Have you ever wondered why brands, especially those in the beauty industry, invest significant resources into branding and packaging? The reason is simple: they need to establish unique selling points beyond the ingredients themselves to stand out in the fiercely competitive beauty market. Frankly speaking, the pool of cosmetic ingredients available to brands is rather limited. There are only so many options to choose from. Today's example makes our point, we're revealing a triple dupe discovery.
Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes Volume 2 Mascara, Gucci L’Obscur Mascara, and Burberry Beauty Ultimate Lift Mascara all share an identical INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) ingredient list. See the SKINSKOOL results here.
The very popular INCI ingredient list is as follows:
Aqua/Water/Eau, Synthetic Beeswax, Paraffin, Stearic Acid, Acacia Senegal Gum, Triethanolamine, Butylene Glycol, Copernicia Cerifera Cera/Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Cire De Carnauba, Polybutene, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Sodium Stearate, [May Contain/Peut Contenir/+/-:Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499)].
Wild right?
Now, the big question: do these products with the same ingredient list also match in relation to their claims?
Let's take a look at snippets from their respective product descriptions:
Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes Volume 2 Mascara: "A super VOLUMISING mascara with a long-wear, smudge-proof, humidity-resistant formula."
Gucci L’Obscur Mascara: "Builds volume, while curling and lifting the lashes, adding length and definition with a long-wearing finish."
Burberry Beauty Ultimate Lift Mascara: "Volume, curl, and length for an instant lifting effect that lasts all day."
They certainly do read similarly, offering a combination of volume, lengthening, and long wearability.
Now, the fun part - what about price differences.
Gucci L’Obscur Mascara and Burberry Beauty Ultimate Lift Mascara fall within the same price range ($36 for 6.5mL and $45 for 8mL). Interestingly, both brands are operated by Coty, which holds the license for these luxury names. Among the trio, Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes Volume 2 Mascara is the most affordable, priced at $32 for 8mL.
In the end, it's fascinating to discover that these three mascaras share the same ingredient INCI list but have distinct brand identities, packaging, and price points. It just goes to show that beyond the ingredients themselves, there are other factors that contribute to a brand's positioning and success in the beauty industry.
