Heard of TAM Beauty?

If not, you’ve probably been under a rock. A group of companies grown by Mister Makeup himself Adam Minto, the brand has gone from strength to strength over the last 5 years.

Their first brand launch was Makeup Revolution London – touted as a makeup brand with high quality products at a reasonable price. Next came I ❤ Makeup, best known for their Too Faced inspired heart-shaped baked blushes and highlighters, then Freedom Makeup (a brand centered around affordable products aimed at makeup artists). More recently I ❤ Obsession has popped up in Boots, and now online – an affordable way to create your own personal palette (although, unlike other similar systems, the pans still work as singles) including powder eyeshadows, blushes, highlighters, cream contours, strobe balms and even lipstick pans, along with a stunning array of instagrammable palettes including yellow and rose gold.

As well as the brands above, TAM Beauty have brought out a collaboration line with Katie Price, collaborated on a palette with British Beauty Blogger, and started stocking skincare and haircare lines on their website. They seem to have new launches almost every week, and release limited edition products and gift sets at Christmas. It’s almost impossible to keep up with their new releases – considering how regularly high end brands release new lines, it’s impressive that TAM Beauty can keep up the momentum of new products!

All of TAM Beauty’s products are made in the UK, at their own factory. They are also all cruelty free! Besides TAM Beauty’s website, you can also find Makeup Revolution and Freedom Makeup at Superdrug (both online and in-store), and Makeup Obsession is available at Boots.

A note on dupes…

Now I’ve noticed in some areas of the blogosphere recently, TAM Beauty have been coming under fire for ‘duping’ high end products – if you’re not sure what that means, it’s just basically a product that’s similar in formula, shade or packaging as something that’s (usually) more expensive. I actually started writing this post before any of the controversy became public – I just wanted to share some dupes – but I’ve seen so much talk about it I felt I couldn’t post this without addressing the recent controversy.

There’s generally a bit of a divide between people who are against this practice of duping, and people who are not – I’ve seen people on both sides. The problem some people have with it is that a brand may have worked on a product for months or years, developing the formula, shades and packaging, only to have their ‘baby’ copied by a different brand, and undercut on price. I get that, I do – the same thing happens to artists and illustrators all the time.

Personally, I don’t dislike TAM Beauty for their practice of duping. If they were copying small indie brands as opposed to huge multi-million pound companies, I might – but to date, they haven’t done this. Their  marketing isn’t shady, their products are affordable and UK-made, and I honestly feel they’re doing something different as an overall brand (plus their product base isn’t ONLY dupes). They support bloggers, ran a competition last year similar to the NYX Face Awards, and when I’ve spoken to Adam Minto he’s been very polite and friendly. I honestly wish the brand had been around when I was in high school and doing my A Levels – it’s a great option for people new to makeup, especially when you haven’t got a lot of money to splash out.

 

In any case, dupes aren’t ONLY about saving money on a high end brand (although that is a big part of it) – there are plenty of reasons someone might look for a dupe of a product. Perhaps you like a particular product, but are looking for a cruelty free alternative (e.g. MAC Lipsticks). Maybe you’re interested in owning a high end product, but can’t justify the price tag because you know you won’t use it often (e.g. the Urban Decay Electric Palette). Maybe you just don’t want to support a particular brand for personal reasons, or you want to try out a certain shade but aren’t sure it will suit you. You might even be allergic to a particular brand’s formula!

Now without further ado… Let’s get into the dupes, shall we?

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palettes vs I Heart Makeup I Heart Chocolate Palettes

What is it? Cult favourite chocolate-scented neutral powder eyeshadow palettes.

How is it similar? The shade combination here looks pretty spot-on. I haven’t tried these myself, but the reviews on the TAM Beauty website are overall very positive. The palettes are also said to be scented in the same way the Too Faced ones are.

How is it different? The layouts of the palettes are slightly different,and the MUR  packaging is more standard (one reason it’s much cheaper – easier to produce). Instead of a logo, you have a melty chocolate bar design on the outside. You’re unlikely to get the same quality formula-wise, but MUR are pretty well known for doing good quality eyeshadows. The MUR version also contains an eyeshadow applicator, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Too Faced Sweetheart Perfect Flush Baked Blushes vs I Heart Makeup Blushing Hearts

What is it? Heart-shaped baked powder blush trios.

