Real vs Fake? Spot the Differences!
It’s no secret that designer branded makeup products are counterfeited! From eyeshadows to lipsticks, foundations and so much more! Getting your hands on fake designer makeup is pretty easy. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting consumer the fakes are uncannily similar to the originals. Whilst that's great for the seller, its not for those who just don't want to be scammed over and over again! At best, the results won’t be the same – at worst, you put your health at risk!
Related: Why Counterfeit has Consequences
We at Mystic Beauty SA have put together some routine checks to help keep your designer makeup collection counterfeit free! Being clueless when it comes to telling the difference will be a thing of the past!
Consistency is key
Designer makeup brands have consistency when it comes to pricing, packaging, product shades and scents - so scrutinize closely!
We have compared the original and fake version of the Huda Beauty Remastered eyeshadow palette. Differences are evident, Oh yes! and you will be surprised and just how sneaky fake product manufacturers really are!
# Pricing
If its too good to be true, it probably is fake!
Designer makeup products are competitively priced, globally (unless you grab real bargains in their actual stores/verified outlets). Alarm bells should go off in your head when you see a product priced way cheaper than it should be! It's most likely a fake! So it helps alot if you know your prices well!
Original - In South Africa, if you purchase online/from a stockist of authentic products, you should be spending more than the global competitive price. Why more?? Stockists have taken into account the exchange rate,shipping and import duties.
Fake - MUCH MUCH cheaper! BUT be very weary as sometimes the knock offs can pose as very high quality and be priced close to the original. Then what!? You simply look for other tell tale signs as we outlined below.
# Outer packaging
Designer make up brands pride themselves in their packaging. It's all about that luxurious look and feel that just shouts out "BUY ME!". So look out for a general faded or dull box colour, damaged/badly glued boxes and mirrors that don’t fit/fall off.
Original - glossy peachy colour box with bright picture
Fake - matte pink colour box with a dull picture
# Barcodes
The first 3 digits on a barcode reveals a country code wherein the product is manufactured. If the product is authentic, then the first few digits on the barcode will match the country of origin as listed on the product or packaging.
Fake products have barcodes that do not match the country specified on their packaging. If the barcodes on fake products do match the country specified as in the example below you can always cross check that information on the products official website.
Original - barcode 629... country code for UAE. This is compatible with the production city listed as Dubai, UAE.
Fake - barcode 696... country code for Peoples Republic of China. Although the barcode matches the country we can see that Huda Beauty is made in Dubai and not China.
# Website information
Designer brands usually promote their official website on their packaging. A fake product will not have the same website link as the original product.
Original - Official Huda Beauty Website
Fake - www.hudabeauty.com.cn This website does not exist! No Surprise!!
#Serial numbers
These should be identical on the packaging and on the product. Serial numbers are often missing/mismatched on fake products.
Original - These match as seen in the picture.
Fake - No serial number was evident on the packaging and product.
#Product description & ingredients list
When a product is authentic, its description and ingredients list will match the same product information on the official website.
Original - this product description on the packaging matches the official website description for the same product.
Fake - This remastered palette is being described as the desert dusk palette - a totally different huda beauty product! Can you get anymore fake than this!
#Fonts
You will notice that designer companies always have consistency when it comes to their fonts. This is because they have patented fonts which are not accessible to other companies. Hence a original product will always have a different font when compared to the fake.
Original vs Fake - the difference in fonts are clearly visible - the original is darker, bolder and more cursive.
#Product shades
So the proof is in the pudding! If you brave enough to swatch a fake product you would be able to tell the difference. The shades will not be as pigmented as expected with more flakiness/chalkiness/dryness. Your makeup will certainly not last as long and of course there's also the risk of skin rash, eye infections etc after using a fake!
The shade names of an original product will always be the same as those on their official website.
Original - size of the shade squares are smaller, fuller in capacity and more pigmented. e.g look at the shade 24K closely to see the difference in pigment.
Fake - size of the shade squares are larger, not full in capacity and less pigmented.
This information can certainly save you alot of heartache & you can be assured that you wont be scammed (again) into purchasing a fake!
Your health wont be at risk!
RELATED: Fake makeup can be an easy buy and health hazard.
Save up and purchase only originals!
You will thank yourself a million times over for making that choice!
Related: Whats the difference between real and synthetic makeup brushes.
RELATED: 10 TikTok Beauty Hacks you need to see
RELATED: TikTok Makeup Trends that are taking over in 2020
Thank you, exactly what I was looking for. Everything I needed.
Exactly what I was looking for and straight to the point so thank you! I buy and sell a lot of stuff online and I always try to make sure what I sell is authentic! It amazes me how many people try to scam you. Thank you for this!!
Lovely article with great, useful info! Definately feel more confident in not being scammed into buying fakes again!
Hi there!
This is certainly a well-written article and very thorough. It is really useful to have this on hand when purchasing branded make-up. Many thanks for the informative article.I look forward to your next blog post.