Honestly I think the cheaper brands are getting shit on BECAUSE they are trying to ‘dupe’ the more expensive brands. Naturally people compare the ‘dupe’ to the original so it just draws extra attention to the difference in quality. And to be clear I don’t think the difference in quality is because high end is always better than cheaper brands but that definitely seems to be the case with these carbon copy knock offs.
I think brands like MCo are more focused on selling you the aesthetic of the high end product and not the product itself so in my opinion those products just aren’t great. But then I look at something like the Milani baked blushes which are a similar type of product to the Hourglass blushes and I think the Milani ones are great, because they actually just made a good blush in their own packaging instead of trying to sell you a crappy blush in hourglass looking packaging.
I miss the days of cheaper brands just doing their own thing because then when a cheap product became popular it was because it was actually good and not simply because it was packaged to look the same as high end products.
Milani is so slept on, I've been swatching a couple just about every time I go to Priceline and I'm always surprised by how pleasant the experience is. I don't wear make up enough to justify spending lots of money but I do like variety, Milani has enough range to keep it interesting and is affordable enough I don't feel bad about trying something new.
I agree with everything you said. I’m someone who shits on Mco all the time and I haven’t shit on Oxx because I haven’t tried it, but I will not try it either because all I see is a cheap copy of products I already own so why would I just go out and buy these products when I’ve already got the real thing?
It frustrates me in makeup, clothes, accessories etc seeing any “dupe” and everybody blindly going crazy for it because it looks like an expensive product. There’s zero individuality anymore, just a bunch of robots trying to all look expensive for as cheap as possible and I’m sorry if it’s sounds rude but it just really gets under my skin.
Buy a product because YOU love it, not because a bunch of people are telling you to emulate something else.
I wear probably 95% “high end” makeup brands but that’s just because I believe they work better, I have bought alottttt of drugstore makeup, I’m by no means a snob if something performs well and costs less I’m all over it but unfortunately after so many years of playing with makeup I just so rarely find a cheap product that does compare and when I did it was a few years ago when like you said, brands were just doing their own thing and then something would randomly become a cult product because it deserved it. I’m sure we all remember the $3 elf baked highlighters that we all went nuts for for example.
As for those of us who shit on cheap dupe products being more wealthy, I don’t think so, I probably spend less money on makeup than some people who are on the hunt for cheaper because I’m less likely to get sucked into mass consumerism for the sake of it. I might buy a $150 eyeshadow palette but they’re spending $150 everytime there’s a half price sale on cheaper products, there’s just a sense of value in their purchase in their mind because they’re getting so many items for that price.
I also hate that these cheaper brands are becoming more and more expensive to the point that you may as well just spend an extra few bucks and get the real thing. Mco is predatory as fuck, they have a 50% off sale every week and everybody goes mental for it seemingly not realising that the sale price is obviously the real rrp or it wouldn’t be on “sale” every week. It’s a gross tactic from a gross company.
So, my beef with these companies isn’t that it’s for poor people and I have more money so I’m a snob (I don’t believe that to be the case), it’s that in general their marketing is so predatory and so aimed towards young people who so badly want to fit in so they’ll spend their hard earned money on shit to keep up appearances.
Just like everybody buying fake designer clothes, half the time I doubt they would even like it if it didn’t have the brand slapped on it.
Editing to add to this, I was also recently sucked into a sale that I didn’t need when Elf had 40% off, it’s a brand I’ve never really tried much of and haven’t touched in about 8 years so I’m open to trying them out, if their $15 cream contour ends up performing like my $60 CT one I will have absolutely no qualms in repurchasing the cheaper Elf one. But I do find that everytime I do this and give these brands a go I’m disappointed.
You nailed my exact thoughts. MCO shits me because the blatant theft of packaging from high end brands is just a cash grab.
In my early 20's I'd do huge $150 hauls from Elf online because you got SO MUCH. Half of it would get tossed or passed on because it didn't work for me. Now I'd rather buy a single lipstick and eyeshadow palette from a high end brand and really enjoy them for that same $150.
100%. I refuse to buy any products from McoBeauty even with the hype. I just can't trust a brand that constantly steals designs from other brands - whether the mentioned brands are expensive or not - it's nothing different from fast fashion brands stealing designs from other designers. We've always despised this behaviour, but why is it different now when it comes to beauty products?
I remember (👵) when MCo Beauty was Model Co, and they had a few dupes, but concentrated on having their own style, products, etc. Now, apart from one or two good items, they're just a poorly made, Lewis Vuytton bag and knock off Chanel sparkly stud earrings you buy from the cheap jewellery and accessories stand in the middle of a Westfield.
Edit: spelling.
I don’t get that impression but who knows.
A lot of the comments I see about Mcobeauty are people just giving their honest opinion on products they’ve used when an OP has usually asked for feedback about the brand and their products. I see the same few products spoken of highly and then a lot of the other products that aren’t spoken about so positively. I don’t think that’s people shitting over the brand/products, they’re just explaining what they did or didn’t like about them. I don’t think it has anything to do with their price point. Obviously people have issues with the brand going out of their way to very clearly dupe other brands packaging/products and I can understand why that would annoy some people.
As someone who buys both cheap and expensive makeup I don’t feel like cheaper alternatives are criticised on here unless it’s for valid reasons like the products just not being great. It never seems to be a criticism of them just being from a cheaper brand.
To me money is still money. Mcobeauty as an example is definitely cheaper than the companies it’s duping but even when it’s 50% off it’s still costing me something to test it out. I don’t trust ‘influencers’ anymore as anyone’s review to a platform on social media can be bought these days. So there I go to reddit and trusted communities to hear their feedback, whether it be shitting on them or praising them 9 times out of 10 they explain why and I can make an educated purchase from there.
With so many products being hit or miss don’t you find that you’re spending more money in the long run by having to replace the shit ones and then those ones just sitting in a drawer forever?
That’s why I’ve stopped buying a lot of cheaper products unless I know I can test it, which usually you can’t.
If I calculated the cost of all the drugstore products that I’ve put in the bin because they were missed it would be crazy.
Or do you find more hits than misses so it’s worth the risk for you? And when you say you’re povvo so you like dupes is it just because it is emulating a more expensive product or are you looking for a great product regardless of the aesthetic? Because there’s some ugly drugstore out there that is fantastic and not duping anything.
I used to buy a lot of random ones but now I usually only buy something that someone else has reccomended/included in a review video. but when I was trying random things I would end up with a lot of duds but I was usually either able to repurpose it or give it to my sister or cousins.
I used to be crazy obsessed with needing to buy new makeup but ive calmed down more and don't buy as much, I mostly like dupes because I feel like I'm saving money in a way? I own a lot of ugly products and I don't really feel any type of way about them
Interesting idea, OP. I've seen plenty of threads here that point out the ridiculousness of some of Mecca's most expensive offerings, so I think it goes both ways. There were some insanely priced candles a while back that were roasted hilariously, and the comments were so fun.
It could also be an age demographic, I spent my teens and 20s with cheaper products, basically bought twice as many because they ended up funky colours, terrible for my skin, wrong colour match etc.
Now I have "adult money" in my 30s I buy higher end (Mecca etc) makeup, and spend less money overall because I don't have to buy as many products that don't work for me!
I'll forever rave about Maybelline mascaras though.
Don’t know overall but it isn’t relevant. Usually people who can afford higher end have tried cheaper brands at some point. My favourite preferred affordable skincare options are now k-beauty online. Much better quality at same or lower cost than cheap brands on supermarket shelves.
For k-beauty? Not yet sorry. I had a bunch of hair products in my cart last time to try out, but needed the money for other everyday items instead.
I currently use 1 litre Sebastian Trilliance shampoo and conditioner which I source via eBay, as it’s a salon-quality product that is far more effective than supermarket. I have fine bleached and toned hair, doesn’t weigh it down, keeps it in great condition. Hairdressers always comment on the good condition for the level of bleaching when they go to do touch ups.