How is it similar? Same shape, similar packaging, same concept of 3 colours baked into a blush. I haven’t tried the blushes, but I have tried the highlight version, and it’s very nice.

How is it different? Too Faced stocks 4 shades, compared to TAM Beauty’s 6. TAM also stock an additional 4 highlighters and 2 bronzers in the same packaging.

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade vs Freedom Pro Brow Pomade

What is it? A waterproof gel-type coloured pomade for filling in your brows.

How is it similar? The packaging is pretty much the same – a glass pot with a plastic lid. The Freedom version has similar shade names to the ABH, so it’s easy to find your match!

How is it different? I’ve seen quite a few people say the Anastasia Dipbrow dries out very fast – and maybe surprisingly, the Freedom one doesn’t. I can say I’ve had mine for 6 months, and it’s still as smooth as ever, even with daily use. I don’t have the ABH to compare to, though.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Brow vs Makeup Revolution Ultra Aqua Brow Tint

What is it? A liquid brow product for a longlasting finish.

How is it similar? The packaging is similar, and the formula looks pretty much the same. The MUR is long-lasting – I use it all the time and it stands up to gym workouts.

How is it different? MUFE has a bigger shade range.

Kylie Lip Kit vs Makeup Revolution Retro Luxe Lip Kit

What is it? A lip liner and liquid lipstick (or gloss) in a harmonious colour combination.

How is it similar? You get a liquid lipstick or gloss and a matching lip liner in a similar box.

How is it different? Kylie still has more shades – but MUR only released in early 2017, and they have already added glosses and metallic versions to their base line of matte shades – bringing the current total to 20 shades. You’ll also skip having to pay customs on these if you live outside the US.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette vs Makeup Revolution Highlighter Palette – Radiance

What is it? Glowy face powders for setting liquid base products.

How is it similar? Same concept, similar shades. Great if you like a subtle highlight.

How is it different? The MUR packaging is a plain black compact, but you’re saving £51…

Anastasia Glow Kits vs Makeup Revolution Ultra Pro Glow

What is it? Multi-dimensional highlighter palettes.

How is it similar? The MUR version is said to dupe both the That Glow and Gleam Glow Kits in one product (the Anastasia Gleam Glow Kit has now been discontinued).

How is it different? The pans in the MUR aren’t removable but the packaging has less wasted space. It’s also plastic instead of cardboard. You get 8 shades in the MUR instead of the 4 in each of the Glow Kits.

NARS Multiple vs Makeup Revolution The ONE Blush Stick

What is it? Cream blush, bronzer and highlight sticks.

How is it similar? They’re both cream products in stick form, in similar packaging.

How is it different? MUR has a much smaller shade range than NARS.

NYX Butter Gloss vs Freedom Pro Butters Lipgloss

What is it? Buttery, comfortable lipglosses in a variety of shades.

How is it similar? Similar packaging, similar concept.

How is it different? NYX has a lot more shades – Freedom have quite a few across their Butters and Melts range, but less ‘everyday’ colours than NYX’s line.

EOS Lip Balm vs I Heart Makeup I Heart My Lips

What is it? Stick lip balm in a rounded shape.

How is it similar? Similar concept – similar design.

How is it different? TAM only have 5 flavours, compared to EOS’s neverending selection!

Urban Decay Electric Palette vs Makeup Revolution Salvation Palette – Colour Chaos

What is it? Cult favourite brights eyeshadow palette.

How is it similar? There’s a pretty much spot-on dupe for each of the Electric shades.

How is it different? You get more shades in the Makeup Revolution version, but you don’t get a brush like you do in Urban Decay’s offering. The quality of the shadows may not be the same, but if you’re just looking to play around with bright colours, it’s a great option!

Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder vs Makeup Revolution Luxury Powder in Banana

What is it? Cult favourite loose powder for baking or setting the face, particularly undereyes.

