Saturday, November 5, 2011

Dupe Pet Peeves

I love watching review videos as much as I love making them, I also love watching Dupe videos as much as I love making them - but what you'll notice on my channel is that I have very few true DUPE videos - and with good reason. I absolutely will NOT post a dupe video if I have not done a thorough investigation of all the other so called dupes and products similar to the one that I am "duping", and what I find is that many YouTubers WILL post videos claiming something is a dupe simply because they "hear it a lot on YT" or because it "Pretty much looks like a dupe" - that's false information and incredibly poor research.
People really take the power of YouTube for granted - YouTube is a community (or should be) where people go to look up truthful reviews, tutorials, tips & tricks, and of course, real dupes. Its bad information to say "This is a dupe of _________" just because you hear a handful of YouTubers mention it - do your own research - if you aren't willing to put the time and effort into it, then don't go posting or writing about a Dupe when something simply isn't one.

It is a big pet peeve because there are a lot of girls who rely on their favorite YouTubers to deliver valid info on products, and they will listen to you and go out and spend money on a product...so to encourage these viewers to purchase something because you HEARD its a dupe without really trying it out or even having the original product is completely unacceptable. Also color isn't the only thing that warrants a DUPE - one needs to asses quality, staying power, wear time & evenness.

Here is a list of things that I hear are "Dupes" yet after several trials I have found it to be false - also - I ALWAYS make sure that I buy the ORIGINAL product and several similar ones before claiming to have found a dupe - if you don't have the real one then you don't REALLY know if its a true dupe.

**NARS Orgasm Blush - I have used this for several months, I adore it. I have NOT found an adequate dupe AT ALL.**

- The ELF "Twinkle Pink" IS NOT A DUPE. It is very flat, one dimensional. MUCH lighter and lacks peach undertones. Its glitter is faint at best and applies rather softly. Its a pretty color, but certainly NOT A DUPE FOR NARS ORGASM.

- Milani "Luminous" Mineral Blush - very similar in tone and the peach colored sparkle is much more similar than the ELF - while similar, its not an adequate dupe.

- Bourjois #33 Blush - This is the closest that I have actually tried in terms of color - however the glitter isn't as fixed as it is in ORGASM, its actual loose glitter which is more reminiscent of SUPER ORGASM.

**Urban Decay Primer Potion** Now this is one that unless you have it and use it, don't attempt to find a dupe for it. A cult classic, UDPP is amazing on many levels - wear time, color enhancing, crease resistant, etc.

- ELF Primer - NOT A DUPE WHATSOEVER AT ALL NO WAY. While it is a nice crease resistant primer, it has no business being compared to Urban Decay. The Elf Primer is thinner and actually creases itself until smoothes out. Texture wise, its very smooth but again very thin. UDPP is thick and doubles as a base.

Honestly - I have yet to find a dupe and really would rather not. Urban Decay is incredible and its an investment that is surely worth it.

**MAC Pink Nouveau** Lipstick - again, MAC is great and in my opinion, its one of the less expensive brands of high quality makeup especially for the color payoff and wear time.Their versatility and ability to please an enormous range of skin tones and personalities merits it to be a favorite brand for makeup lovers and MUAs alike. While there are some dupes out there, MAC is a brand that Id rather just get the real thing. For Pink Nouveau, a nice dupe is actually a lip liner by NYX in DOLLY PINK.
Because MAC (and many other great lines) have unique color combos to make one lipstick, its harder to find a true dupe, PN is a very cool toned pink with some blue undertones - find the exact dupe really was tough and I didn't mange to find it.

- Cover Girl #365 Enchantress was SLIGHTLY SIMILAR - it does NOT have blue undertones, however, the wash of color applied the same (very smoothly), it wore for hours, and the shade of the true pink itself reminded me a nit of it.


**Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara** MY FAVORITE MASACRA EVERRRRR! as you all know :-) This is an unbeatable blend of fibers and amazingness that glides on lashes and encourages a beautiful curl and has them stand at attention all through the day. It separates and intensifies - your eyes look huge while wearing this.

- L'oreal Voluminous Falsies - while I did make a video reviewing this mascara and saying how it does a beautiful job, I really get pretty annoyed when I hear YT's say "Oh its a dupe for Lancome Hypnose Drama" - It absolutely IS NOT. It DOES make eyelashes appear a good 85% fuller & longer, it wraps each lash in fibers and holds them at attention, too! HOWEVER - it dried in the tube easily, the spoolie (brush) is completely different as there is not a deeply curved middle portion. Its comb is not as separating, and its actual formulation is tacky to the touch. The black is not as intense as Lnacome's and it does not wear off as nicely as Lancome's. It leaves behind particles even after washing.


Here were just a few things I had to get out there because Im really tired of hearing "This is a dupe!" "I heard someone say ________ is a dupe for NARS". Ladies, I love you I do. But just because someone says its a dupe doesn't make it a real dupe - ESPECIALLY if they don't even own the REAL product, think twice before taking their word for it.

