People may have seen many products on the ELF shelves at Target empty. Well, this is because of an ongoing trend on TikTok about dupes for trending makeup and skincare products.

Junior Mary Bass has tried a few different dupes and uses some for her daily makeup looks.

“I tried the dupe for the Milk Makeup Hydro Grip primer which is the Elf Hydro Drip primer. It was cheaper and similar. I use it every day under my makeup because it helps the makeup stay longer and look better. I will continue to use it and buy it again because why use the higher price when the dupe is cheaper and in ways better,” Bass said.

Many girls are familiar with dupe products, and sophomore Malarie Williams is in favor of the L’oreal Glotion bronzer which is the dupe for the Drunk Elephant bronzing drops.

“I think this bronzer is a good dupe but it’s just a lighter shade than the Drunk Elephant ones. They both work the same so I would buy the dupe again because it’s affordable and work the same,” Williams said.

Senior Eilidh Erasmus prefers the luxury brands over the drug-store brands.

“I don’t like dupes. They’re not always the best compared to the luxury brand they are copying. I feel like the dupes don’t have the same ingredients as the luxury brands. Most of them have fragrance, and I don’t like that because it irritates my skin. I use the Tarte Shape Tape concealer, and the dupe for that is the Elf Camo concealer which I tried and did not like. The Tarte one is very smooth on my skin, but the Elf one creases, and it just doesn’t feel the same. I will always buy the luxury brand,” Erasmus said.

Erasmus, however, does make an exception for some products.

“The only luxury brand product I will not buy again is the Dior lip oil. It was $40, and I don’t love it. It’s too sticky for a lip oil. I finished it recently so I got the Elf lip oil instead and they are very similar, but the Elf one is less sticky, so I will continue buying the dupe for that product only,” Erasmus said.