How is it similar? Loose yellow-toned finely milled powder in a pot.

How is it different? I imagine the MUR version has cheaper ingredients, but for something that you’re usually just going to dust off.. Does that matter? I think this product is great for the average person who isn’t a makeup artist but likes to experiment.

Anastasia Brow Powder Duo vs Freedom Duo Eyebrow Powder

What is it? Brow powder with 2 shades for more versatility (great if you like the faded brow look).

How is it similar? Similar packaging, same concept. Shades have the same or similar names.

How is it different? I’m sure the formula is different, but I have a Freedom powder and it’s perfectly adequate in my opinion.

Too Faced Melted Liquified Lipsticks vs I Heart Makeup Lip Lava

What is it? Longwear liquid lipstick with a glossy finish.

How is it similar? Same concept,  similar packaging, some shade dupes.

How is it different? Too Faced stock a lot more shades, including a lot more everyday shades, and regularly add new colours to the line.

Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Contour Palette vs Makeup Revolution Ultra Eye Contour – Light and Shade

What is it? Cult favourite neutral all-matte eyeshadow palette.

How is it similar? Similar shades, similar placement. As far as I can tell, both have a talc-free formula, if that interests you. Kat recently kicked off publically about the similarities between these palettes.

How is it different? I’ve seen swatches that seem to show the MUR version is more pigmented – I own neither, so can’t say for sure. I will say the formula probably isn’t the same – KvD is known for her dry (though still pigmented) formula, and having owned a few MUR palettes, I doubt theirs feels the same – probably softer and more buttery.

Anastasia Contour Cream Kit vs Makeup Revolution Ultra Pro HD Cream Contour

What is it? Cream contour kit – pretty self-explanatory.

How is it similar? Same concept, similar shade ranges.

How is it different? MUR have 8 shades in a palette, as opposed to ABH’s 6. ABH  has a bigger range of different palettes. Part of me thinks the MUR version would be a lot more versatile – especially if you fake tan or do other people’s makeup often.

Anastasia Pot Concealer vs Freedom Pro Camouflage Paste

What is it? High coverage cream concealer in a pot.

How is it similar? It’s a cream concealer in a pot – besides the formula, how different can it be? Plenty of brands make the exact same concept.

How is it different? Freedom have 8 shades compared to ABH’s 15 – they don’t have much in the range of dark shades, either.

Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser vs Freedom Pro Studio Brush Bath

What is it? Solid soap to clean your makeup sponges or brushes with.

How is it similar? They’re both solid soaps and  come in a travel-friendly pot.

How is it different? Freedom’s version is almost 4x the side of the Beauty Blender one. I’ve personally used it and it did a wonderful job, especially on my sponges – I used the  entire pot!

Original Beauty Blender vs Makeup Revolution Pro Blend Sponge

What is it? Cult makeup blending sponge to be used damp.

How is it similar? Same concept, looks very similar.

How is it different? Slightly different shapes – I must say I’ve used neither of these so can’t say whether they work the same or not!

MAC Strobe Cream vs Freedom ProStudio Strobe Cream

What is it? Shimmery liquid to be used under makeup or mixed in with foundation.

How is it similar? Same sized bottles, same concept.

How is it different? MAC recently added different shades to the line, with different colour shimmers. I’d imagine MAC’s have different ingredients to MUR’s, but I’ve never tried either of these!

Inglot Duraline vs Makeup Revolution Aqua Seal Liquid Eye Primer

What is it? Clear liquid to be used as an eye primer or mix with pressed or loose powder to create liquid and cream liners. Can also be used to dampen a dried product – e.g. brow pomade.

How is it similar? Same concept, works in a similar way.

How is it different? Packaging is very different – MUR is plastic which may be better for travel. I use the MUR one, and it does a great job at lasting a long time.

Smashbox Primer Water vs Makeup Revolution Aqua Priming Base

What is it? Water-based primer spray to use under makeup.

How is it similar? Exactly the same concept.

How is it different? Packaging is very different. I can’t say on the formula – but I did use and enjoy an entire bottle of the MUR version.

