When it comes to makeup, one of the most frustrating things that can happen is that you buy a product believing it is original and find that it is actually fake.
As if that were not bad enough, we have to add the fact that counterfeit products have not passed any kind of quality assessment, so it is impossible to know if the product is really suitable for use, whether or not it presents toxic substances. and if it was produced hygienically.
But the fact is that fake make-up and cosmetics exist and what you can do is look for strategies to avoid being fooled. Always remember that using counterfeit products can even be harmful to health!
Thaty Oliveira, make up artist from Sao Paulo (Instagram | Facebook) has helped us list some tips and cautions to prevent counterfeiting. By following only a few simple and effective precautions, it is possible to distinguish them from the original ones, avoiding being fooled and avoiding health damage such as irritation, contamination and even stains by the continued use of harmful substances.
1. Choose where you are going to buy the product
Thaty explains that it is important to pay attention to where you buy the product. The best way to know where to buy a product is to go to the official website and check which are the authorized retailers of the brand, both in relation to physical and virtual stores. You should be suspicious if you find a product named MAC, Chanel, or any other major brand, mixed with household and stationery products. These brands do not sell their products in disorganized places or neighborhood stores.
Also read: 10 Beauty Products Every Woman Deserves to Have
For online stores that are not listed on the brand's official website, search the store's reputation on the internet. Virtual certifications are a good sign that the store should be reliable, and services like Reclame Here are quite useful to make sure of this reliability.
Another tip is to search the store on social networks, read customer feedbacks, see if it's a live page and have a good customer service channel. These features increase reliability by demonstrating customer contact and concern. In this case, the chances of the product being true are greater.
For sites that act as intermediaries between individual buyers and sellers, such as Mercado Livre, OLX, and other such sites, attention should be increased, as it is very common to find counterfeit products on these sites. If you are buying, make sure the photos are true and be aware of the return policy if you notice that the product is fake when it arrives in your hands.
Also consider the following tips: if all of them are observed together, you will probably make a safe purchase and not be fooled.
2. Consider if the price of the product matches your quality.
Quality makeup and cosmetics, especially from international brands, are expensive. And it's no use believing in magical promotions, where the product is 80% off, for example, because there is certainly a problem with such a product. Most of the time, it is a fake product. But if true, it may be about to win, and you won't be able to enjoy the product for long, as expired products can also hurt your skin.
Also read: 7 Cosmetic Substances You Should Avoid
The tip here is to consider the price on the official website and keep in mind that discounts will usually be around 20%, with the biggest discounts being around 40%, not more. Some certified online stores sometimes have products up to 60% off, but are hardly big brands. Most commonly they are from smaller brands, and only one or two specific products, never a whole line.
Keeping this kind of marketing behavior in mind can help you avoid many scams.
3. Observe the packaging in detail
There are some pretty obvious forgery. From those who just look you already know it can't be a product of that brand the product claims to be. But counterfeiters are getting closer and closer to the original appearance of packaging, which makes it necessary to focus more attention at this point.
Still, it is a detail that should always be analyzed, because counterfeit packaging is often "betrayed", since the material used is never as noble and sophisticated as the original product.
The official website is, once again, the reference that will help to recognize the product.Pay attention to the size and color of the package, font, font size, where the inscriptions are printed. Also check if the product really exists in that presentation. Many-color eyeshadow palettes (sometimes up to 80 shades), for example, are very rare in more famous brands, which generally opt for smaller palettes and, in some cases, customizable professional palettes.
Also read: 20 Makeups That You Can Buy with the Value of a Big Mac
It is important, then, to confirm that the product really exists before purchasing it from an unofficial point of sale.
4. Check the manufacturing information on the packaging.
The first element to note here is the barcode. The first three digits represent the country where the code was issued. Be wary if these numbers do not represent any country or if the country shown in the code does not match the country shown on the packaging as a place of manufacture. It may mean that the product is counterfeit.
In addition, it is important to look for tags such as lot, serial number and expiration date. Although some internationally branded products come with an expiration date printed on the product, there is usually other information printed on the packaging itself.
Another detail is the fact that brands usually standardize the presentation of the product name. Some are identified by number, some by name, some by name and number. Pay attention to the brand standard: If your brand always identifies products by name and the product you are considering purchasing is identified only by a number, it is likely to be counterfeit.
5. Check product shades
Hardly can counterfeiters faithfully reproduce base colors and shades, shadows, blushes and lipsticks. Thus, visiting the manufacturer's website and checking which colors are actually available helps a lot in discarding imitations. Also pay attention to the brightness of the products. If the official palette is matte and opaque and the one selling you is full of bright shadows, there is something wrong!
