Estelle Levinson sits at her polished white desk and reaches to grab a shiny tube. As she untwists the cap, an iridescent Barbie-pink liquid drips from the applicator. Estelle brushes the gloss over her lips. She walks out of her house to head to school with a sense of readiness for the day.
This essential product is the Elf Glow Reviver lip oil that Estelle bought as a “dupe” for the Dior lip oil. Along with feeling refreshed and ready for the day, she finds satisfaction in knowing that she saved money.
U-High students are buying cheaper duplications of high-end products to spend less money for a similar look, a trend that deemphasizes brand names while simultaneously promoting smart money management. What once were “knock-offs” are now “dupes.”
While buying knock-offs has been stigmatized by many, Junior Shelby Hackett said that because buying cheaper items is so trendy, it has become normalized.
“If a lot of people are doing it you are not going to be put on the spot,” Shelby said, “because it has become a common thing.”
Estelle, a sophomore at U-High, has the $40 Dior lip oil and the dupe, the Elf Glow Reviver lip oil, which only costs $6.50, 83.75% less expensive than the Dior lip oil.
“Honestly, I think that the Elf is better quality,” Estelle said. “Because the Elf one is so much cheaper, it makes it feel so worth it.”
This new popularity in dupes comes from TikTok, where beauty influencers share and recommend their favorite dupes, sometimes even showing a side-by-side comparison with the original product.
TikTok introduced sophomore Mihika Prakash, who has two dupes of the Dior lip oil: NYX Fat Lip Drip lip gloss and Elf Glow Reviver lip oil. Mihika said she finds pride and satisfaction in spending less money to keep up with the trends that come and go.
Dupes are not exclusive to beauty products. They extend across many products, including clothes and accessories.
Sophomore Sam Oyler has multiple pairs of off-brand shoes, a notable pair being the fake Yeezy Slides. Sam says he is not embarrassed that his shoes are not brand names and feels proud wearing them through the halls.
“It’s a lot cheaper, so it’s a lot easier to get more shoes,” Sam said.
Senior Cassia Collins believes that this shift has had a net positive impact on our culture.
While the trend of buying dupes does “reflect a consumeristic culture,” Cassia said. “It makes luxury more accessible to everyone.”
Quality is another major factor when considering dupes, according to students. Brands like Champion have the ability to raise their prices because of their familiar and desirable brand logo, Cassia said. When people detach from these notable brands, they can begin to search for a sharper quality-to-price ratio, in clothes and makeup.
“People value quality over just brand names,” Cassia said.
Sam puts his Yeezy slide dupes on before walking out of his house on his way to school. Sam walks with a pep in his step, feeling good because he saved money on his shoe purchase, and still feels stylish and comfortable.
From makeup to shoes, students feel confident in their less expensive and off-brand versions of products.