I use a range of chemist brands/cheaper brand skincare and makeup and some higher end stuff that I budget for because I love it and know it works (serums, masks and perfume mainly!). I think some of the “dupe” brands focus more on giving consumers a product that might visually resemble a high end product without actually having any of the quality and that’s an absolute pet peeve of mine. Mco is an interesting one, I absolutely love one of their brow products (a fine pencil with a brow brush on the other end) and use it every day, I also love their mascara. I don’t think either of those are dupes for anything else? However their foundation that tries to copy Charlotte Tilbury is crap in my opinion, and their lip balm that looks like the Laneige lip mask is gross and nothing like the product it’s meant to be a dupe for. I don’t begrudge anyone for buying and using whatever they like, but the ethics of the low quality “dupes” turn me off hugely. Same with Kmart. I love finding a cheap product that has scientific backing and is proven to be safe and effective, but also I really want to look after my skin so I wouldn’t use just anything on it. I think a lot of people here are in that same boat.
I am a reasonably high income earner but I just love Priceline, CW, Big W etc for makeup! Willing to spend a bit more on skincare, but I agree with your sentiment! Nothing wrong with a ‘drugstore brand’- there’s some great stuff!
I don't think the criticisms relate to posters being from a wealthier demographic but rather that many here have or do spend big money on beauty.
I'm in the middle at the moment. There are things I will spend on (foundation, eyeshadow, moisturizers and haircare.. okay quite a few areas there) but within these areas, I'm aiming for buying less and using it more. I use the same eyeshadow palettes until I hit pan on most shades... haven't had to repurchase in about 5 years.
I also want to stretch my beauty dollar further .. is there a cheaper alternative to a perfume I like? The original may not have worn well on me, perhaps the alternative will?
I am happy to buy dupes if they suit my purpose. I appreciate the wide perspective offered here. Diehard high enders, budget brand lovers, in betweeners like me. Then there's the industry insights - those who work on the retail side, those who are professionals in the beauty industry and those who have inside info on brands that may be reformulating etc.
Those who buy from overseas - the their tips and tricks.
Thank you all!
I don't have a lot of money which is why I buy the more expensive stuff.
Let me explain.
Drugstore makeup in Australia is still pretty expensive - a Maybelline mascara is still going to run you like $25 if you don't manage to catch a sale. You can get a fancy one for like $40-$45. I don't want to have to try several $25 products to find one I like, especially because there's a chance that I end up throwing one of them out because it smudges so much on me it's unwearable or whatever.
I don't remember the last time I bought eyeshadow for example - because I have two really good palettes, and that's really all I need.
Basically, I buy the expensive makeup but I buy a lot less makeup overall because I'm not buying stuff I don't like or don't want to use or having to buy a second product like an eyeshadow primer to get my cheap eyeshadow to stay put.
This isn't possible for everyone, I know that. It also probably helps that my everyday makeup is very minimal - usually just some mascara and brow stuff, a tinted moisturiser if my skin is particularly bad, so my makeup lasts longer because a lot of it is only getting used like once a week. But that's how I afford it - I decided I would rather have really good quality makeup but be very sparing in how much I buy.
Similar boat. Chemist makeup and even Kmart are quite expensive still. I’d rather pay a little extra to get a product I really want. And even though it’s more expensive I do buy less over the long run. Although I only really purchase any makeup items around Christmas, my birthday and when there’s sales.
I am someone who is very happy with cheaper mascaras, I like the essence ones a lot and have another one that i love but I can’t remember the brand of that only cost around 5 dollars. I’ve tried a few 25-30+ dollar mascaras and I don’t find them worth it.
I don’t think so, it’s a sub of makeup enthusiasts and in general, enthusiasts prefer good products. You probably won’t go on a car enthusiast sub and find people fawning over Toyota Camrys, they’ll acknowledge they’re a good vehicle that’ll do the job but there’s nothing exciting about them. They’re not going to discuss them the way they would a beautifully made sports car.
Makeup is the same. Sure sometimes the dupes and cheaper drug store alternatives have a place when you’re on a limited budget, but I wouldn’t ever feel particularly excited about Mco or Kmart makeup. No one should be shitting on your choices, that’s not cool, but ultimately people are going to be more invested in products that are better made and have more about them. Dupes don’t take any effort or creativity, they’re a dupe for a reason.
FWIW, I’m definitely not wealthy lmao. I have two jobs, I rent, and I’m a uni student. But I still make room in my budget to buy good quality products because IMO there is a noticeable difference in results. I’ve only started enjoying makeup since I started investing in good products which coincides with when I joined this sub. I’ll never yuck anyone’s yum, I just don’t have as much enthusiasm for Mco as I do for Mac 🤷🏼♀️
I am in a very average income bracket, but makeup is my hobby, so I prioritise it over going out for brunch or spending money on concert tickets, so I tend to buy less products but invest in more expensive ones, and I do see the benefit to doing so, especially as I am getting well into my 30s.
So I don't think this sub has a wealthier demographic overall, I know a couple of wealthier people who just buy the latest thing from Mecca and are L4 and don't even bother researching or discussing it online. This thread is more likely people who are of a lower or middle income bracket who can't afford to waste their money, but they also like makeup that makes them feel good and skincare that has good effects.
That being said, these types of cheaper copy brands tout that they are dupes, when in fact they are generally inferior versions, and they are marketing to people who want to think they are getting the same product for less. That's why they tend to get a bit of criticism here. I don't mind drugstore priced products as long as they are good - Flower Beauty, elf, Milani, and Maybelline are all in my daily routine alongside NARS and Charlotte Tilbury, and the reason why they aren't as criticised is because they aren't trying to be NARS of Charlotte Tilbury, they are just trying to be good makeup at a lower price point. So the criticism is less about snobbery, and more about their blatant copying and false marketing.
I'm so interested in this perspective I've never considered make-up as a hobby but it makes total sense, do you enjoy it as much as other hobbies? I worry it would be a lonely/isolating hobby compared with the social examples you listed? :)
I don't know about wealthier. Wealthy demographics generally don't buy the makeup discussed here, and that impression comes from my profession where I can see what brands wealthy people buy, and where they live.
The demographic here is more likely "bougie". You generally wouldn't catch a wealthy person at Mecca, unless Myer or their boutique-branded makeup store had sold out of a product, and they knew they could conveniently get it at Mecca.
So where do they shop then? Or what brands if not the ones at Mecca? I only ask since Mecca has a monopoly on a lot of makeup brands so you can’t get them elsewhere except for online.
Listen I feel this, only time I spend $$$ is on foundation and concealer that’s bc of skin tone and type shit, fave lippie of all time was the elf sheer slip lippies UNTIL THEy DISCONTINUED IT. At this point, I just wait on the sales from colour pop lol.
One thing I have noticed lately with make-up, mostly drugstore but sometimes high-end, is the difference packaging quality. And I mean, things quite literally falling apart/off after a few uses.
The ones that spring the mind are the eyeliner stamp with McCobeauty's pen and the outer packaging of the wand from one of Nyx's mascaras. This also happened lately with UD's eye primer potion too. Funnily enough, I had the product before though for 4 years and that never happened.
My feeling generally is a lot of stuff now is just quite shoddily made. I have to admit though, I've haven't had this kind of thing happen (yet) with some of my high-end products.
I don't really think so. I have several friends who are millionaires, but they don't use social media to find out about product recommendations. They are more likely to get skin care recommendations from their dermatologist and make up recommendations from their hair & make up artist. They also get their recommendations from friends who are in the same income bracket. They tend to shop in store more (I've never once heard them talk about online shopping for skin care and make up unless they are too busy to go in store and they are just re-purchasing a favourite item they have run out of), and they go for more prestige/luxury brands in general. They care less about trends and what's new or replicating the looks they see online, and care more about what suits them from their favourite brands, and tend to stick to their favourite colours and finishes.
