Are you wearing fake makeup? Here’s how to tell

It is one of the biggest indicators of counterfeit items. Whether it’s designer bags, shoes or beauty products, the price is often the clearest indication. If you’re buying brand new, the price of your purchase usually includes prevailing taxes like GST – and unless purchased on a huge discount, it’s not likely to be that low.

Alarm bells should ring when you see an unusually low pricing without reason (such as a flash sale or brand promotion). That is often the first indication that the product is not the real thing.

One other factor to consider is that each picture of the product should be a clear and accurate representation of the item. If there are typos, differences in colour tones, misaligned logos or text, it often means that the product is counterfeit.

This is because many luxury brands take exceptional care to ensure that their brand is represented precisely in the image they have crafted. Any deviation is often a costly misrepresentation of their brand, and in order to protect this image, products with an error on the packaging are discarded, and many are destroyed. So if your item features any of the above variations, it is highly likely a fake.

To protect their brand, some even create unique markings or codes to indicate authenticity. Home-grown brand Sigi Skin is one example. Says founder Xenia Wong: “All Sigi Skin products have a serialised GS1 verified barcode at the base of our product boxes as proof of authenticity. We also encourage buyers to buy direct from the brand’s website or official marketplace platform to ensure that they are getting authentic products.”

Luxe makeup and skincare brand Chantecaille’s general manager for Taiwan and Singapore Erato Shen says: “Like other international brands, Chantecaille is also under threat with a number of fakes in the market. We have updated our packaging to include a scannable icon, which enables customers to check if the product they’ve bought is authentic using the Chantecaille app.”

The next most telling red flag is the product’s quality. Globally, the counterfeit industry is 3 per cent, and while it seems like a small percentage, it is valued at US$509 billion (S$700 billion), in a 2019 report that examines the scope and trends of counterfeit products, compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (an intergovernmental organisation that was founded to stimulate economic progress and trade).

Often, the imitation products are from highly sought-after luxury brands. It is so rampant within the luxury industry in Europe that the European Consumer Centre (ECC), together with the European Union’s (EU) Consumer Programme, came up with several tips on how to identify fakes while shopping, including purchases made online. These include checking reviews, verified signs that the seller is an approved seller, or a clear list of consumer rights on the seller’s website.

Luxury brands from the EU are highly sought-after not just for the prestige of their names, but also for their style and quality. The same goes for the R&D behind hightech skincare or cosmetics. Even though the logo may be copied, the textures of fake cosmetics and the efficacy of counterfeit skincare are rarely comparable to the original.

Customer reviews would be the most telling. Truthful reviews are often less “gushy” and focus on the details of the product – which only familiar users would know.

An example could be the smell of a lipstick or the colour pay-off for a blush powder. These attributes are unique to each product and, more often than not, consumers are sensitive if they aren’t present. So if reviews don’t cover these key points and the product hasn’t changed its formula, it’s likely a fake review for a fake product. You can also try browser extensions and apps such as Fakespot and Review Meta to detect whether these reviews are authentic or not.

Depending on the brand, they may sell their products worldwide at retail stores, via an official brand site on their own, or engage a list of authorised retailers, online websites and partners that carry their products. In Singapore, some of these marketplaces include Lazada, Amazon, Shopee and Zalora.

One way to tell whether an authorised seller is selling the item is to check whether the online seller is listed on the brand’s website as its reseller. What’s more, most online marketplaces would be proud to display a verified sign to say they are the official retailer of the respective brands.

Online reviews are important to online retailers and e-commerce marketplaces. If they are reviewed poorly, it can cause poor ratings and affect future sales.

On counterfeit beauty, Toh Ziling, founder and chief operating officer for beauty brand Re:erth says: “It’s unfortunately prevalent and unavoidable. We only sell Re:erth at our own e-store, to ship directly to consumers, and at reputable partner sites such as KrisShop and iShopChangi, to benefit travellers, so there will be no doubts about authenticity.”

Local marketplace Zalora states that it only sells authentic products as it works directly with the brands it carries, and only with reputable marketplace partners.

When asked, an Amazon spokesperson told Her World: “Amazon does not allow counterfeits and is fully committed to driving counterfeit to zero. These cases are extremely rare, with less than 0.01 per cent of all products sold on Amazon receiving a counterfeit claim.”

If a customer has purchased a counterfeit item at Amazon, it has an “A-to-Z Guarantee” policy in place, which ensures that customers are entitled to a full refund for any item purchased – whether it’s from Amazon or a third-party seller on its site.

In recent years, the marketplace has also been proactive in its efforts to stamp out fakes. Its machine learning programme Project Zero scans over five billion listings, including 10,000 registered brands, to detect and block counterfeit products. These registered brands share information about their products, including logos and trademarks, to help with the scans.

In the last year alone, Amazon identified, seized and disposed of over three million counterfeit items, preventing them from being sold to unsuspecting customers.

If you’ve been duped into buying a counterfeit product in Singapore, you have a number of legal rights under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act.

Firstly, you can seek legal recourse via the Small Claims Tribunals (for amounts under $20,000). For amounts exceeding $20,000, a lawsuit can commence with the District Court, Magistrates Court, or General Division of the High Court.

Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) is a non-profit, non-government organisation that seeks to protect consumer interests. It can act on your behalf or assist in drafting letters to the seller.

In summary, be mindful of the brands you come across and be watchful of the price, packaging, quality and reviews.

Makeup artist Larry Yeo advises, “Buy from the brand direct. There are also so many authorised outlets and retailers in Singapore. Otherwise, wait for special sales like 11.11 or Black Friday to enjoy lower prices. Reconsider if the brand isn’t within your budget. There are many other beauty options that are financially sensible.”

Lastly, a reminder: Even if the price is good, check the store ratings, read reviews judiciously and take note especially of the bad reviews. Unbelievably low prices should sound all the alarm bells. Save yourself the heartache, and get the real thing.

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