With the help from YouTube and beauty influencers across the globe, certain makeup brands and products are heightened in popularity and demand. More often than not, these products can be on the more expensive side and while the desire to own the products is high, the reality is that not many people can afford some of these products. For instance, the Urban Decay Naked Heat palette retails for RM230 in Malaysia ($54 in the US). That's a lot of hard earned money to be dishing out on 1 makeup product for many.
Unfortunately the hype that surrounds certain makeup brands and products has prompted another fast rising industry -- the sale of fake makeup. The makeup junkie or makeup enthusiast won't necessary fall for the lure of fake makeup but the vast majority of the purchasing crowd are usually none the wiser. I've come across many sellers who either don't know the difference and believe their product is the real deal or are aware they are selling counterfeits but still try to pass it off as somewhat authentic. And this really scares me.
I've seen Urban Decay's popular Naked palettes reach the Naked 10 iterations in the world of fake makeup. I tell my friends, "I don't think Urban Decay knows they've come out with a Naked 10". On top of that, I've seen MAC, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Kylie Cosmetics and Huda Beauty in their counterfeit glory being passed of as authentic products by certain sellers and vendors. It's scary to see people purchasing these products and in some way thinking they were scoring a massive deal by buying these products at a fraction of the price.
Photo Source (both above): Mail Online
The photos above was published in Mail Online and shows the conditions of the factory producing fake makeup. Not only are the conditions unhygienic, the products are laced with poison and rat droppings. It's easy to purchase makeup packaging in bulk and slap on a copy of the original labels. Packaging is not hard to reproduce. Logos are easily downloaded off the internet and recreated illegally. The product themselves, could contain a host of ingredients that may be harmful for your skin and overall wellbeing. Is this something you would voluntarily put on your face?
Read the full Mail Online write up here
How then do we know what we're buying is the genuine product? The easiest way is to purchase from the brand or authorized resellers. Reputable stores like Sephora, Sasa, Watsons and Guardian are definitely not going to sell you any fake goods. When ordering online from 3rd party websites, eBay, Lelong, Lazada and personal shoppers, read the comments, check the reviews with a simple Google search and make sure the product is an existing product by the brand you are looking into. Another big indicator is the price. Fake makeup is far cheaper than the original. I've come across supposed beautyblenders being sold for RM20 when the actual price is RM99. Big red flag there.
There are also many swatches available online that can serve as a reference to identifying counterfeits. Some valiant warriors of beauty have posted side by side comparisons of fake and original makeup products and it's only a Google Image search away. Be safe guys, and don't buy fake makeup hoping it will perform the same as the original.
Click here to watch videos on fake makeup
The hype isn't worth risking you health. Hypes are built to sell products. It is a marketing strategy to give you that extra nudge to buy something you may not necessarily need. If the price points of cult favourites are not within your means, trust me, there are always alternatives. The makeup community and market is never short on dupes. Pinterest is a great place to start. When buying a palette, look at the overall feel of the colours. Other palettes may not be an exact match but more often than not, the aim is to achieve a particular look with the colours in the palette.
Here's one of my beloved eyeshadow palettes -- LORAC PRO 2 -- with it's more affordable alter ego -- Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 2. The colours are very similar and it's a great option for those who wants to own the LORAC palette but either can't afford it or it isn't available in their country (yes, it isn't available in Malaysia). Makeup Revolution offers a lot of inspired makeup and they ship worldwide. A word of caution though, their packing leaves much room for improvement as the products are not sent in a box but rather wrapped in some bubble wrap and shipped in a plastic mailer bag. I had one of my palettes arrive with a broken mirror and another completely shattered.
Brands like Maybelline, L'Oreal, essence, SilkyGirl, theBalm and Cyber Colors have tons of good products in their line up. Korean brands like etude House, The Face Shop and Skin Food are options that can be explored as well. The beauty market isn't what it used to be. A lot of high street/drugstore makeup brands have stepped up their game and I've got to say, I'm not complaining.
Lots of Love, Adelina
Website: Make Up By Adelina
Online Store: Adelina Beauty
Facebook: @AdelinaMUA
Instagram: @adelinamua