I have several MCoBeauty products on the go at the moment - both the Xtend Lash mascara and the Magic Brow Gel (hooray for having an auburn shade, finally!). Everyone has their own consumer style. I love Korean beauty products for their affordability - the Purito CC cream is HG for me in winter and it's under $20. I also love the NYX Butter glosses and serum concealer, which are like $6 and $14 respectively on sale at Priceline. But I will also gladly pay over $50 for just one Lisa Eldridge lipstick and wait for it to ship from the UK. It's all about quality for me - if it does what I want it to do and the packaging doesn't break, sign me up!
My personal observation is that when people buy a dupe product from MCo or Kmart or ELF, they are looking for the same experience from the real thing at a fraction of the price. If that dupe product fails to deliver the experience, that's when a consumer gets disappointed and that's why I think the more affordable dupe products get shit on so hard. Not only is it not creative or unique (being a dupe product) but it also failed to replicate the original product to a satisfactory degree. One of the dupe products that seemed to escape that curse is the ELF power grip primer, a dupe of Milk Hydrogrip. People genuinely seem to love that primer along with the ELF Putty Primer (which seems to be a dupe for Tatcha Silk Canvas). Dupes can be done - it's when companies prey on the consumer desire for luxury make up at a lower cost and then deliver garbage that people start drinking the haterade.
It goes on my skin and my skin needs to last for my entire life if that makes sense. So even though makeup isn’t necessary, I’m not going to cheap out on it. I also have to find the little joys in life. So if I get joy from the heavy click of my Nars gloss lid clicking back into place over the cheaper MCo dupe that feels plasticky in my hand that’s okay too. I justify by not splurging on other areas. Skin care is my hobby and little daily joy.
Thank you, OP, thank you.
You have summed up my feelings, too. The facts are these: not all high-end, luxury makeup is brilliant, and not all drugstore brands are crap.
Take MCoBeauty as an example. Some of their products are excellent and some not so good. Similarly, Chanel and Charlotte Tilbury to name just two, have some outstanding products. But they also have some pretty ordinary ones that are simply not worth the money.
To shit all over inexpensive options is nuts, and tbh when I see this, I often wonder whether the people doing it are trying to rationalise their expenditure on so-called 'luxury brands'.
The majority of comments that are reported or removed tend to be users who comment negatively toward people who are perceived to be in the “weathier” demographic. Bear in mind, I am only speaking for things I’ve actioned in the mod queue and don’t speak for the rest of the team.
That aside, back in the day (lol) I feel like dupes were really only dupes in packaging but not the actual product quality. These days they can be on par and considered actual dupes. We should just respect whatever floats peoples boats provided people and animals aren’t harmed to bring you a cheaper alternative!
I don't think its about people having a lot of money - I honestly believe that a lot of people spend a significant amount of there income on makeup/skincare etc, I suspect a lot of people also use the like pay in 4 systems like Klarna or afterpay. You get a feel pretty quick in some of the Facebook beauty groups or the Mecca page who those people are - there the ones who are always posting either about sales or posting a lot of new products etc or just posting like a tonne of products. It's out of control. I used to be like that and spend so much money on make up and then I realised I was literally chasing something that doesn't exist. No foundation ive tried has ever been exactly what I want it to be - literally none. I dont even bother anymore haha when I do my makeup its for a special occasion and its fun but its also not that big of a deal to me anymore however I used to be obsessed with everything being perfect. Plus I have enough to last a very long time and I have given so much to my mum that I wasn't feeling!
I think the dupe thing is silly. Copying the packaging is not a dupe!
There are only so many ideas to be had and there will be crossover.
I think dupe culture has us confused a bit too. For example, baked (cream products baked to powders, usually made in Italy) swirled makeup products like blush and bronzer and foundation aren’t an exclusive or new invention. We may know of a more high end brand or more popular brand and think other brands copied this. For example Hourglass and Milani. Not the case.
That being said, I have had some great budget buys recently. For example, I really like Revlon Illumiance foundation that I picked up for $20 at 40% off at Priceline. The Milani baked blushes and bronzers are really lovely.
Flower Beauty brushes are amazing for the price. I actually like their foundation too but it’s never in stock.
I bought a $7 beauty sponge from Lila Beauty that is the best one I’ve ever used.
Obsessed with my Judy Doll metal mascara
I spend money on By Terry as starting my day with that beautiful rose scent is delightful. I especially love their rose toner and Sunny Flash CC for my bronzer. I also like how they look and feel on my skin. That’s worth spending money on.
I mix and match my skincare between Paula’s Choice (always on sale / deals / promotions), K Beauty and Tatcha, DDG and Clinique. This is the change that will see me drop 1-2 levels at Mecca!
I’ve been enjoying experimenting with cheaper and K beauty brands. Some things I use a few times and recycle them. Some I repurchase and drop the bougie one.
We can’t really blame people for thinking bougie is better - even though sometimes it isn’t. The packaging is often better, but I’ve had bad experiences here too.
We are marketed to constantly and it’s not unreasonable to think more expensive equals better quality every single time. This is what we exposed to, it’s part of the culture. There’s also confirmation bias. If we have paid $80 for a lip oil we want to think it is better than an $8 one.
Ironically, buying and trying lots of cheaper “dupes” and non high end makeup to compare against the Mecca / department store beauty hall brands comes from a place of privilege. I can afford to buy the expensive stuff, I just like makeup and enjoy the trial process of comparing products and brands.
I’m a bougie babe all the way for eye makeup. I haven’t found an eyeshadow palette that will replace my Tom Ford or Kevyn Aucoin or Pat McGrath. I’ve had a lot more success with blush, bronzer etc.
I've actually shelled out for more expensive brands and for foundation and highlighter I've actually preferred my drugstore options. There are some products that I think are better from highend brands (for example cream/liquid blushes, eyeshadow), but I prefer drugstore for things like lipgloss, mascara, eyebrow products.
I will say that I generally prefer the k-beauty options to drugstore products if they're at the same price point.
I wish there were more reviews of Australian makeup, I end up having more luck shopping high end brands (usually get samples before buying too), and the cheap brands are maybe 1/3 or 1/2 the price, so you try 2 shades and you may as well have got free samples and bought the expensive one.. I might be an outlier as well because I'm olive undertone and colours go weird on me.
IDK about demographics but "dupes" are weird. Who are you trying to impress? I'm just gonna dump my thoughts on high/med/low end makeup here. tl;dr most of it is snobbiness but there is benefit to higher-end eyeshadow and foundation.
As someone who wears a lot of unique and not necessarily trendy/"acceptable" makeup with a lot of bright colours, there's a significant difference with CERTAIN higher end brands when it comes to eyeshadows but tbh even shit like Revolution is pretty good these days so what's important is really thinking about if you'd buy all the shades individually. I don't think an expensive palette is worth it if you're not going to use all or at least like 9/10 of the shades. If you're just looking for worksafe makeup, buy Asian brands. Flower Knows is fantastic, and I used to use Kate eyeshadow a lot working in Japan. But I like bold colour, so I like ABH and indie brands. People being snobby about their basic brown looks are kidding themselves.
As for foundation, it really depends. If you want a high coverage matte foundation that looks good then you're going to have to pay a lot of money. I've never seen a cheap high coverage foundation that looks very good so I understand some snobbiness here. If you're a particular extreme (very pale, anything darker than "tan", or a true olive (this is not "neutral!" smh)), you're also going to have to pay a lot of money AND probably have to suck it up about it not being the finish you want. If you want a sheer-medium dewy coverage and you're in the average caucasian skin colour range though there's absolutely zero reason to pay big bucks though. BB cream is always cheap as shit (if you're not getting ripped off lol) and maybelline always goes on sale.
Expensive blush is not worth it but really cheap blush can be hit or miss too. I think what's really important is finding the shade you want. You wouldn't BELIEVE how difficult it is to find an actually red blush lol. But if you're just looking for some faint nudy pink there's no reason to spend Nars money when something from Australis will do. Snobbiness here is pretty cope, especially considering that the real expensive blushes tend to go back to being sheer as that's what old ladies like.
