5 Quick Ways To Spot Counterfeit Beauty Products

If you've ever shopped on eBay, you've probably stumbled upon a holy grail of cosmetic products that are selling at a fraction of the price you would normally find them for. Rather than feel super excited about these money-saving moments, you should actually be suspicious and approach your findings with caution because chances are, they’re counterfeit products. Scary, I know, but worry not: there are easy ways to spot counterfeit products, both in store and online.

First thing's first: a super low price tag is be a quick giveaway that a product could, in fact, be counterfeit. It's cheap for a reason. Normally, your tried-and-true products are on the pricier side because you’re paying for the high-quality. When you find the same product with a significantly lower price, it’s likely because many of the high-quality ingredients and materials that would normally go into it were replaced with cheap fillers. These fillers often contain arsenic, mercury and cyanide, which is scary to think about considering you’re using beauty products on your face and body. In order to avoid getting counterfeit products, here are some ways that you can avoid them.

1. Location of Purchase

Buy your makeup prodcuts from authorized counters and stores where the company has confirmed their sales. Although eBay is a great resource for many incredible finds, it can be a pretty sketchy place to shop for your cosmetics.

2. Low Prices

If buying your product at a super discounted price was extremely easy, and it wasn't from an authorized counter or store, it's most likely a counterfeit product.

3. Glitching Websites

Remember the whole Balenciaga glitch on their website? Well, a similar type of hack can occur on other sites where hackers will use seemingly legit websites and send out counterfeit products in order to try and find out your payment and personal information.

4. Know What You're Buying

Often times, a counterfeit product will look almost like the real thing, but if you look closely at the name of the product, it might have a vowel missing or an extra consonant put in.

5. No Return Policy

If you're shopping online, a lack of a return policy should throw up a red flag for you because most counterfeit companies won't bother to write one up.

And if you're an e-shopper for life, Brand-I will be your new friend. This site helps you to find authentic sellers of the product you're looking for.

Images: Getty (3), Giphy (2)