Tips to spot a fake makeup product

Hey Lovelies,

Hope you are all doing well.

Today I wanted to write about spotting fake products as I think many of us out there really do not know what to look for or do not question what we buy. How many times have you seen people selling these fancy brand products and product sets for ridiculous prices and thought ‘Wow, this is too good to be true’. Well that’s because it probably is but rarely do we question if the products are authentic.

One of my friends recently bought one of these fancy product sets and just from the price & the pics of the packaging I knew they were not authentic. I told her and she started doing her research as well and picked up that they were fake. She did not ask the seller if they were authentic so she felt bad to cancel the order. When she received the stuff she inspected them closer and watched some comparison videos just to confirm it, and they were definitely fake. She did not at all initially assume they could be fake but she was really glad that I had shed some light on this for her.

Essentially that story is the inspiration for this post. Fake products can be found at every corner but do you know what are the characteristics that give them away? I know I didn’t at first but I have learnt a lot along the way that needs to be shared 🙂

When I first got into looking at purchasing international brand’s products, that are not stocked in SA, I obviously ran to Google and look for other bloggers or influencers’ opinions regarding which sites in SA were selling these products. As my research deepened I began to see more and more posts about fake makeup products being sold. Until then it had not even crossed my mind that some of the sites I had visited were selling fakes, I just thought it was really cheap!

When I made my first purchase my OCD was in overdrive and I watched so many videos that did comparisons the of authentic vs fake product that I bought. I examined it so closely and was so happy that it passed!!!! 🙂 As time went on I became better at identifying the signs which I will be sharing today. First though lets take a look what a fake product is & at some of the risks of buying them.

What is considered a ‘fake’ makeup product

A fake makeup product is usually branded & sold under the pretense of an authentic brand’s product. It uses the authentic brands name, product type, similar product colors, sometimes the logo & the design as well. The product quality itself will differ depending on the ingredients used.

Concerns surrounding fake makeup products

The ingredients in these products may be harmful as they are usually not the same ingredients used in the authentic product. This could potentially lead to allergic reactions and other unpleasant side effects. This is why it is always best to test products on a small part of your skin if you are unsure.

The quality of the product may not live up to expectations due to the ingredients not being used. This may leave you feeling a bit disappointed with your purchase. In many instances people do not realize the product is fake so they leave bad reviews on the real brands pages which actually damages the brand itself.

While all fake products may not be harmful it is usually best to test them before use if you suspect them are not authentic.

What to look for when determining if a product is fake

The below are some of the signs that will give you an indication if a product is not authentic:

1. Price
   • Sometimes the first giveaway will be the low price of the item.
   • You can usually check a products price on their website, if it’s in Dollars or any other currency, then use the converter on Google to assist in determining the SA Rand price and work from there.
   • In some instances the price may still be high as the product may really closely match the original. In this case you can move on to the other checks below.
2. Product Packaging
   • Sometimes the packaging will have slight or obvious variations to the original products packaging.
   • Check how the product looks on the authentic site and start comparing. For slight variations you may struggle but for the more obvious deviations you will spot them immediately.
   • Compare the following:
     • Placement of the logo on the item
     • Spelling of words on the item
     • The type of language used
     • The font of the writing
     • Colors on the packaging,
     • Placement of images,
     • The actual images that are used
     • Size of the item.
     • Shape of the packaging
3. Product type
   • In many instances you will find that the product type being sold is not even being made by the authentic brand itself.
   • I once saw an eyeliner being sold and it was branded as one of my favorite brands & I immediately knew that the brand did not manufacture eyeliner.
   • If you have doubts check on the websites if the product being sold is actually made by the company.
4. Quality of the formula
   • This is definitely one to look out for but if you haven’t tried the product before how would you know right? This is when I use YouTube as many influencer’s do comparisons of the formula’s that can be helpful.
   • If you have a tried the product before and still have it you can do a quick comparison to check the formula’s against each other.
   • Check if the consistency is the same, example if the formula is thicker or blotchy, if it dries down and becomes flaky.
   • Brands also publish the characteristics of their products on their website. This could be qualities such as long wearing, highly pigmented, durable, moisturizing, etc.
   • Read reviews to see if the product really lives up to these characteristics and test yours to see if it does.
5. Shade
   • The shades in some cases will differ slightly or drastically.
   • Look at swatches online of the products and you will be able to easily determine if it is real or not.
6. Smell
   • Some products have distinct smells to them.
   • I know this is probably not a dead giveaway but if you are used to a product you will notice the difference in smell. It usually will not smell as good as the original product.
7. Product applicator
   • Most of the time you may notice a difference in applicator.
   • They may be lower in quality and shaped differently.
   • Again this may not always be an obvious indicator but it is one to look out for. Looks at pictures online and make the comparison between the applicator.
   • Look at the length of the applicator, the type such as brush, wand brush, etc.

How to avoid purchasing fake products

• Buy products from the brands verified site. This will usually be on their social media pages or you can Google it.
• Buy products from stores that are official stockists of the brand you want. Most brands usually list the store names of their official stockists on their website.
• Request proof of authenticity if you are purchasing from someone who is not an official stockist, like a proof of purchase from the brands site or store.

While some fakes are not as obvious as others there is always a tell-tale sign. If you just do a little investigating you will be able to spot the differences easily.

I definitely think there is more awareness around this topic nowadays which is great and I hope that these tips were helpful. Let me know about your experiences as well below.

Thanks for stopping by guys 🙂

XOXO Beauty & the Bronzer