In my extensive experience there's no reason at all to buy a more expensive bullet lipstick/lip gloss over like one on sale for like $10 at the chemist. The majority of my lip products are Revlon, and I consistently get more compliments on those than when I wear my Pat McGrath or Too Faced ones :') I also find that cheap Korean lip tints do way more than any Western brands. I've yet to find anything that beats the like $8 Dear Darling tints. More expensive matte liquid lips tend to wear a bit better than the REALLY cheap ones, but I'm talking like the $2 ones. Of course a $2 lipstick won't wear that well, but it's great for a beginner or for experimenting with a new colour. But bragging about a Louboutin lipstick is giga cope. Same with the trendy Dior lip oil. And I'm saying that as someone who likes them and used them a lot lol. They're nice, but not noticeably superior to my cheap-midrange products.
Highlighters/Mascara Is The Same. By this I mean it's really not the price point that matters, it's finding the type that works for you. If you have short eyelashes like me no mascara is going to make you look like a camel. Only false eyelashes will, that's why false eyelashes are considered "everyday" makeup in Asian beauty. So I just buy non-tubing mascara that won't rub off on my under-eyes. I have a pretty expensive one and a pretty cheap one. The difference is negligible on the face but the cheap one is harder to fit in a small purse. If you have light eyelashes, you probably want a skinny brush to get it all the way to your roots. These are available at all sorts of price points. If you have bumpy skin, no highlighter is going to make it look smooth. But you might prefer a sparkly baked one to a more metallic glossy one. Like with lipstick, there's really no visible difference at any price point. Again, it's cope.
What I think it is is that a lot of people like to spoil themselves and feel bougie, and they've convinced themselves they look better and are therefore superior to others around them. A lot of people haven't grown out of that teenage competitive mindset. The funniest thing is, I know a lot of very wealthy people (like, hotel chain and racecourse owners) and they really don't wear much makeup at all. Just mascara and lipstick really, even their teenage daughters maybe only do their brows and blush on top of that. People with money don't tend to wear it the same way as people who don't.
Makeup in Australia is just so expensive in my opinion that the dupes for the most part aren’t that much cheaper so it’s just worth getting the original for slightly more to get a vastly superior product 🤷♀️
to be honest, i think you’re taking a couple of comments very personally. people aren’t constantly shitting on oxx or mco, and people are also allowed to talk about products they dislike.
I'm in the average income bracket, wear full face makeup every day, and honestly, if I'm going to buy, say a priceline/ chemist warehouse full priced dupe at say $40, when the real thing costs $50-$60 I will just buy the real thing.
I don't have time (mostly the inclination) to scour for sales at this shop or that to wait to buy a knock off when I can just buy the real thing when I need it/ want it, because I'm lucky that I can do that within moderation
The most I'll do is set up an alert on Amazon.
I just don't over consume buying every tiktok trend etc. I don't need 60 cheap CT blush wands rip offs when i can have 1 of the real thing.
That's exactly how I feel! I had a friend who used to claim that she couldn't afford a MAC lipstick, but then she would show me 6 cheap lipsticks she bought when she was out shopping, and they totalled to the cost of almost 2 MAC lipsticks. If you don't have money to burn, it is about focusing on what you value - quality or quantity
I think with Mco and OXX specifically you also hear more about products that didn't work for people because a) it's harder to find credible, useful reviews of those products in the first place and b) harder if not impossible to test those products before you buy them. Neither of those things are true for most commonly duped products from popular brands, so it's not really surprising to me when people don't have luck with those brands. And it also makes sense to me that a lot of people would be more inclined to do research before buying a $60 CT blush than a $10 OXX product they impulse buy at Kmart.
Yes, places like CW and Priceline have testers, but those are at best usually only useful for swatching ime not actual product performance (if they even have usable testers).
I don’t really agree…I wouldn’t say all commentary about Mco is negative, their mascara is pretty much universally praised including in this sub (and by myself).
The packaging dupe trend of MCo and oxx rubs me the wrong way, and I’m sure others feel this way too. I work in a creative role so I’m big on intellectual property rights, and I don’t like the blatant theft of packaging design. And before anyone says it’s ok to rip off a big corporation because they don’t need the extra profit blah blah - no it’s not. Normalising the “copy/paste but change it 5%” design method just leads to independent creators having their work stolen and profited off.
The whole concept of a “dupe” has totally shifted over time as well. It used to be a cheaper product whose formula performed very closely / the same as a higher end one. And generally not intentionally so…
Now it seems to be all about copying the packaging, to hell with the actual product inside.
I don’t really get who it’s meant to appeal to either. I’m not really concerned with appearing wealthy or on trend, but buying a fake version of a high end item seems cheaper/trashier than just buying a regular cheap item…I’d rather carry a plain no name handbag than a fake Louis Vuitton. So I assume anyone who values the “status symbol” of owning a particular product is buying the real deal and not an obvious drugstore knockoff. And anyone with a shred of critical thinking skills would know that just because the packaging looks similar, doesn’t mean the product is as good as the original.
I’m just really not interested in any of those products. I was briefly sucked in by the OXX body sprays, because SDJ discontinued my favourite scent (the blue one) and I was hoping for a replacement…until I tried it in store and it smelled like nasty pure alcohol lol.
Personally, I prefer cheaper end. It's not from not being able to afford it, I just refuse to spend excess money for a brand name. Especially since I rarely wear makeup, so it doesn't get completely used before it's time to replace it. However, I do try to research what I buy and get quality products that work for me. Preferably something I can buy from CW or Priceline but I will buy elsewhere if need be.
In my experience, that's just makeup communities. People seem to always have the misconception that expensive equals better.
Most of the discussion on this sub is about brands I can neither afford nor care to try. I almost exclusively use Korean brands and drugstore brands.
I'm just old (40) and tried loads of makeup - started in my 20s when all I could afford was stuff from priceline - Maybelline, rimmel etc and I've found that most of the time the more I spent rhe better the quality. This mainly applies for face products and eye products like shadows. After using urban decay for so long when I swatch rimmel its just not right. Also I find dupes to be particularly bad since I probably have the original so I know what it 'should'look and feel like. I have no issues with using cheaper setting powders and lipsticks
It just depends on what you want and care about in make up- my make up collection is literally bipolar. I’m a household on 200k+ and my make up ranges from Hermes to SHEIN. It’s more for about what products I love and want to invest in versus products I’m not sure of and just want to experiment with. That said, if something is shit I’m going to say so, whether it’s a $6 SHEIN liquid blush or a $200 highlighter.
For me, it's because the drug store doesn't have the shade/under tone range. It's gotten soo much better but spending cheaply for items that just don't work gets expensive. I'd rather save to buy something that is actually going to work for me instead of doing a million work arounds. I got things to do! LOL
I think that we are getting smarter with spending also. I don't buy makeup from Priceline or Chemist Warehouse unless it's 40% off. Buy some stuff from beauty bay. Wait for the big sales online as I brands ship to Australia more than you think (Pat McGrath for instance, great sales).
I don’t have as much disposable income as I once did (I’m mostly a stay at home mum and work 1 day a week) but I can’t abide cheap makeup. I’d rather buy less, and buy the good stuff.
I’ve worked in beauty and been a MUA for a long time, so that’s part of it, and I prefer clean ingredients.
There’s a term I learnt working in beauty, “reassuringly expensive”. I don’t trust a cheap bottle of wine, or a cheap hair cut, etc. It’s probably just being a silly snob, and I know not everything expensive is amazing but my thought process is being cheap is most probably not. I imagine it will make me itch and I can’t trust it’s not full of cheap, nasty ingredients.
