Beauty CEO reveals red flags of bad makeup or skincare dupes – & the best brands to shop without forking out a fortune

BUDGET-FRIENDLY makeup and skincare are on virtually everyone's radar.

With some designer cosmetics costing hundreds or even thousands, many are turning to dupes for cheaper alternatives.

Rohan Widdison is the CEO of in Victoria, Australia.

He spoke with The U.S. Sun on what makes a decent dupe in the beauty world.

Widdison also pointed out red flags to look out for before making a purchase.

He shared some budget-friendly beauty brands that he recommends, even though he doesn't personally work with them.

GETTING DUPED

Widdison explained why dupes will continue to remain popular in the world of cosmetics.

"Dupes will always have a place in the market because fundamentally consumers love the idea of getting a luxury experience without the big price tag," he told The U.S. Sun.

"Dupes are affordable, are ideally of a similar quality, look, and feel to high-end products, and offer consumers a chance to try out new trends without forking out a ton of money.

"If consumers find the product doesn’t suit them, they won’t be out of pocket compared to forking out a small fortune for the popular luxury products."

With some skincare lines like La Mer having jaw-dropping costs, Widdison is not far off.

However, he added that a cheaper price tag doesn't always result in a winning product.

"Dupes that simply don’t work are the biggest reason for failure," he said.

"Just because consumers want to spend less money doesn’t mean they have no expectations of value and performance.

He added that while dupes have "more leeway" when it comes to performance, meeting customer standards is a must.

DON'T GET DUPED

Widdison dished on specific red flags to look out for when shopping for beauty dupes.

According to him, choosing the wrong one could be hazardous.

"Appearances matter when it comes to ferreting out a bad dupe. Poor packaging is the first telltale sign of inferior product quality," he said.

"Make sure dupes are well packaged, sealed, and have all the important information like ingredients list and how to use instructions written in clear, easy to understand language.

"Check that the ingredients don’t contain harmful ingredients or could potentially cause irritation."

"Beware if a product is priced too low as it could mean that its quality is compromised."

Rohan Widdison

He gave a tip on how to be sure that a dupe meets customer needs.

"Check out the ingredients and compare it to the original product," he said.

"User reviews are very helpful for this especially makeup forum communities and makeup artist reviews.

"Good dupes should have decent staying power, do not have an offensive smell, are pigmented and easy to apply and well-packaged."

However, some deals may be too good to be true, according to Widdison.

"Beware if a product is priced too low as it could mean that its quality is compromised," he said.

WHY DUPES WORK

Widdison shared his insights into why dupes are so popular.

"Dupes make it easy to experiment with beauty trends as they are cost-effective and widely accessible to consumers," he said.

"Eagle-eyed beauty lovers are always on the hunt for a good dupe which means brands are responding by releasing new products and expanding popular ranges faster than luxury brands."

Widdison listed a few of his favorite cosmetic dupes.

"Elf has an amazing reputation for its low prices and high quality. Many of their products go viral on social media," he said.

"Their dupes of Dior’s lip oil, Charlotte Tilbury’s flawless filter, and Rare Beauty’s blush are lauded by makeup artists as being just as good if not better than the originals.

"Cult mascara Better Than Sex by Too Faced also faces competition from Maybelline’s The Falsies Lash Life Volumizing Mascara for good reason.

"Nars' Orgasm blush has a few copycats including L’Oreal’s Blush Please collection and Maybelline’s Fit Me True to Tone blush in Rose."

He also offered advice for skincare shoppers looking for a deal.

"On the skincare front The Ordinary is known for its reasonably priced and effective range," he said.

"Its 100% Cold-Pressed Virgin Marula Oil is a great stand-in for Drunk Elephant’s Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil.

"Cosmeceutical brand Skinstitut has a much lower-priced version of Emma Lewisham’s popular Skin Reset Serum which is the 10% Niacinamide Power Serum."