Charlotte Tilbury says beauty dupes 'steal from your skincare' - but are they really that bad?

Charlotte Tilbury spoke candidly about the rise of beauty dupes of the products from her celebrity-approved brand, Charlotte Tilbury Beauty.

The beauty CEO took to the Shameless Podcast to air her true thoughts about the alternatives, which are often cheaper that the original product. "When I look at some of the dupes out there, I get really upset," she said. "As a creative, I want to empower the consumer."

The 52-year-old, who's brand is loved by Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Jennifer Lopez, said that when she's examined the products with her "expert eye and tested with scientists," she claims the dupes "will dehydrate your skin."

"They do everything I didn't dream for them to do. Whether I wanted it to smooth [the skin] or not sit in any lines or pores or dehydrate your skin or steal from your skincare that you had on beforehand," she expressed. "That for me was like no, that's not what I want to do."

Charlotte doubled down, explaining that she owns the formulas, intellectual property and technology of her brands' formulas, therefore, "duping is basically trying to sell people something that it doesn't do, they're duping the consumer."

However, not all listeners of the podcast were on side with Charlotte. Some took to the comments to share their views, with one writing: "Maybe she needs to realise the price with a struggling economy and a struggling society, that's why people buy dupes because they can afford them."

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Another commented on the "eyewatering" price of Charlotte's products, adding: "Make it affordable then people won't make or buy dupes. Some of the prices are eye watering."

A third typed: "Maybe she should get herself in tune with the budget of the average woman which clearly isn't her and make her products affordable then perhaps the dupes wouldn't be so popular."

Cosmetify beauty editor Maria Mukaranda tells The Mirror that due to the rising cost of living, we've entered "a phase where almost any product, no matter how iconic or expensive, is open to being ‘duped’". The trend is unsurprisingly driven by Gen Z, who refuse to gatekeep their hidden gems and see "discovering a dupe as something to celebrate rather than keep to themselves."

"Spending £40 on a foundation or £60 on a serum isn’t realistic for many, so dupes give people the chance to try similar products without breaking the bank," she adds.

But Maria explains that not all dupes are created equal. "A lower price doesn’t always mean lower quality, but it can be a risk if the formula or ingredients haven’t been properly tested. There are also concerns about overconsumption and the environmental impact of buying trend-led products just because they’re cheap."

“It’s also worth noting that not every dupe is a direct copy. There are plenty of well-formulated alternatives on the market that don’t imitate packaging or branding, but still offer similar shades or skincare benefits at a more affordable price. These kinds of dupes can be a smart way to get the results you want without compromising on cost or quality.”

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