Counterfeit products have been around for a while. Handbags, clothes and these days you even get counterfeit cosmetics too.
There are mainly two reasons people buy replicated products.
1. Having an intense need to be associated with the brand and letting other people know you own it. 2. Thinking you getting the same thing for a better price – good value for your money.
I can only comment on nr 2. As I know we are living in tough times and we need to stretch our money as far as possible therefore we want to get the best value.
Its for this reason that I decided to write this post, focusing on counterfeit cosmetics.
After working for a well-known cosmetic brand (which I am not going to mention, as its not really about any particular brand) we often encountered people coming in store , looking to replace their product only to find that either the product name and coding wasn’t the same or the actual product didn’t even exists within the brand even though it had a similar looking logo. At times the names of the product or packaging were ALMOST identical but the actual product itself came nothing close to the original ones we were selling in store. I felt really bad as most of the time our clients weren’t even aware that they have purchased counterfeit cosmetics. They thought they were getting the real deal.
I remember I was still in primary school when those fake Louis Vuitton handbags flooded the South African market. It looked similar to the original – if you looked really fast…you could tell within a second look that the product was nothing but a cheap handbag with a fancy logo slapped on (sometimes skew as well). The inside raffling because it wasn’t stitched properly.
A counterfeit product isn’t there to offer you the same quality for less. No. They are offering you a poor quality product (worse than a normal no name brand handbag you can buy at a clothing store) which you wouldn’t otherwise buy had it not been wrapped in someone else’s pretty package. They are simply trying to ride on a while established brand’s wave.
While purchasing a replicated Louis Vuitton handbag may do you no harm (other than looking silly). We cannot say the same when it comes to counterfeit cosmetic products. The danger with cosmetics is that it can affect your health and appearance. There has been some serious on health hazards all over the word with these counterfeit products.
And the worst part of that is should something like a reaction happen, you cannot take it back and expect any answers, refund or support.
When you purchase from a well established brand, you know that they research well before they make a product to ensure it’s safe for you to use and would gladly assist you if it doesn’t agree with you.
The best advice I could give is to be wise and educate yourself. If someone approaches you , or you see an advertisement on social media, do your research before going for that “bargain”.
Here’s how:
- Google the brand.
- Make sure you are on their official website.
- Look on their website at their products. You might find that you can spot the difference in the products, that they don’t even have this particular item.
- You will also be able to read about their policies. It is pretty standard that most brands wont sell their products through individual vendors ,markets or in bulk online.
I have attached a link as an example to the international Mac Cosmetics official website where they give you all the needed information.
https://www.maccosmetics.com/counterfeit-education
Now, I am not saying you should only use high end products. There are tons of drug-store brands that are really affordable…( I mean why buy a no name lipstick, probably worth R20 with a fake high end branding on for R150 when you can get a decent lipstick at Clicks, Dis-Chem or any pharmacy for under R100?)
I’m merely suggesting that you consider your own health by buying from a brand that can be held accountable. Who you can ask if something goes wrong…who can actually tell you what is in their products. Who makes every effort to ensure they give you the best quality.
Because as they say at Loreal… “ Your worth it” hehehe I just had to:)
Lastly I would love to share a link to a very informative blog post by Pink Peonies that I found on the matter. Well worth the read.
Please let me know if you beauties found this helpful or have any other questions regarding this topic in the comments below. I would gladly help.
Much love to each and every blazing beauty.
Elscha
xxx
