Welcome to the world of beauty dupes where copycat products imitating high-end brands have garnered global cult followings in the tens of millions thanks to influencers on social media singing their praises. According to Mintel research, 74 per cent of makeup users agreed that affordable makeup products worked just as well as premium brands, with most users favouring beauty dupes. A beauty dupe is classified as a product which could be taken as a “duplicate” of a higher-end product for a cheaper price.
The research also found a third of makeup consumers aged between 18 and 35-years old had purchased a dupe product because of something they saw on social media. Mintel senior beauty and personal care analyst Joan Li said in today’s cost-conscious environment, value is everything. Ms Li said social media plays a big role in the way consumer-savvy makeup users look for affordable products.
“This is especially true among younger consumer groups, which are more likely to be influenced by and take inspiration from social media,” she said. But for small business owners who invest significant amounts of time and money to create unique products, beauty dupes could take a devastating toll. Australian Quick Flick founder Iris Smit found success when she was 22-years old developing the world’s first winged eyeliner stamp.
It went viral as soon as it hit the market. But before the success, Ms Smit had heavily invested in her design through product development, research and pate.