There’s so much hype around deals and budget-friendly buys that it’s even birthed an online beauty trend on TikTok that’s spread across the internet: welcome to dupe culture! Today, we’ll be unpacking the trend of dupes and taking a closer look at some of the most popular Ulta dupes you can pick up for a fraction of the cost.
Dupes have become one of the biggest beauty trends that have taken off on TikTok, with influencers and beauty vloggers creating in-depth reviews of their favorite dupes and how they compare to their more expensive counterparts. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular Ulta dupes available that are in high demand right now.
The Dupe | The Original |
e.l.f. Cosmetics Hydrating Core Lip Shine in Ecstatic | CLINIQUE Almost Lipstick in Black Honey |
A pop of color on your lips can effortlessly elevate any daytime or nighttime look. The Hydrating Core Lip Shine from e.l.f Cosmetics gives you style and savings as a perfect dupe for CLINIQUE’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. On top of this, it’s vegan, cruelty-free, and comes in five different shades, meaning you can select at least 3 different lipstick colors for less than what you’d pay for one shade of Almost Lipstick.
The Dupe | The Original |
Ulta Gel Eyeliner | Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil |
Whether you’re looking for a little bit of flair during the day or a lot for a night out of celebrations, an eyeliner pencil is a great way to draw attention to your eyes. Urban Decay is always a terrific beauty option, but Ulta Gel Eyeliner works as a perfect dupe that will produce the same eye-popping effect. Both eyeliner pencils have 10 ingredients in common and are reef-safe. They both don’t contain allergens, parabens, sulfates, or fragrances.
The Dupe | The Original |
Supergoop! Mini (Re)Setting Refreshing Mist Sunscreen SPF 40 | COOLA Classic Face Sunscreen Mist SPF 50 |
Keeping your skin healthy and protected from harsh UV rays shouldn’t be something you do only at the beach. A good skincare routine is built on sun protection, which is easy to do with good sunscreen. Supergoop! Mist Sunscreen is not only more affordable compared to the COOLA Classic Face Sunscreen Mist, but also has the exact same ingredients!
Both sunscreens contain SPF and Vitamin E, which strengthens your skin’s protective barrier. They both contain alcohol and fragrances but don’t contain allergens, oils, silicones, sulfates, or parabens.
The Dupe | The Original |
Ulta Poreless Face Primer | Tarte Poreless Mattifying Primer |
Priming your face to prepare your skin for makeup is crucial to ensuring your makeup lasts and your skin stays healthy. Ulta Poreless Face Primer is the perfect dupe for getting the same impact as the Tarte Poreless Mattifying Primer. It also produces a matte effect on your face to prevent excess shine and oil, and is certified cruelty-free.
Both face primers share 6 key ingredients, contain vitamin E, and are likely to be good for skin brightening. Neither product contains fragrances, harsh alcohols, parabens, or sulfates. Both are reef-safe.
The Dupe | The Original |
Ulta Flushed Blush | MAC Powder Blush |
Whatever you do, don’t skip on blush in your makeup routine! Blush can add a dash of brightness that gives a healthy glow to your skin. The MAC Powder Blush is an amazing product but it’s priced at a whopping $29.00. The Ulta Flushed Blush is the perfect dupe, sitting just at $10.00 and has identical shades.
Plus the Ulta Flushed Blush contains clean ingredients, is cruelty free, and contains oil-absorbing properties that mattifies and reduces shine.
The Dupe | The Original |
Maybelline Lifter Gloss with Hyaluronic Acid | Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb |
Looking for something more subtle than lipstick but still eye-catching? A high-quality lip gloss will give you the subtle but effective pop of color you’re looking for. Maybelline Lifter Gloss contains hyaluronic acid not only provides gloss and shine but also smoothes your lips’ surface for a fuller, flawless pout. It’s also more affordable than Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb, while still being a quality lip gloss choice!
The Dupe | The Original |
Ulta Strawberry Nail Polish Remover | Zoya Remove+ Nail Polish Remover |
Many nail polish removers contain harsh chemicals that focus solely on removing the coating, leaving your nails feeling dry and brittle as a result. Both these options have a clean and short ingredient list that are almost identical. The difference-the price! The Ulta Strawberry Nail Polish Remover is the definition of a dupe at almost nine dollars cheaper than the original fan favorite, Zoya Remove+ Nail Polish Remover.
A dupe is an imitation of an original, usually high-end beauty, fashion, or cosmetic product. Short for duplicate, dupes have actually been around on the budget-friendly beauty scene since the early 2000s when big brands like Prada and Chanel would find imitations of their catwalk collections being sold on the streets and Mac, the beauty and makeup mogul, was the big brand in demand, but so few could afford it due to its price – hence the market for dupes was born.
But while dupes once carried a negative connotation, being dismissed as cheap knock-offs, they’ve since undergone a reputational rebrand, especially with millennial and Gen Z consumers.
A counterfeit (or fake) product is an exact replication of an original that infringes on trademark and copyright laws. A dupe, on the other hand, is an imitation but with enough brand distinctiveness to be considered its own product.
It may be similar in branding and packaging enough to remind consumers of the original, but it still operates within the legal boundaries of intellectual property laws. The big draw of makeup dupes is that, while looking similar enough and often having the same key ingredients, they cost a fraction of the price of the products they’re imitating.
Swapping out pricier beauty products for dupes is a smart way to save on unnecessary spending, while still getting the quality you want. With Invisibly, you can earn points to earn gift cards and score these Ulta dupes.
Here’s how it works:
1. Download the app and create an Invisibly account.
2. Earn points from answering surveys or connecting your account(s). Invisibly will not have access to your credentials, balances, or be able to perform actions from your connected accounts.
3. Use your points to redeem premium rewards from our growing roster of brands like Ulta Beauty, Target, Spotify, Dunkin’, DoorDash, and many more.
See your data work for you.