have met and talked with a few young women shopping for dupes, walking into a Goodlife that was right opposite a MAC store after browsing the latter.

They settled on Sleek, BLK/OPL and black|up because they could afford the lipstick, and not Ruby Woo from MAC that costs Sh3,500. Neither could they afford Revlon, although these were drugstore products.

CONSISTENCY

Eyeshadow palettes are sophisticated for most women but dupes are usually similar in terms of shimmer, consistency, pigmentation and overall shade.

Try Juvia’s Place at $15 (Sh1,537) to $20 (Sh2,050) instead of Revlon’s smaller, more expensive palettes. Dupes like Juvia’s Place exist because our skin colour lacks options.

Dupes can come in different quantities, but ideally the quality should not be so dissimilar. O.P.I. is considered by many to be one of the best nail polishes as is Essie, the Queen of England’s choice.

But a bottle of generic red polish from Miniso costs less than Sh500. It lasts just as long, has a rich colour and is fast drying. It just isn’t a brand name.

Buying a dupe makes you smart and savvy because it means you are doing your research and finding out what you need and what works for you. It is a practice everyone must be encouraged to adopt.

But every once in a while, you will need to splurge because certain expensive products really are worth the money. I will leave it up to you to discover.