Photo 6/8
The Nail Polish as Rare as a Unicorn
Original retail price: $8
Going for: $225 on eBay
Nail polish collectors consider this navy shimmering hue the shining star of their collection -- the kind they search for for years before coming across it at the back of some dusty small-town beauty supply store. What makes it so special? Polish fiends say the shade that falls somewhere between a glitter and a shimmer polish really looks like a star-lit sky.
The dupe: Colors by Llarowe Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, $12. It's a slightly inkier color, but still has the jelly-like consistency that makes Starry Starry Night so mesmerizing.
Photo 7/8
The No-Suds Shampoo You Can't Get Enough of
Original retail price: $21
Going for: $75.74 on Amazon
The Alojoba Shampoo was a no-lather product that consumers adored. As one online reviewer stated, "It gave me the best hair day of my life." Ingredients like jojoba seed oil and aloe vera added moisture and annihilated frizzies without leaving behind any build-up. Discontinued in 2011, it's now only available on Amazon. But buyer beware -- any bottle of this product is at least three years old, meaning your thrice-the-price Amazon purchase is probably expired.
The dupe: Aubrey Organics J.A.Y. Shampoo (jojoba oil, aloe and yangu oil), $11.48, contains similar ingredients for a much lower bottom line.
Photo 8/8
The Perfume That's Going For $161 Per Ounce
Original retail price: $65
Going for: $549.99 on eBay
Possibilities, a feminine rose scent with notes of water lily, peach musk and exotic wood, was on the market for four years before it was replaced with Ann Taylor The Signature Fragrance. The review page for the new scent reads more like an epitaph for the old. "This fragrance does not even compare to Possibilities. Why fix something that wasn't broken?" wonders one off-put consumer. "I bought as many as I could before they were completely gone and I am now on my last bottle," mourns another reviewer.
The dupe: Lancome Tresor, $55. This scent manages to similarly balance fruit, floral and musk like the Ann Taylor fragrance, but it's slightly more complicated with additional notes of jasmine, honeysuckle and patchouli.
