How to Spot Counterfeit Makeup

Some beauty products instantaneously catapult to the top of cult favourites list, so much so, they sell out in a manner of minutes (remember Kylie’s lip kit craze?). This often leads to a third-party shadow market promising to fill our appetite for the product – and often for cheaper.

The problem? These are counterfeit cosmetics and they don’t only con us out of our money, they can cause serious harm. These doppelgangers use unregulated ingredients and may contain harmful heavy metals, bacteria, glue and more. And telling the difference between your legit favourite and these fakes is not as easy as you might think, often because they appear on legitimate third-party sellers you likely already know and love.

Here are some tell-tale signs to spot these pretend products:

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Note the seller

Opt for legitimate retailers only such as your local drugstore, established personal care/beauty store such as Sephora, or other cosmetics manufacturers (i.e. Mac or Bite Cosmetics and the like). Even sellers such as Amazon, Walmart and Costco have received some flack for unknowingly selling knockoffs. If you can’t find it on a legitimate site, chances are it’s a counterfeiter looking to make a quick penny. And skip the flea market. Save your money, and let the craze pass.

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Note the price

As the common saying goes, if the price is too good to be true, it is. Counterfitters don’t care for return business, they only want to move their product fast and move on to the next thing. Watch those discounts and outlet pricing. Don’t get duped. No deal is worth risking your health.

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Note the “limited-time offer” messaging

Are there incentives to get you to react quickly? Messaging such as “limited edition” and other limited-time offers artificially pressurize a situation, limiting your ability to give proper thought to your decision.

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Note the packaging

Counterfeiters have gotten so sophisticated with their packaging that knockoffs look nearly identical to their legitimate counterparts. The devil is in the details, however. Note the size of the logo, the placement, as well as the finishing. Does it look like it’s coming off? Does it look slightly off? Listen to your gut. Often, there are slight differences between the two. You’ll need to have an example of what the product is supposed to look like.

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Note the label

If you have the physical product, read the label. How do the ingredients appear? Note any manufacturing info as well as a barcode or serial number. There are apps and sites that can tell you if these refer to the real deal.

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Note the colours, smell and texture

Compare the palette order in cases such as eye shadow and the way colours appear. They should appear consistent and identical product-to-product. Same goes for smell and texture. The latter should be consistent and high-quality, not lumpy or streaky.

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Note the applicators

Applicators such as brushes and sponges are another biggie...often, they can reveal haste and the tendency to cut corners because they are often overlooked so pay particular attention to the differences in these.

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Note the reviews, spot the spam

If you are online shopping, pay attention to the reviews and be mindful that those too can be faked. These often read like a grammatical nightmare, appear to be written in haste and sound overly repetitive, comment to comment.

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Test the product, if possible

Ideally, you can test the product in-person before buying. You’ll want to sample it on the inside of your forearm and let it sit for some time. If you develop a reaction, make a hard pass.

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