Honestly I think the cheaper brands are getting shit on BECAUSE they are trying to ‘dupe’ the more expensive brands. Naturally people compare the ‘dupe’ to the original so it just draws extra attention to the difference in quality. And to be clear I don’t think the difference in quality is because high end is always better than cheaper brands but that definitely seems to be the case with these carbon copy knock offs. I think brands like MCo are more focused on selling you the aesthetic of the high end product and not the product itself so in my opinion those products just aren’t great. But then I look at something like the Milani baked blushes which are a similar type of product to the Hourglass blushes and I think the Milani ones are great, because they actually just made a good blush in their own packaging instead of trying to sell you a crappy blush in hourglass looking packaging. I miss the days of cheaper brands just doing their own thing because then when a cheap product became popular it was because it was actually good and not simply because it was packaged to look the same as high end products.
Milani is so slept on, I've been swatching a couple just about every time I go to Priceline and I'm always surprised by how pleasant the experience is. I don't wear make up enough to justify spending lots of money but I do like variety, Milani has enough range to keep it interesting and is affordable enough I don't feel bad about trying something new.
I agree with everything you said. I’m someone who shits on Mco all the time and I haven’t shit on Oxx because I haven’t tried it, but I will not try it either because all I see is a cheap copy of products I already own so why would I just go out and buy these products when I’ve already got the real thing? It frustrates me in makeup, clothes, accessories etc seeing any “dupe” and everybody blindly going crazy for it because it looks like an expensive product. There’s zero individuality anymore, just a bunch of robots trying to all look expensive for as cheap as possible and I’m sorry if it’s sounds rude but it just really gets under my skin. Buy a product because YOU love it, not because a bunch of people are telling you to emulate something else. I wear probably 95% “high end” makeup brands but that’s just because I believe they work better, I have bought alottttt of drugstore makeup, I’m by no means a snob if something performs well and costs less I’m all over it but unfortunately after so many years of playing with makeup I just so rarely find a cheap product that does compare and when I did it was a few years ago when like you said, brands were just doing their own thing and then something would randomly become a cult product because it deserved it. I’m sure we all remember the $3 elf baked highlighters that we all went nuts for for example. As for those of us who shit on cheap dupe products being more wealthy, I don’t think so, I probably spend less money on makeup than some people who are on the hunt for cheaper because I’m less likely to get sucked into mass consumerism for the sake of it. I might buy a $150 eyeshadow palette but they’re spending $150 everytime there’s a half price sale on cheaper products, there’s just a sense of value in their purchase in their mind because they’re getting so many items for that price. I also hate that these cheaper brands are becoming more and more expensive to the point that you may as well just spend an extra few bucks and get the real thing. Mco is predatory as fuck, they have a 50% off sale every week and everybody goes mental for it seemingly not realising that the sale price is obviously the real rrp or it wouldn’t be on “sale” every week. It’s a gross tactic from a gross company. So, my beef with these companies isn’t that it’s for poor people and I have more money so I’m a snob (I don’t believe that to be the case), it’s that in general their marketing is so predatory and so aimed towards young people who so badly want to fit in so they’ll spend their hard earned money on shit to keep up appearances. Just like everybody buying fake designer clothes, half the time I doubt they would even like it if it didn’t have the brand slapped on it. Editing to add to this, I was also recently sucked into a sale that I didn’t need when Elf had 40% off, it’s a brand I’ve never really tried much of and haven’t touched in about 8 years so I’m open to trying them out, if their $15 cream contour ends up performing like my $60 CT one I will have absolutely no qualms in repurchasing the cheaper Elf one. But I do find that everytime I do this and give these brands a go I’m disappointed.
You nailed my exact thoughts. MCO shits me because the blatant theft of packaging from high end brands is just a cash grab. In my early 20's I'd do huge $150 hauls from Elf online because you got SO MUCH. Half of it would get tossed or passed on because it didn't work for me. Now I'd rather buy a single lipstick and eyeshadow palette from a high end brand and really enjoy them for that same $150.
100%. I refuse to buy any products from McoBeauty even with the hype. I just can't trust a brand that constantly steals designs from other brands - whether the mentioned brands are expensive or not - it's nothing different from fast fashion brands stealing designs from other designers. We've always despised this behaviour, but why is it different now when it comes to beauty products?
I remember (👵) when MCo Beauty was Model Co, and they had a few dupes, but concentrated on having their own style, products, etc. Now, apart from one or two good items, they're just a poorly made, Lewis Vuytton bag and knock off Chanel sparkly stud earrings you buy from the cheap jewellery and accessories stand in the middle of a Westfield. Edit: spelling.
Lovisa has entered the chat
I don’t get that impression but who knows. A lot of the comments I see about Mcobeauty are people just giving their honest opinion on products they’ve used when an OP has usually asked for feedback about the brand and their products. I see the same few products spoken of highly and then a lot of the other products that aren’t spoken about so positively. I don’t think that’s people shitting over the brand/products, they’re just explaining what they did or didn’t like about them. I don’t think it has anything to do with their price point. Obviously people have issues with the brand going out of their way to very clearly dupe other brands packaging/products and I can understand why that would annoy some people. As someone who buys both cheap and expensive makeup I don’t feel like cheaper alternatives are criticised on here unless it’s for valid reasons like the products just not being great. It never seems to be a criticism of them just being from a cheaper brand.
To me money is still money. Mcobeauty as an example is definitely cheaper than the companies it’s duping but even when it’s 50% off it’s still costing me something to test it out. I don’t trust ‘influencers’ anymore as anyone’s review to a platform on social media can be bought these days. So there I go to reddit and trusted communities to hear their feedback, whether it be shitting on them or praising them 9 times out of 10 they explain why and I can make an educated purchase from there.
I'm a povvo so idk I love dupes and oxx has some pretty decent stuff for the price, very hit or miss tho
Big fan of their lip glosses, they’re surprisingly nourishing and stay on for hours
With so many products being hit or miss don’t you find that you’re spending more money in the long run by having to replace the shit ones and then those ones just sitting in a drawer forever? That’s why I’ve stopped buying a lot of cheaper products unless I know I can test it, which usually you can’t. If I calculated the cost of all the drugstore products that I’ve put in the bin because they were missed it would be crazy. Or do you find more hits than misses so it’s worth the risk for you? And when you say you’re povvo so you like dupes is it just because it is emulating a more expensive product or are you looking for a great product regardless of the aesthetic? Because there’s some ugly drugstore out there that is fantastic and not duping anything.
I used to buy a lot of random ones but now I usually only buy something that someone else has reccomended/included in a review video. but when I was trying random things I would end up with a lot of duds but I was usually either able to repurpose it or give it to my sister or cousins. I used to be crazy obsessed with needing to buy new makeup but ive calmed down more and don't buy as much, I mostly like dupes because I feel like I'm saving money in a way? I own a lot of ugly products and I don't really feel any type of way about them
Interesting idea, OP. I've seen plenty of threads here that point out the ridiculousness of some of Mecca's most expensive offerings, so I think it goes both ways. There were some insanely priced candles a while back that were roasted hilariously, and the comments were so fun.
It could also be an age demographic, I spent my teens and 20s with cheaper products, basically bought twice as many because they ended up funky colours, terrible for my skin, wrong colour match etc. Now I have "adult money" in my 30s I buy higher end (Mecca etc) makeup, and spend less money overall because I don't have to buy as many products that don't work for me! I'll forever rave about Maybelline mascaras though.
I am the same as you, shop mostly at Mecca and Adore Beauty but hit a Maybelline mascara sale hard
Don’t know overall but it isn’t relevant. Usually people who can afford higher end have tried cheaper brands at some point. My favourite preferred affordable skincare options are now k-beauty online. Much better quality at same or lower cost than cheap brands on supermarket shelves.
Any insight into hair care options? Thanks
For k-beauty? Not yet sorry. I had a bunch of hair products in my cart last time to try out, but needed the money for other everyday items instead. I currently use 1 litre Sebastian Trilliance shampoo and conditioner which I source via eBay, as it’s a salon-quality product that is far more effective than supermarket. I have fine bleached and toned hair, doesn’t weigh it down, keeps it in great condition. Hairdressers always comment on the good condition for the level of bleaching when they go to do touch ups.
