When it comes to expensive designer products, it is natural to hunt far and wide for the best deal. However, the better the bargain, the blurrier the line of authenticity becomes. Today more than ever, in a market which according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development costs the worldwide economy up to $250 billion a year, one simply has to wonder, is it real? Counterfeit products are bought and sold both intentionally and unintentionally on the streets of big cities, on eBay, Amazon, and other re-marketing sites every day. Even though fake products put a dent in the economy, they are not considered hazardous to human health. Unfortunately, for counterfeit makeup (fakeup), that isn’t the case.

The reason this issue has been brought to my attention is due to a recent experience of accidentally purchasing fakeup from a buy/sell site called Poshmark. The listing I found was for a limited edition Marilyn Monroe collection, potted gel eyeliner from the brand MAC Cosmetics. The liner costing around $18 retail. From the same seller, I purchased a Too Faced concealer palette costing $36 retail. The seller said she would give me both items for $15.00, so of course I jumped at the chance! She guaranteed the items authenticity, saying she had purchased both of them from the main retailers.

A few days later I received my package wrapped neatly with a bow and a pink sparkly “thank you for your purchase” note. Everything about the Too Faced palette seemed satisfactory, but when I examined the eyeliner, something interesting roused my suspicion… I noticed the bottom of the potted eyeliner was made from plastic rather than the sturdy glass that MAC potted eyeliners typically have. When I tested the product on my hand, the coloring was off and not the thick creamy consistency that makes MAC liners top notch.

Other than a couple minor concerns, the eyeliner looked exactly like I had seen it in pictures. It even had Marilyn Monroe's photo and "signature" on the lid. There's no way it could be fake...Right?

With rising suspicion I searched the internet to see if I could find any information on counterfeit makeup. I came across a Youtube video with a girl holding two Too Faced palettes identical to the one I had just purchased. The video was titled, “how to spot a fake.” She discussed the miniscule differences between the appearances of the two. Unfortunately, my palette checked out to a "T" with the counterfeit description. Shortly after, I discovered the eyeliner was... You guessed it, also fake.

After further research, I discovered that the sales of fake cosmetics are steadily increasing. Worse than that, they are major health hazard. High-end makeup fakes from brands such as; MAC, Too Faced, and Urban Decay, have reached such a problematic status that according to Fox 7 News, Special Agent Joe Ortega with the Department of Homeland Security, has issued a warning saying, “counterfeit cosmetics are poisoning Americans and our economy.” Seizing more than $188 million worth of fakeup in 2010, Ortega said the products tested positive for a wide range of toxins including arsenic and lead. The toxins used in these cosmetics serve as an attempt to inexpensively match the color and consistency of the original product as close as possible.

Fortunately, I dodged a bullet having not tested my fake products before I found out they were counterfeit.

An investigation done by Inside Edition for CBS Newsdiscovered similar toxins in the makeup they purchased from a street vendor in New York City. The vendor claimed the products were authentic and he had received them as “surplus” from the original retailers. When the investigation team tested the products, the results showed, not only did every product purchased have an incredible amount of bacteria, but also beryllium and high levels of aluminum which has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

In similar study conducted by ABC News, the 2020 investigation team purchased eyeshadow from a discount store in New York City. After testing, the amount of lead found in the shadow was five times more than what the FDA allows in cosmetics. The copper levels were over 2,000 ppm (parts per million) whereas the FDA only approves of 100 ppm. Copper levels this high being applied directly to the face will enter the bloodstream and is dangerous to the liver and kidneys, said Dr. Whitney Bowe, ABC News.

It is not only on the streets that this same slew of harmful ingredients can be found, but also in cosmetic products purchased from popular internet sites. In an article by Claire Coleman for The Daily Mail, she highlights several women who have experienced the scary aftermath of using counterfeit cosmetics. One of the women, Rosy Ferry, was delighted to find a limited edition Dior eyeshadow palette on Ebay for a fraction of the retail price. She was so excited to receive her package in the mail that she ignored the slightly damaged box and the tiny differences in the packaging. Coleman reasoned that the product smelled ok and looked fairly normal so she decided to test it out. The next morning she was terrified to find that she couldn't open her eyes. Something in the makeup had caused them to swell.

“Things started to improve, but for at least three weeks, it looked like I had burns around my tear ducts—the skin was all red and flaky and I couldn't wear any eye makeup. I dread to think what was in the eyeshadow that would have caused that sort of reaction” (qtd. In Coleman).

Fakes from large brands like Urban Decay and MAC can be extremely hard to spot, but not impossible if you know what to look for. When purchasing makeup, pay close attention to the letters, the quality, the smell, and the price. High-end makeup packaging tends to reflect the price, so authentic products will have no crooked corners, curious labels or misprinting. If the item is in palette form, see that the pans holding the product are perfectly in line and filled to the same level. If the product has a chemical smell, that’s a huge red flag. If the price is too good to be true, unfortunately it probably is. There are many online resources like Youtube, websites and blogs (like this one by pop sugar), that give a detailed list about what to look for on specific products to prove authenticity. In general, be sure before buying a product online, that you have seen it in stores first and have examined it thoroughly to know exactly what to expect.

Out of all of the fashion items that are counterfeited, this is one that can harm your skin and negatively affect your body. So have no shame in buying that fake Louis Vuitton handbag, but next time you pass up a too good to be true deal on designer makeup, remember, at least that Louis bag won’t poison your face.