Cosmetic developer explains where drugstore dupes beat high-end makeup from @themarlenastell
The creator, a cosmetic brand owner named Marlena, introduces herself and her industry expertise to establish credibility. She then explains that consumers often overpay for makeup due to brand name and packaging rather than product quality. She systematically breaks down three product categories where this is most common—mascara, eyeliner pencils, and lipsticks—explaining that high-end and drugstore versions are often made in the same factories. For each category, she uses physical product demonstrations, holding up both expensive and affordable options to visually contrast the elaborate packaging of high-end items with the simple packaging of drugstore dupes, reinforcing her argument that the core formula is often identical.
Creator: @themarlenastell on TikTok
Transcript
So let's have a serious conversation today about the products that makeup brands are ripping you off on. For anyone who may not know who I am, my name is Marlena. I've been a cosmetic brand owner for over thirteen years, and I've worked with product development for even longer than that. And I've worked with labs all over the world, Canada, China, US, Italy, France. I've worked with a lot of different manufacturers. And a lot of times, some of the products that you're paying for is the name and
Topics: Makeup, Cosmetics / Skincare, Product Development, Branding
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