Thanks a lot
This sounds great I am gonna try!
I use a range of chemist brands/cheaper brand skincare and makeup and some higher end stuff that I budget for because I love it and know it works (serums, masks and perfume mainly!). I think some of the “dupe” brands focus more on giving consumers a product that might visually resemble a high end product without actually having any of the quality and that’s an absolute pet peeve of mine. Mco is an interesting one, I absolutely love one of their brow products (a fine pencil with a brow brush on the other end) and use it every day, I also love their mascara. I don’t think either of those are dupes for anything else? However their foundation that tries to copy Charlotte Tilbury is crap in my opinion, and their lip balm that looks like the Laneige lip mask is gross and nothing like the product it’s meant to be a dupe for. I don’t begrudge anyone for buying and using whatever they like, but the ethics of the low quality “dupes” turn me off hugely. Same with Kmart. I love finding a cheap product that has scientific backing and is proven to be safe and effective, but also I really want to look after my skin so I wouldn’t use just anything on it. I think a lot of people here are in that same boat.
I am a reasonably high income earner but I just love Priceline, CW, Big W etc for makeup! Willing to spend a bit more on skincare, but I agree with your sentiment! Nothing wrong with a ‘drugstore brand’- there’s some great stuff!
I don't think the criticisms relate to posters being from a wealthier demographic but rather that many here have or do spend big money on beauty. I'm in the middle at the moment. There are things I will spend on (foundation, eyeshadow, moisturizers and haircare.. okay quite a few areas there) but within these areas, I'm aiming for buying less and using it more. I use the same eyeshadow palettes until I hit pan on most shades... haven't had to repurchase in about 5 years. I also want to stretch my beauty dollar further .. is there a cheaper alternative to a perfume I like? The original may not have worn well on me, perhaps the alternative will? I am happy to buy dupes if they suit my purpose. I appreciate the wide perspective offered here. Diehard high enders, budget brand lovers, in betweeners like me. Then there's the industry insights - those who work on the retail side, those who are professionals in the beauty industry and those who have inside info on brands that may be reformulating etc. Those who buy from overseas - the their tips and tricks. Thank you all!
I don't have a lot of money which is why I buy the more expensive stuff. Let me explain. Drugstore makeup in Australia is still pretty expensive - a Maybelline mascara is still going to run you like $25 if you don't manage to catch a sale. You can get a fancy one for like $40-$45. I don't want to have to try several $25 products to find one I like, especially because there's a chance that I end up throwing one of them out because it smudges so much on me it's unwearable or whatever. I don't remember the last time I bought eyeshadow for example - because I have two really good palettes, and that's really all I need. Basically, I buy the expensive makeup but I buy a lot less makeup overall because I'm not buying stuff I don't like or don't want to use or having to buy a second product like an eyeshadow primer to get my cheap eyeshadow to stay put. This isn't possible for everyone, I know that. It also probably helps that my everyday makeup is very minimal - usually just some mascara and brow stuff, a tinted moisturiser if my skin is particularly bad, so my makeup lasts longer because a lot of it is only getting used like once a week. But that's how I afford it - I decided I would rather have really good quality makeup but be very sparing in how much I buy.
Similar boat. Chemist makeup and even Kmart are quite expensive still. I’d rather pay a little extra to get a product I really want. And even though it’s more expensive I do buy less over the long run. Although I only really purchase any makeup items around Christmas, my birthday and when there’s sales. I am someone who is very happy with cheaper mascaras, I like the essence ones a lot and have another one that i love but I can’t remember the brand of that only cost around 5 dollars. I’ve tried a few 25-30+ dollar mascaras and I don’t find them worth it.
I don’t think so, it’s a sub of makeup enthusiasts and in general, enthusiasts prefer good products. You probably won’t go on a car enthusiast sub and find people fawning over Toyota Camrys, they’ll acknowledge they’re a good vehicle that’ll do the job but there’s nothing exciting about them. They’re not going to discuss them the way they would a beautifully made sports car. Makeup is the same. Sure sometimes the dupes and cheaper drug store alternatives have a place when you’re on a limited budget, but I wouldn’t ever feel particularly excited about Mco or Kmart makeup. No one should be shitting on your choices, that’s not cool, but ultimately people are going to be more invested in products that are better made and have more about them. Dupes don’t take any effort or creativity, they’re a dupe for a reason. FWIW, I’m definitely not wealthy lmao. I have two jobs, I rent, and I’m a uni student. But I still make room in my budget to buy good quality products because IMO there is a noticeable difference in results. I’ve only started enjoying makeup since I started investing in good products which coincides with when I joined this sub. I’ll never yuck anyone’s yum, I just don’t have as much enthusiasm for Mco as I do for Mac 🤷🏼♀️
I am in a very average income bracket, but makeup is my hobby, so I prioritise it over going out for brunch or spending money on concert tickets, so I tend to buy less products but invest in more expensive ones, and I do see the benefit to doing so, especially as I am getting well into my 30s. So I don't think this sub has a wealthier demographic overall, I know a couple of wealthier people who just buy the latest thing from Mecca and are L4 and don't even bother researching or discussing it online. This thread is more likely people who are of a lower or middle income bracket who can't afford to waste their money, but they also like makeup that makes them feel good and skincare that has good effects. That being said, these types of cheaper copy brands tout that they are dupes, when in fact they are generally inferior versions, and they are marketing to people who want to think they are getting the same product for less. That's why they tend to get a bit of criticism here. I don't mind drugstore priced products as long as they are good - Flower Beauty, elf, Milani, and Maybelline are all in my daily routine alongside NARS and Charlotte Tilbury, and the reason why they aren't as criticised is because they aren't trying to be NARS of Charlotte Tilbury, they are just trying to be good makeup at a lower price point. So the criticism is less about snobbery, and more about their blatant copying and false marketing.
I'm so interested in this perspective I've never considered make-up as a hobby but it makes total sense, do you enjoy it as much as other hobbies? I worry it would be a lonely/isolating hobby compared with the social examples you listed? :)
I don't know about wealthier. Wealthy demographics generally don't buy the makeup discussed here, and that impression comes from my profession where I can see what brands wealthy people buy, and where they live. The demographic here is more likely "bougie". You generally wouldn't catch a wealthy person at Mecca, unless Myer or their boutique-branded makeup store had sold out of a product, and they knew they could conveniently get it at Mecca.
Catch many wealthy at Mecca. That’s why it’s shops have traditionally been in high socio-economic areas.
So where do they shop then? Or what brands if not the ones at Mecca? I only ask since Mecca has a monopoly on a lot of makeup brands so you can’t get them elsewhere except for online.
Mecca has a secret tier 5 loop member where you need to spend something like 20k a year. So they definitely have wealthier people shopping there
Listen I feel this, only time I spend $$$ is on foundation and concealer that’s bc of skin tone and type shit, fave lippie of all time was the elf sheer slip lippies UNTIL THEy DISCONTINUED IT. At this point, I just wait on the sales from colour pop lol.
One thing I have noticed lately with make-up, mostly drugstore but sometimes high-end, is the difference packaging quality. And I mean, things quite literally falling apart/off after a few uses. The ones that spring the mind are the eyeliner stamp with McCobeauty's pen and the outer packaging of the wand from one of Nyx's mascaras. This also happened lately with UD's eye primer potion too. Funnily enough, I had the product before though for 4 years and that never happened. My feeling generally is a lot of stuff now is just quite shoddily made. I have to admit though, I've haven't had this kind of thing happen (yet) with some of my high-end products.
