How to spot fake cosmetics - MAC Lipsticks

Tuesday 12 June 2012

**Update** A few hours after writing this post yoyo.com.mt stopped selling fake MAC cosmetics. A big thank you everyone for the support. 

Hi all. I wanted to write more of serious post today and that's about fake cosmetics. You'll find countless of fakes on ebay, some easy to spot - some not so much. The thing that annoys me the most is that by buying fake cosmetics not only are you funding these fraudsters, you don't know what you're putting on your skin. There's no way to know if these have been tested!

Anyway I recently came across a website here in Malta. www.yoyo.com.mt , saying they are selling MAC cosmetics. While I never used the website before, I thought with over 5,000 facebook fans it can't be all bad (especially for a small island). So I ordered a lipstick to see for myself. This was priced at 13.50 Euros, and I received a 15% discount, so it was around 11 Euros I paid. My package arrived within 3 days. But when I got home, I checked the product against my others as I thought it was too good to be true to finally sell MAC in Malta.

So here is a comparison. (1 of them is fake)



They all look pretty much the same right? These fakes are good, the packaging it 100% double even down the logo.

But let's take a closer look.

Looking at the bottom, it's starting to become clearer. (1st on the left is fake). Notice the different size of text and how the label is a different colour?


Now onto the actual lipstick

On the left is the fake.  Notice the difference in height. (the lipstick on to right has only been use once or twice)
Also can you see how the surface on the fake is like a mirror! And for those with an extra keen eye, you'll notice the real (right) is slight thicker as well.


Last but not least, the thing that confirmed this for me was the smell. 
All Mac lipsticks have a subtle vanilla smell, right this lipstick smells like cheap plastic/plasticine!

So I emailed the company to make them aware these products were fake. And they denied that they were fake and assured me they were 100% real. I stood my ground and pointed out my reasons. Whether they knew or not I'm not sure.

They offered me a refund, but that's not what I was looking for - it was about right and wrong. What if someone has an allergic reaction! At the time of writing this yoyo.com.mt  are STILL selling Mac cosmetics and people are getting excited because there's now "MAC in Malta".

I have contacted MAC and they will deliver to Malta. Yes it's expensive (£18), but you can't put a price on your face and having a bad reaction to this. If any Malta bloggers/and or readers would like to purchase Mac i'd be more than happy to split the shipping costs. The more the merrier...the cheaper the shipping.

Anyway, please because when ordering cosmetics that seem too good to be true and spread the word about this site. I'd hate see someone wasting their hard earned cash on fakes.

**Update** A few hours after writing this post yoyo.com.mt stopped selling fake MAC cosmetics. A big thank you everyone for the support. 

42 comments:

  1. Wow I can't believe that they are selling fake products. Have you notified MAC?

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    1. I know, it's horrible. It's something people put on their face! Yeh I spoke with them today and they are going to investigate. I hope they stop selling them. I will take it to the European trading standards if i need to. xx

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  2. Im so pleased that you have raised such an important issue. I have been caught out twice. Welldone on following this up :)) Let me know what happens xx

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    1. Thanks Maria, I have literally just found out they have removed the products from their website. I am so pleased. xx

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  3. Wow, great post!! The fakes are getting harder and harder to spot!!!

    I wanted to let you know that I nominated you for an award! Check out my latest blog post for more info! (:

    xoxo


    purelyenvy.blogspot.com

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    1. Aww thanks very much hun, will do a post on this real soon xx

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  4. Great post! Unfortunately the problem with fakes is that are no regulations and checks on the products, so well done!!

    Just wanted to to point out some ingredients used in Mac Cosmetics... i know there are a lot of ladies who are totally in love with the brand; i have nothing against the brand, just wanted to point out what to look for if they truly want natural cosmetics. (Some of their product are better then others)

    Here's a blog where there's listed the ingredients of all (or most) MAC products (this this link is particularly on their lipsticks): http://www.specktra.net/t/47650/lip-products.

    Look out for ingredients such as;

    ~Parabens : i.e. Poly Parabens, Meta Parabens,Isopropylparaben etc... Considered as a Carcinogenic in the long run

    ~Bismuth Oxychloride: a highly irritant ingredient that's correlated with hay fevers and asthma

    ~Petrolatum / Paraffin : Derived from petroleum (or petroleum jelly) i.e Bi product of fossil fuel... (do i need to explain myself here?)

