How to spot fake cosmetics (MAC, Nars, Bobbi Brown) on eBay

How to Spot Fake Cosmetics

February 26, 2008

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Since many of you had questions after my first post about counterfeit cosmetics, I created a guide to spotting the fakes. Although you can find some good deals on eBay, fake goods are extremely prevalent. Watch out for phony MAC, Nars, and Bobbi Brown — although a few other brands pop up as well. Use this guide to protect yourself from bogus beauty, and be prepared to laugh and cringe while you browse through these fakes.

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by POPSUGAR Beauty 28

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28 Comments

minimeeh 47 weeks

can you do one for Make up For Ever? IF there are fakes out there. thanks really enjoyed this post!

memoime 1 year

I dont think it matters whether there fake brushes are brushes as long as they are soft and do what they are suppose to do. and you wash them before use 1 thing i would not do is to buy foundations etc

jojolagos 1 year

make in USA is a give away!

2 years

thank you, u just saved me 30 quid ;-)

2 years

OMG! I recently purchased bobbi brown brushes off ebay, they haven't arrived yet but now i'm scared that they might not be real. I messgaed the seller asking if the brushes were authentic, & he said they are, there cheaper then the regular price because it's the factory price :S So i trusted him/her. Can you do a comparison of fake & real bobbi brown brushes. Please & thanks :)

nila777 2 years

Hi people, I recently bought a Bobbi Brown brushes set on eBay and i doubt if it is authentic. Do you guys have tips how i can recognize the original once. Thank you!!!

queenpanda 3 years

PS: people that say the ingredients are the same: How do you know? They can write and print anything on the packet. Watch out!

queenpanda 3 years

Before even looking at website like these a bought a MAC fluidline eyeliner. I coudln't believe that there would be fakes out there, it didn't even cross my mind. However when I recieved the item it had an oriental shipping/QC stick. 'Strange' I thought 'Especially for something that is manufactured in Canada'. Then, WHAM! I noticed it wasn't manufactured in Toronto( like all my other MAC stuff) it said 'Made in Tornto'. I'm no geography expert but I'm pretty sure that Tornto Canada doesn't exist (missing an 'O'). I have contacted the seller to demand a refund. No way am I putting fake stuff on my face, It could have ANYTHING in it!!

3 years

This really isn't that informative and relies on minor details like spacing on packaging to prove something is a fake and 'silver' showing in eyeshadow palettes. They should really have someone who actually works in a factory producing these things write a blog about it or something, then we might actually have some real tips to go on to avoid buying fakes.

3 years

I realised I´ve just bought fake Shu Uemura cleansing oil on ebay for 35dollars. (Not by reading this post though but by actually trying it out once I recieved it). It looks like the real deal, but it didn´t act like the real thing at all (I have used the real oil bought at a shu uemura store for a long time), and it smells like cheap soap. Actually I have a theory that it IS soap mixed with a smaller amount of the real oil. It took some time to arrive because troubles at the post office, but since I didn´t know that, I emailed the seller to ask if she had a tracking number, she didn´t but was very helpful and said she would send me another one if it hadn´t arrived in two days. I hought that was very kind of her considering they are quite expensive, but I guess I should have realised by then..

3 years

This is SO informative. I unfortunately am a victim of buying fake MAC/Bobbi Brown brushes & a MAC "cream" eyeshadow palette. I am trying to get my $$$ back as I've opened a dispute. I wish I read/researched more about counterfeits on eBay but personally I didn't think they even MADE fake makeup brushes so I never thought to research about it. But thanks again, this is very helpful!

3 years

Hello I recently bought a so call fake lot of Ebay of Hello Kitty lot. I have to really say fake or not the Ingredients are the same and the Studio Fix is Fab!!! Eyeshadow were creamy and blended well and last all day. So for my Money have to Say these so call fakes are Fab !!! And I didn't know until I started seeing Blogs. But how many of you sport a Replica Handbag ??? Don't Be fake you guys

3 years

Thanks for the info. I was looking to buy Bobbi Brown brushes from e-bay, but thanks to your web-site, I have got them from bobbibrown.co.uk

4 years

You can check feedback at toolhaus.org and see the negative feedback for sellers. This is a great tool so you don't have to try and pick through all of the pages. If there are several comments of poor quality, fakes, off colors, etc. don't buy from them!! There are a lot of high volume sellers with poor feedback on ebay and they do nothing because they collect the fees! I would be really careful of buying cosmetics on ebay at at. Also, if they deliberately misspell the brand name, watch out! Ebay does block people with complaints or lots of listings of high risk items from listing a lot. So they misspell the brand name and the filter doesn't catch it! One powerseller, Gravitongirl, is selling "MACS" (with an S) cosmetics. That's to override the filter. The feedback looks good, until you run it through toolhaus.org and see the negatives, including complaints that the makeup was fake or in poor condition, smelled bad, etc, a good sign that it's a fake. Just be careful, so many things made in Asia have lead and other weird things in them. It's not worth saving a few bucks, even if it looks fine, if you're putting lead on your face! And if you have doubts, just run them through toolhaus to see the real picture. A seller can be in the US and still have bought fakes to resell. A huge source of these are a website called Tradekey. Take a look, it will open your eyes to all the fakes out there! Look pretty, but be safe!

4 years

Wow, researching a blog post on this topic - what a great guide! Your previous post referenced my "spotters guide" from livejournal a few years back (I had really chipped nail polish in the photos *blush*) but this blows its socks off. I'm now at s1aphappy.wordpress.com if you want to swap links :)

4 years

do they make fake mary kay brushes? i got a set off ebay that was suppose to be like the set i got from a real sells lady the colors a little different and it come with a leather case and the original wasn't leather

staceyface 4 years

ok, so now i'm a bit terrified i may have bid (and won) on some bobbi brown brushes that aren't real. I only started buying on ebay because my teacher in makeup school recommended it(i'd rather not say which school, she's the hunt me down and kill me type). I wish ebay would regulate this better. :( I wrote the seller a note asking about how she can verify the authenticity but she hasn't responded to me. I thought the brushes looked fine until i saw her MAC brushes which look like fakes (that notorious roll top case). sigh.... what to do... anybody have any ideas? can i cancel a bid if i'm afraid their counterfeit? i doubt it. Ebay seems to have a policy listed saying the seller is responsible for verifying authenticity. I've asked her to do so, we'll see what happens. I also don't want to go reporting someone if they are in fact legit - but i don't think it's out of line to ask them to verify, do you?

gigill 5 years

Wow, I had no idea there beauty fakes out there. I've always felt icky about buying makeup from Ebay, and if I do buy online it's only from reputable stores/brands. Thanks for sharing though!

KWM 5 years

I love this post. So helpful and funny too ;)

animatedpunk 5 years

wow... i've actually bought 1 or 2 cosmetic items on ebay... none that you listed here, but still.. now i'm worried i might have gotten fakes! ahhh, i'll be more careful in the future for sure. Thanks for the tips!

tglynn 5 years

Almost all expensive cosmetics lines have some sort of fake on ebay. I'd say buy them in person all the time. I also found this article by an ebay seller for spotting fake MAC products to be really helpful: http://reviews.ebay.com/MAC-PIGMENTS-HOW-TO-SPOT-FAKES-by-EXPERIENCED-SELLER_W0QQugidZ10000000002016410

Le Luxe 5 years

Wow- this is crazy. You have to have a GOOD eye to spot this stuff! But, I dont think I would ever trust cosmetics from eBay. Who knows who put their paws all over that stuff!