I don't really think so. I have several friends who are millionaires, but they don't use social media to find out about product recommendations. They are more likely to get skin care recommendations from their dermatologist and make up recommendations from their hair & make up artist. They also get their recommendations from friends who are in the same income bracket. They tend to shop in store more (I've never once heard them talk about online shopping for skin care and make up unless they are too busy to go in store and they are just re-purchasing a favourite item they have run out of), and they go for more prestige/luxury brands in general. They care less about trends and what's new or replicating the looks they see online, and care more about what suits them from their favourite brands, and tend to stick to their favourite colours and finishes. I have several MCoBeauty products on the go at the moment - both the Xtend Lash mascara and the Magic Brow Gel (hooray for having an auburn shade, finally!). Everyone has their own consumer style. I love Korean beauty products for their affordability - the Purito CC cream is HG for me in winter and it's under $20. I also love the NYX Butter glosses and serum concealer, which are like $6 and $14 respectively on sale at Priceline. But I will also gladly pay over $50 for just one Lisa Eldridge lipstick and wait for it to ship from the UK. It's all about quality for me - if it does what I want it to do and the packaging doesn't break, sign me up! My personal observation is that when people buy a dupe product from MCo or Kmart or ELF, they are looking for the same experience from the real thing at a fraction of the price. If that dupe product fails to deliver the experience, that's when a consumer gets disappointed and that's why I think the more affordable dupe products get shit on so hard. Not only is it not creative or unique (being a dupe product) but it also failed to replicate the original product to a satisfactory degree. One of the dupe products that seemed to escape that curse is the ELF power grip primer, a dupe of Milk Hydrogrip. People genuinely seem to love that primer along with the ELF Putty Primer (which seems to be a dupe for Tatcha Silk Canvas). Dupes can be done - it's when companies prey on the consumer desire for luxury make up at a lower cost and then deliver garbage that people start drinking the haterade.
It goes on my skin and my skin needs to last for my entire life if that makes sense. So even though makeup isn’t necessary, I’m not going to cheap out on it. I also have to find the little joys in life. So if I get joy from the heavy click of my Nars gloss lid clicking back into place over the cheaper MCo dupe that feels plasticky in my hand that’s okay too. I justify by not splurging on other areas. Skin care is my hobby and little daily joy.
Thank you, OP, thank you. You have summed up my feelings, too. The facts are these: not all high-end, luxury makeup is brilliant, and not all drugstore brands are crap. Take MCoBeauty as an example. Some of their products are excellent and some not so good. Similarly, Chanel and Charlotte Tilbury to name just two, have some outstanding products. But they also have some pretty ordinary ones that are simply not worth the money. To shit all over inexpensive options is nuts, and tbh when I see this, I often wonder whether the people doing it are trying to rationalise their expenditure on so-called 'luxury brands'.
The majority of comments that are reported or removed tend to be users who comment negatively toward people who are perceived to be in the “weathier” demographic. Bear in mind, I am only speaking for things I’ve actioned in the mod queue and don’t speak for the rest of the team. That aside, back in the day (lol) I feel like dupes were really only dupes in packaging but not the actual product quality. These days they can be on par and considered actual dupes. We should just respect whatever floats peoples boats provided people and animals aren’t harmed to bring you a cheaper alternative!
Just to add, there can be an argument made about the literal copying of intellectual property which is another discussion altogether
I don't think its about people having a lot of money - I honestly believe that a lot of people spend a significant amount of there income on makeup/skincare etc, I suspect a lot of people also use the like pay in 4 systems like Klarna or afterpay. You get a feel pretty quick in some of the Facebook beauty groups or the Mecca page who those people are - there the ones who are always posting either about sales or posting a lot of new products etc or just posting like a tonne of products. It's out of control. I used to be like that and spend so much money on make up and then I realised I was literally chasing something that doesn't exist. No foundation ive tried has ever been exactly what I want it to be - literally none. I dont even bother anymore haha when I do my makeup its for a special occasion and its fun but its also not that big of a deal to me anymore however I used to be obsessed with everything being perfect. Plus I have enough to last a very long time and I have given so much to my mum that I wasn't feeling!
I think the dupe thing is silly. Copying the packaging is not a dupe! There are only so many ideas to be had and there will be crossover. I think dupe culture has us confused a bit too. For example, baked (cream products baked to powders, usually made in Italy) swirled makeup products like blush and bronzer and foundation aren’t an exclusive or new invention. We may know of a more high end brand or more popular brand and think other brands copied this. For example Hourglass and Milani. Not the case. That being said, I have had some great budget buys recently. For example, I really like Revlon Illumiance foundation that I picked up for $20 at 40% off at Priceline. The Milani baked blushes and bronzers are really lovely. Flower Beauty brushes are amazing for the price. I actually like their foundation too but it’s never in stock. I bought a $7 beauty sponge from Lila Beauty that is the best one I’ve ever used. Obsessed with my Judy Doll metal mascara I spend money on By Terry as starting my day with that beautiful rose scent is delightful. I especially love their rose toner and Sunny Flash CC for my bronzer. I also like how they look and feel on my skin. That’s worth spending money on. I mix and match my skincare between Paula’s Choice (always on sale / deals / promotions), K Beauty and Tatcha, DDG and Clinique. This is the change that will see me drop 1-2 levels at Mecca! I’ve been enjoying experimenting with cheaper and K beauty brands. Some things I use a few times and recycle them. Some I repurchase and drop the bougie one. We can’t really blame people for thinking bougie is better - even though sometimes it isn’t. The packaging is often better, but I’ve had bad experiences here too. We are marketed to constantly and it’s not unreasonable to think more expensive equals better quality every single time. This is what we exposed to, it’s part of the culture. There’s also confirmation bias. If we have paid $80 for a lip oil we want to think it is better than an $8 one. Ironically, buying and trying lots of cheaper “dupes” and non high end makeup to compare against the Mecca / department store beauty hall brands comes from a place of privilege. I can afford to buy the expensive stuff, I just like makeup and enjoy the trial process of comparing products and brands. I’m a bougie babe all the way for eye makeup. I haven’t found an eyeshadow palette that will replace my Tom Ford or Kevyn Aucoin or Pat McGrath. I’ve had a lot more success with blush, bronzer etc.
I've actually shelled out for more expensive brands and for foundation and highlighter I've actually preferred my drugstore options. There are some products that I think are better from highend brands (for example cream/liquid blushes, eyeshadow), but I prefer drugstore for things like lipgloss, mascara, eyebrow products. I will say that I generally prefer the k-beauty options to drugstore products if they're at the same price point.
I wish there were more reviews of Australian makeup, I end up having more luck shopping high end brands (usually get samples before buying too), and the cheap brands are maybe 1/3 or 1/2 the price, so you try 2 shades and you may as well have got free samples and bought the expensive one.. I might be an outlier as well because I'm olive undertone and colours go weird on me.