One thing that can never be duped is YOU LADIES - my amazing readers & YT viewers - I love you to pieces!
Crystal

9 comments:

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  2. Oh bestie I don't even recall that condo on the phone! You never have said anything is a dupe at least not to me :-) Im talking about a good amount of videos I have been watching lately. Of course each person will inevitably see something slightly different than the next, but I really feel that color alone does not warrant a product to be called a DUPE. There are many factors that add to something being a dupe, and with something as multidimensional as ORGASM, finding a true dupe (and not just a "similar" product) is difficult.

    Im interested in hearing more about your thoughts on ELF Primer & UDPP - what did you notice was the biggest difference? For me, the ELF actually reminded me more of the Victoria's Secret FX Pro Primer in terms of wear time, texture, and color. Neither made my shadows pop as much or as well as UDPP...but again, share your thoughts lady!!!

    I love you girl - did you see my promo for your sale yet?

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  3. Oh it does make the color pop but idk whats going on!!! i thought i would be inlove with it cause i hear so many good things but for me it does basically the same thing as ELF, but with elf i have to hurry and put on the eyshadow while its a little wet and not blend it in as well..but i still like UD just not sure if i'd spend the $20 something to buy it :/ im bummed too! I actually like the milk jumbo pencils better anyway...

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  4. This proably sound stupid; But are dupes something similar to another product?
    Xoxo
    Jewels

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  5. Jewels - NO QUESTION IS STUPID :-) And A TRUE DUPE means that a product could be an EXACT DOUBLE for the original product, if you put the Real one next to the supposed DUPE you shouldn't be able to tell the difference.

    SIMILAR isn't the same as DUPE. So if a product is SIMILAR to the original or the REAL one, thats it - it just has similarities. But it certainly is NOT a dupe :-)

    A lot of people will get on YouTube and claim that just because a product is SIMILAR to the real one, that its a DUPE which is false advertising. In order to be a REAL DUPE, there are several criteria that must be met.

    Im glad you asked because this is a confusing concept to a lot of people and when they run out and buy a product that someone said is a "dupe" they are disappointed because it really isn't. Its so important to not listen to just one or two opinions but rather do your research and read reviews from CREDIBLE SOURCES and better yet, go to a place like Ulta or Sephora, Try the ACTUAL PRODUCT for yourself and then try the other similar products so that you yourself can decide if its a reliable dupe or if its just similar.

    Whenever I make a Dupe video (which isn't often) I always make sure to buy the REAL product first and then purchase similar products so that I can spend the time trying them out, researching ingredients, and reading reviews from credible sources. I know it sounds nerdy, but I never want to give false information or biased opinions to my subscribers.

    Again - GREAT QUESTION JEWELS!

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  6. Not everyone has the money to buy products like NARS and mac though, so to me a dupe could mean a similar color. Sometimes I love the color of a product like the NARS orgasm so i want to find a similar color, to me a lot of things can be DUPES, it depends what your looking for. I don't see how a dupe could be almost identical. That's why there's more expensive quality makeup like NARS, mac and others, if not why are they so damn expensive if you can find exact dupes for way cheaper lmao anyways thats just me though! Sometimes when I go looking for a "dupe" i mean similar color, staying power, etc. not necessarily all of the above.

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  8. DUPE = DUPLICATE.
    DUPLICATE = Adj.a copy exactly like an original

    Ruthie you are correct in several ways, HOWEVER - when I driver information in response to a question asked such as "What is a Dupe?" I will NOT place my opinion in - I deliver FACTS. My opinion has nothing to do with a definition.

    The criteria for a duplicate is one that is widely known and accepted. SIMILAR does NOT equal a DUPE. And I have no intention of confusing my subscribers or delivering false info based soley on my opinion. Its so important to get truthful information out there.

    However, YOU are correct in saying that what you consider to be a dupe is simply YOUR OWN OPINION. Thats the difference between you and many YT's who just proclaim info that is their opinion as truth.

    If someone likes a NARS product and simply wants a similar one, than thats one thing. But to call it a dupe is incorrect and false.

    And while some cannot afford or chose not to buy NARS or Inglot etc thats fine, however they should not be on YouTube or on a Blog saying as fact that they know a dupe for it if they have NO experience using it. Thats why I said it may be a good idea to go to a store like Sephora or Ulta to test out the real one so that they have a baseline data for dupes.

    It can also be stated it as "I found a COLOR dupe for __________", that would be acceptable.

    And even if a cheaper brand made a good dupe for a high end product, I doubt that everyone would choose the cheaper brand. There is a reason why Urban Decay, NARS, MAC, Chanel. Etc are Cult Favorites among Gurus, MUAs, and makeup lovers alike. Wet n Wild would never have an EXACT DUPE for NARS and keep the price the same.

    Clinique is a sterling example of this - research and pharmacology go into every ounce of product, so while a less expensive brand may have a similar product, the consumer will not be getting the guarantee or the dermatological insurance provided by the larger company.

    It IS personal preference. Dupes are widely talked about because it is nice to be able to find a cheaper priced cosmetic that looks and acts the same way . But there will always be differences.

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