    And there there are ingredients such as TALC which is mostly used in powders, foundations, eye shadows and blushers; used as filler... Highly irritant, drying and carcinogenic in the long run

    These are just very basic ingredients to look out for... There are of course many more... but i'll bore you to death!! :P

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    1. Thanks very much Charlie, this was really informative. :)

      I have a bronzer from you line of natural cosmetics and it works wonders :) I love what you have done with Soap cafe and can't recommend it enough to people in Malta. xx

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  5. As everyone already said, great post! Though it totally doesn't surprise me that someone is selling fakes in Malta. As you said, too good to be true. Quite unfortunate but glad you stood your ground and made note of this and now their pulled from the site!

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    1. I know, it's shame. But i do think they believed they were real, as they are good copies. And its your not as obsessed as I am it was difficult to tell. But i'm so happy they have taken it from their website. I have a lot more respect for them know. I didn't think I could make a difference but this just goes to show! :) xx

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  6. Well done Elle!! If you would buy something off Mac, contact me I would be interested :-)

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    1. Thank you :) Yeh of course, we'll all get together and put a big order in and that way we know they are 100% real xx

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  7. I'm so sharing!! And I didn't know MAC are shipping to Malta .. I'm so getting some of their stuff.. let me know if you'd like to split shipping or something :)

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    1. Thanks for sharing. Can't wait for our MAC delivery now :) xx

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  8. Great post! I have really sensitive skin so prefer to buy over the counter at a department store. It's expensiver but that way you know your getting a safe product.

    Radha xoxo

    http://buttonsapart.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Exactly, you need to be careful what you put on your face xx

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  9. Great Post! I would love to split shipping. Are you ordering from mac.com?

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    1. I'm ordering from mac UK. There is a few of us all going to put and order in together. E-mail me at beautyabroadmalta@gmail.com or add me on facebook and i'll send you more details :) xx

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  10. I knew this would be too good to be true! I've only ever had one MAC lipstick and I'd love to have more MAC stuff but getting it here is just so hard, but I'd never be tempted by resellers like yoyo or ebay as they're almost always fake and as you say, its just not worth the risk!

    I'm not shopping for myself next month (killer) but once I am again I'll let you know, as I'd love to split MAC shipping costs! xxx

    Visit The Other Side Of Cool
    Tweet me! @othersideofcool

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    1. yeh def hun, just let me know. There is a few of us going to put an order in in a few weeks time, and postage will only be about 2 pounds each as there is so many of us. But i'm sure there will be another big order again in a few months time and i'll def let you know xx

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  11. I have a lipstick that I can't confirm is fake... it has all of these things you talk about. But what really throws me off is mine DOES have a hint of vanilla, but there are these very tiny details like you stated here. Should I contact them? ( mine also has white batch code on the sticker, and i asked some people n they said when they went to the mac counter some of the l/s do have white..)

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  12. Also, the little nods on that are at the inside to click the cap on, are they slighty different on yours too? like flatter and wider? I feel im crazy. -.-

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  13. Wow they are so similar!


    http://hollybumblebeee.blogspot.co.uk

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  14. Hii :)
    Im from malta, and i have been dying to get my hands on a mac product, are you Maltese too? Anyway i went to the mac site and it said that they do not sell to malta, or am i doing something wrong, pls help! :D love your blog bdw
    kim xxx

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  15. Hii :)
    Im from malta, and i have been dying to get my hands on a mac product, are you Maltese too? Anyway i went to the mac site and it said that they do not sell to malta, or am i doing something wrong, pls help! :D love your blog bdw
    kim xxx

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  16. Hi Kim, no I’m not Maltese, I’m British but have been living in Malta for over 5 years :) If you content MAC via chat or email they will be able to help you. I double checked with them before posting the article. Let me know how you get on. Elle xx :)

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  17. This is a great post, especially as it has raised such awareness and you have got such success from it. It really was difficult at first to tell the difference, so i'm glad you pointed out some of the things i might have skipped over!

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  18. I have a few MAC lipsticks I'm iffy about , is there anyway I can email you the pictures to have you confirm if they're authentic or not?

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    1. I compared them next to what I know are 100% authentic MAC lipsticks and it looks different please email me at calinguyen143@yahoo.com

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  19. MAC lippies are so creamy! :)
    xo,
    ~Pauline @ MAC Philippines

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