Also read: 7 Ways To Save On Buying Cosmetics
6. Evaluate product odor and consistency
According to Thaty Oliveira, some brands have a characteristic smell that counterfeit versions cannot reproduce. So paying attention to the smell of the product is a good way to identify if you are dealing with a fake product.
And even if you don't know the original smell of a big brand product, take into consideration the fact that it should not smell bad. Nor can it bundle, easily crumble or contain impurities. If the lipstick smells like wax, if the eyelash mask applicator is extremely deformed (or inconsistent with that on the brand's website), or if the eye shadow crumbles too easily, be suspicious and watch for other signs to identify if It's a pirated version of the product you wanted to buy.
7. Observe the quality of the brushes or applicators that came with the product.
Even in very similar packaging to the originals, it is sometimes possible to recognize the imitation through the included brushes or applicators. Compare the shape, color and quality with what is presented on the official site. Also, feel the quality of the material, the type of bristles, whether they come off easily or are firm. Brushes with toothbrush-like bristles should alert you, as well as brushes with very irregular bristles without any explanation.
8. Test the product before you buy it.
Always try to try cosmetics before you buy them. Often, it is in the texture that you notice that that product cannot be the brand it claims to be. In fact, it's strange if the store doesn't have a product available for testing: Big brands often consider experimentation as essential to demonstrating brand quality.
Brushes: Is it okay to buy fake ones?
One of the most counterfeit products in several famous brands is brushes. To avoid being fooled, it is once again important to know the brand pattern, how brushes are numbered and identified, and how they are sold. International brands often sell their brushes individually or in special kits with few brushes. Thus, cases with 30 brushes, and especially for the price of a single brush in an official store, are clearly counterfeit.
Unlike cosmetics, which can cause more obvious health hazards, fake brushes and applicators are not as immediately harmful. Of course, we need to consider the fact that we do not know the origins of the material used or the production conditions, so that even brushes and applicators can contain harmful substances. But what dislikes most about fake brushes is the quality issue.
False brushes can often be as beautiful as the real ones, and sometimes even work quite well. However, they are not of the same quality as the originals and are often misleading, which is a crime.
If you take the risks, it's okay to use fake brushes and applicators for the reasons given above. But if you cannot afford the originals, it is always better to go for cheaper brands rather than counterfeits, as these brands have a more transparent production process than fake products, so you can know the origin of the materials. In addition, even cheaper brands are concerned about the functionality of the product offered and thus offer a quality product within the range offered by its price range. Already this peace of mind and brand confidence should stimulate the preference for cheaper brands rather than fake versions of expensive brands.
Smart Tips for Buying Time
Of all the tips presented, there are a few that should be reinforced so that you can even avoid having to wonder if such a product is true or not. Are they:
- Always choose to buy at official or authorized stores. These stores offer warranty and refunds against any problems;
- If it is possible to shop at physical stores, be aware that this is always the best option, as sellers are trained to indicate what is best for your skin type and color, and you can try it before you buy it;
- When in doubt about a product, always refer to the brand's official website. There you can look for all information about official products and limited editions, preventing you from being fooled;
- Original products from famous brands are not sold in street stalls. If there is any original product there, it may be stolen;
- Again: Be wary of very low prices for products that are often very expensive.
Comparisons Between Fake X Original Makeups
In this first image above, notice the difference in how the brand name is written: in the counterfeit product, the line is much thinner and comes out easily
Some fake make-ups carry items that do not come in the original versions, such as brushes, applicators and mirror. This is why it is important to know the original product.
Above is an example of a fake brush kit. The brand in question does not sell kits with so many brushes, and several of the models presented are not even produced by the brand.
It is very common that they invent products that do not exist in the brand and just put the logo, in an attempt to sell more.
Some counterfeit products are brighter than the originals, or some other variation in texture.
The top brush is the real one. The one below is a replica. Note that the size and amount of bristles is different, although they are quite similar.
In the three images above you can see some possible variations of labels used in fake versions
Counterfeits have always been available and it is very difficult for brands to control this market. This is because as long as there are people who buy such products, they will continue to be produced and sold. The best way to reduce counterfeiting is to stay informed and know the product you are going to buy. Thus, it is much more difficult to be deceived and this market is slowly disappearing.
Real Vs Fake Makeup Under A Microscope (April 2024)
- Cosmetics, Make Up
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