ethical Tag

Beauty dupes have long existed in the cosmetic industry. For every well-known and loved product, there’s a cheaper alternative offered for budget-conscious shoppers. While dupe is often used with connotations of deception, in the beauty sphere, it’s celebrated as a cost-saving option for customers. Platforms such as Dupethat, which reviews and swatches affordable dupes to its 1.2m followers, and Temptalia, which describes itself as a global reference and resource for beauty enthusiasts appear to cement our appetite for them. But are they ethical, and more importantly, are they legal? In August this year, Charlotte Tilbury won a lawsuit against Aldi, as a high court judge deemed “substantial” similarities between Tilbury’s copyrighted packaging on her Filmstar Bronze and Glow palette (£69) and Aldi’s...