The deal with FAKE Make-up
Have you been on Facebook recently seeing posts where people advertise “Make-up” they’re selling?
Lately every time I go online I see at least one post of someone selling Mac / Anastasia Beverly hills / Urban Decay / Kylie cosmetics etc. showing pictures of these products listed at ridiculously low prices and it absolutely kills me!
What’s worse is how many people show interest, completely unaware that these products are fake, thinking they’ve scored the deal of the year.
Unfortunately, this is FAAAAAR from the real thing and could potentially be very harmful to you.
I’m not here to rant, I’d just like to share the facts so you can make an educated decision next time you consider a “not so legit” cosmetic purchase.
According to a Bloomberg investigation, most fake products come from ramshackle operations.
Think filthy, muddy floors, barrels of dye out in the open and LOTS of carcinogens (a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue) and bacteria.
- Fake make-up may contain dangerous levels of lead, mercury, cyanide and cadmium, glue, traces of rat droppings and human urine has also been found in fake cosmetics.
- Buyers risk severe allergic reactions as well as long term health problems.
- Fake make-up may trigger rashes, eye infections and more serious conditions like lead poisoning which can affect major organs causing heart, kidney and nervous system problems.
- Eyeshadow containing arsenic can literally seal your eyes shut.
- Paint stripper and nail polish remover have also been found in fake mascara and liquid eyeliners.
It’s important to know that you aren’t just applying it on your face and washing it off at the end of the day.
Products applied to your skin get absorbed into the bloodstream and products used around the eye area can easily enter your eyes, causing an infection or vision problem.
All should be a serious consideration when buying fake make-up.
A friend of mine posted a video on real vs. fake make-up and she ended up with an eye infection! Link below.
Here’s the cracker, profits made from fake make-up are used to fund drug smuggling and terrorism according to Interpol. Seriously?? So now it gets to the point where we’re funding drug smugglers and helping with money laundering.
More Recently Refinery29 did an investigation on counterfeit cosmetics in the Beauty Black market, the reality is shocking! Click on the link to watch the full video: https://youtu.be/G-VsdEy9IF8
More affordable brands like NYX, Essence, Catrice etc. also have amazing products available and they won’t break the bank.
The Estee Lauder group (that owns MAC, Clinique etc.) has been fighting the fake make-up industry aggressively since 2003.
They have a global security team of 42 agents (that we know of) around the globe. They infiltrate flea markets, make test purchases online and gather evidence for civil suits against counterfeiters.
Big beauty brands are going to extensive lengths to protect the consumer and their brand they’ve worked so hard to build up. They are now adding watermarks, holograms, RFID chips etc. to include anti-counterfeit measures in their packaging.
Resellers you can rely on to sell Authentic make-up here in South Africa are:
N&E Hair and Beauty on Lynnwood
(There are other suppliers, these are just the two I have worked with.)
If you know of an online store / salon that sells the real deal let me know in the comment section below and give them a shout out to share the love of safe cosmetics.
I get that it’s tempting to buy a fake just to stay on trend / to get that current Instagram post / to save some money etc. whatever your reason, it can’t possibly be worth risking your health.
If you really aren’t sure if a product is fake here are some tips on how to tell a fake from an original.
Only buy products from licensed sellers.
Look for a batch number on the packaging.
Compare packaging sizing and colours.
In most cases the font differs slightly from the original product.
Look at detailing, the fake rarely has the small detail.
Badly finished magnetic close and ill-fitting make-up pans.
The pigmentation of fake make-up doesn’t come close to the pigmentation of the real deal.
If you find a deal too good to be true it most probably is.
If it’s from the china mall / similar it’s most definitely fake.
A few of the most popular fakes I’ve seen include,
- Kylie Cosmetics lip kits & eyeshadows
- Urban decay Naked palettes
The big question, why is make-up so expensive?
A lot goes into the process of creating make-up and research done to ensure it is safe for human use.
In most cases only 15% of the cost is allocated towards ingredients, consumers mainly pay for marketing, packaging and brand prestige.
Think of it this way, you have the option to get a top from Zara or Gucci. Both are good quality and look similar, which do you choose to buy & why? It’s all about what is in your reach and reasonable.
It is completely your choice if you want to buy fake make-up. My recommendation would be to skip the cosmetics if you’re on a bargain hunting spree again, your body deserves better. One good palette trumps a hundred fake ones.
Remember you are your longest investment.
