Given the nature of what I do here on Temptalia, not so much, but I think if I was a “normal” consumer that I would definitely be inspired by color stories and concepts but be willing to explore them with products I owned first!
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I saw a dupe post of the Natasha Denona gold palette by Futile is More on Instagram but I still really want the palette. I’m super torn between the Gold palette and Pat McGrath’s Bronze Seduction palette…please help!!
Go through each and think about how many color combos you’d wear from each and then consider 1) how often you’d wear them, 2) do you already do that color combo (and like what you have been using).
ALWAYS. The dupe list on this site has been a godsend.
Sometimes, if it’s a colour that looks interesting but I don’t see myself using often, or if it’s something very pricey and not an exceptional formula based on reviews. Usually I end up buying the real thing, though!
Unfortunately, procrastination and other bad habits killed my tracking of dupes for palettes or recent issues. Then I would pull the shades, often singles, as I depot a lot, and put them in the Ofra ‘easel’ palette. I would recreate the palette’s shades, so could approximate a look from that palette, but never sought to recreate any specific looks. This was a spin off of using the dupe list to rule out purchases. If I could dupe a product sufficiently, then there was no need to buy it, and I still could do similar looks to that palette.
Because I’ve been trying to buy less this year, I always check you Dupe List just to:
1.) check whether or not I already own a dupe
2.) To decide whether that dupe is close enough to whatever it is that has my interest now.
Very helpful tool, indeed!
I rely heavily on the dupe list and check it for every product. I have also been known to purchase every single product in order to reproduce a well loved look. I have done that several times for looks that Christine has posted here on the blog and at least a couple of times for Karima McKimmie and Alana Davison on YT. I am always stunned by how many different shadows Christine can get on her eyelids and feel like in real life she must have two inch square eye lids!
I try to create the look using what I have that seems closest. I am slowly learning that even when shades are not dupes according to The Dupe List, the finished look is close enough once the shadows are on my eyes. I expect it’s a combination of small eyelids and wearing glasses. I am not sure what this means for future purchases.
I’m not interested in a dupe list as a way of saving money. I do, however, look at what I’ve already got in my stash when I’m drawn to a look that is a departure from what I’m currently wearing and I want to see how it works for me before committing to a new purchase. I’ll play around a bit and see if I like the concept while knowing the actual new product will look somewhat different from what I’ve cobbled together. If I don’t like it, money saved. If I do like it, then I’ll go ahead and purchase the actual pallet.
I use the dupe list to more double check myself out of purchasing. I try to keep my purchasing under control by being super aware of what I have and what I use.
Rarely? Formula is probably the most important thing to me, so I often can’t get away with a dupe 🙁