MAC Lipsticks vs Makeup Revolution Iconic Lipsticks

What is it? Cult bullet lipsticks.

How is it similar? Same shape packaging, some shade dupes.

How is it different? Although MUR have a lot of shades across several lines in similar packaging, they can’t beat  MAC’s massive 200+ shade range. They do have several lines in the same shape, with slightly different packaging (e.g. rose gold). One of the advantages of the MUR line is that the colour is visible on the bottom of the tube. I have one of the Rose Gold lipsticks in the same shaped packaging, and it’s one of my favourites – the formula is pigmented, comfortable and long-lasting.

Charlotte Tilbury Lipsticks vs Makeup Revolution Renaissance Lipsticks

What is it? Cult bullet lipsticks in rose gold ribbed metal packaging.

How is it similar? The packaging is dead-on – the MUR are also metal, maybe surprisingly!

How is it different? The shade range does not completely match up with the Charlotte Tilbury range.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks vs Makeup Revolution Vivid Shimmer Brick

What is it? Cult bronzing/highlighting product with several shades in one compact.

How is it similar? MUR just released some more shades – including dupes of discontinued Bobbi Brown products – so the shade range is pretty even now.

How is it different? The MUR versions might have cheaper packaging, but they do have clear lids – you might prefer that if you have a lot of makeup.

Lorac Pro Palettes vs Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro Palettes

What is it? Neutral eyeshadow palettes with a row of mattes and a row of shimmers.

How is it similar? Shade range is spot-on – the MUR palettes have a different formula to their regular line, which I can attest to being very soft and pigmented. It’s quite powdery, although the Lorac formula is also known for being powdery.

How is it different? MUR’s version includes a brush – yes, an actual brush! The pans are also bigger, and it’s plastic instead of cardboard. Lorac don’t currently have an official distributor in the UK.

Urban Decay Naked 1, 2, 3 and Smoky Palettes vs Makeup Revolution Iconic 1, 2, 3 & Smokey

What is it? Cult neutral eyeshadow palettes – probably the first eyeshadow palettes that got super hyped-up and arguably started a huge surge in the amount of pre-made palettes on the market.

How is it similar? You can see straight off the bat that the shades are the same. MUR also do versions of the UD Naked basics palettes – all-matte neutral shades.

How is it different? There’s no brush – but that means the pans are larger. The packaging is also sleeker and thinner than the clunky, heavy UD packaging. At just over 10% of the price of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes, you can’t fault these Makeup Revolution versions on their value for money.

Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eyeshadow vs Makeup Revolution Awesome Metals Eye Foil

What is it? Shimmery gel-cream shadow sold with a liquid primer and mixing tray.

How is it similar? This is one of the rare products where I actually do own both (albeit different colours) – the formulas are strikingly similar. Personally I’d only use them as an eyeshadow topper, as you can’t build them up to full opacity and they can be difficult to work with, but they are pretty.

How is it different? Stila has a much bigger shade range.

Urban Decay Naked Flushed vs Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro Blush, Bronze & Brighten

What is it? Highlight, bronzer and blush in a compact.

How is it similar? Comes in different shade ranges, same concept, both in plastic packaging.

How is it different? The MUR version has shades in separate pans, which you might find easier to use. Each pan is also the same size, unlike UD’s version.

Pixi Glow Tonic vs Freedom ProStudio Glycolic Radiance Tonic

What is it? Glycolic acid toner to help exfoliate and remove dead skin cells.

How are they similar? I’ve used both and I can’t say there was a lot of difference. They both have similar ingredients and look and smell pretty similar.

How are they different? Part of me thinks the Pixi version made more of a difference to my skin, but honestly? I’m not basing that on any scientific evidence. £16 is a lot of money for a bottle of toner!

Thanks for reading!

I’d like to point out there are more dupes I haven’t listed – TAM Beauty actually released more while I was working on this post – and that probably calls for a part 2 sometime in the future…

Let me know down below if you’d like to see more dupes posts in the future – this was pretty fun to write!

Until next time; adios!

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