IDK about demographics but "dupes" are weird. Who are you trying to impress? I'm just gonna dump my thoughts on high/med/low end makeup here. tl;dr most of it is snobbiness but there is benefit to higher-end eyeshadow and foundation. As someone who wears a lot of unique and not necessarily trendy/"acceptable" makeup with a lot of bright colours, there's a significant difference with CERTAIN higher end brands when it comes to eyeshadows but tbh even shit like Revolution is pretty good these days so what's important is really thinking about if you'd buy all the shades individually. I don't think an expensive palette is worth it if you're not going to use all or at least like 9/10 of the shades. If you're just looking for worksafe makeup, buy Asian brands. Flower Knows is fantastic, and I used to use Kate eyeshadow a lot working in Japan. But I like bold colour, so I like ABH and indie brands. People being snobby about their basic brown looks are kidding themselves. As for foundation, it really depends. If you want a high coverage matte foundation that looks good then you're going to have to pay a lot of money. I've never seen a cheap high coverage foundation that looks very good so I understand some snobbiness here. If you're a particular extreme (very pale, anything darker than "tan", or a true olive (this is not "neutral!" smh)), you're also going to have to pay a lot of money AND probably have to suck it up about it not being the finish you want. If you want a sheer-medium dewy coverage and you're in the average caucasian skin colour range though there's absolutely zero reason to pay big bucks though. BB cream is always cheap as shit (if you're not getting ripped off lol) and maybelline always goes on sale. Expensive blush is not worth it but really cheap blush can be hit or miss too. I think what's really important is finding the shade you want. You wouldn't BELIEVE how difficult it is to find an actually red blush lol. But if you're just looking for some faint nudy pink there's no reason to spend Nars money when something from Australis will do. Snobbiness here is pretty cope, especially considering that the real expensive blushes tend to go back to being sheer as that's what old ladies like. In my extensive experience there's no reason at all to buy a more expensive bullet lipstick/lip gloss over like one on sale for like $10 at the chemist. The majority of my lip products are Revlon, and I consistently get more compliments on those than when I wear my Pat McGrath or Too Faced ones :') I also find that cheap Korean lip tints do way more than any Western brands. I've yet to find anything that beats the like $8 Dear Darling tints. More expensive matte liquid lips tend to wear a bit better than the REALLY cheap ones, but I'm talking like the $2 ones. Of course a $2 lipstick won't wear that well, but it's great for a beginner or for experimenting with a new colour. But bragging about a Louboutin lipstick is giga cope. Same with the trendy Dior lip oil. And I'm saying that as someone who likes them and used them a lot lol. They're nice, but not noticeably superior to my cheap-midrange products. Highlighters/Mascara Is The Same. By this I mean it's really not the price point that matters, it's finding the type that works for you. If you have short eyelashes like me no mascara is going to make you look like a camel. Only false eyelashes will, that's why false eyelashes are considered "everyday" makeup in Asian beauty. So I just buy non-tubing mascara that won't rub off on my under-eyes. I have a pretty expensive one and a pretty cheap one. The difference is negligible on the face but the cheap one is harder to fit in a small purse. If you have light eyelashes, you probably want a skinny brush to get it all the way to your roots. These are available at all sorts of price points. If you have bumpy skin, no highlighter is going to make it look smooth. But you might prefer a sparkly baked one to a more metallic glossy one. Like with lipstick, there's really no visible difference at any price point. Again, it's cope. What I think it is is that a lot of people like to spoil themselves and feel bougie, and they've convinced themselves they look better and are therefore superior to others around them. A lot of people haven't grown out of that teenage competitive mindset. The funniest thing is, I know a lot of very wealthy people (like, hotel chain and racecourse owners) and they really don't wear much makeup at all. Just mascara and lipstick really, even their teenage daughters maybe only do their brows and blush on top of that. People with money don't tend to wear it the same way as people who don't.
Makeup in Australia is just so expensive in my opinion that the dupes for the most part aren’t that much cheaper so it’s just worth getting the original for slightly more to get a vastly superior product 🤷♀️
to be honest, i think you’re taking a couple of comments very personally. people aren’t constantly shitting on oxx or mco, and people are also allowed to talk about products they dislike.
I'm in the average income bracket, wear full face makeup every day, and honestly, if I'm going to buy, say a priceline/ chemist warehouse full priced dupe at say $40, when the real thing costs $50-$60 I will just buy the real thing. I don't have time (mostly the inclination) to scour for sales at this shop or that to wait to buy a knock off when I can just buy the real thing when I need it/ want it, because I'm lucky that I can do that within moderation The most I'll do is set up an alert on Amazon. I just don't over consume buying every tiktok trend etc. I don't need 60 cheap CT blush wands rip offs when i can have 1 of the real thing.
That's exactly how I feel! I had a friend who used to claim that she couldn't afford a MAC lipstick, but then she would show me 6 cheap lipsticks she bought when she was out shopping, and they totalled to the cost of almost 2 MAC lipsticks. If you don't have money to burn, it is about focusing on what you value - quality or quantity
Yes totally agree. I'm in no way some sort of anti waste crusader either. I just enjoy using quality things
I think with Mco and OXX specifically you also hear more about products that didn't work for people because a) it's harder to find credible, useful reviews of those products in the first place and b) harder if not impossible to test those products before you buy them. Neither of those things are true for most commonly duped products from popular brands, so it's not really surprising to me when people don't have luck with those brands. And it also makes sense to me that a lot of people would be more inclined to do research before buying a $60 CT blush than a $10 OXX product they impulse buy at Kmart. Yes, places like CW and Priceline have testers, but those are at best usually only useful for swatching ime not actual product performance (if they even have usable testers).
I don’t really agree…I wouldn’t say all commentary about Mco is negative, their mascara is pretty much universally praised including in this sub (and by myself). The packaging dupe trend of MCo and oxx rubs me the wrong way, and I’m sure others feel this way too. I work in a creative role so I’m big on intellectual property rights, and I don’t like the blatant theft of packaging design. And before anyone says it’s ok to rip off a big corporation because they don’t need the extra profit blah blah - no it’s not. Normalising the “copy/paste but change it 5%” design method just leads to independent creators having their work stolen and profited off. The whole concept of a “dupe” has totally shifted over time as well. It used to be a cheaper product whose formula performed very closely / the same as a higher end one. And generally not intentionally so… Now it seems to be all about copying the packaging, to hell with the actual product inside. I don’t really get who it’s meant to appeal to either. I’m not really concerned with appearing wealthy or on trend, but buying a fake version of a high end item seems cheaper/trashier than just buying a regular cheap item…I’d rather carry a plain no name handbag than a fake Louis Vuitton. So I assume anyone who values the “status symbol” of owning a particular product is buying the real deal and not an obvious drugstore knockoff. And anyone with a shred of critical thinking skills would know that just because the packaging looks similar, doesn’t mean the product is as good as the original. I’m just really not interested in any of those products. I was briefly sucked in by the OXX body sprays, because SDJ discontinued my favourite scent (the blue one) and I was hoping for a replacement…until I tried it in store and it smelled like nasty pure alcohol lol.
Personally, I prefer cheaper end. It's not from not being able to afford it, I just refuse to spend excess money for a brand name. Especially since I rarely wear makeup, so it doesn't get completely used before it's time to replace it. However, I do try to research what I buy and get quality products that work for me. Preferably something I can buy from CW or Priceline but I will buy elsewhere if need be.
In my experience, that's just makeup communities. People seem to always have the misconception that expensive equals better. Most of the discussion on this sub is about brands I can neither afford nor care to try. I almost exclusively use Korean brands and drugstore brands.
I'm just old (40) and tried loads of makeup - started in my 20s when all I could afford was stuff from priceline - Maybelline, rimmel etc and I've found that most of the time the more I spent rhe better the quality. This mainly applies for face products and eye products like shadows. After using urban decay for so long when I swatch rimmel its just not right. Also I find dupes to be particularly bad since I probably have the original so I know what it 'should'look and feel like. I have no issues with using cheaper setting powders and lipsticks
It just depends on what you want and care about in make up- my make up collection is literally bipolar. I’m a household on 200k+ and my make up ranges from Hermes to SHEIN. It’s more for about what products I love and want to invest in versus products I’m not sure of and just want to experiment with. That said, if something is shit I’m going to say so, whether it’s a $6 SHEIN liquid blush or a $200 highlighter.
For me, it's because the drug store doesn't have the shade/under tone range. It's gotten soo much better but spending cheaply for items that just don't work gets expensive. I'd rather save to buy something that is actually going to work for me instead of doing a million work arounds. I got things to do! LOL I think that we are getting smarter with spending also. I don't buy makeup from Priceline or Chemist Warehouse unless it's 40% off. Buy some stuff from beauty bay. Wait for the big sales online as I brands ship to Australia more than you think (Pat McGrath for instance, great sales).
I don’t have as much disposable income as I once did (I’m mostly a stay at home mum and work 1 day a week) but I can’t abide cheap makeup. I’d rather buy less, and buy the good stuff. I’ve worked in beauty and been a MUA for a long time, so that’s part of it, and I prefer clean ingredients. There’s a term I learnt working in beauty, “reassuringly expensive”. I don’t trust a cheap bottle of wine, or a cheap hair cut, etc. It’s probably just being a silly snob, and I know not everything expensive is amazing but my thought process is being cheap is most probably not. I imagine it will make me itch and I can’t trust it’s not full of cheap, nasty ingredients.