To save you a lot of time, money and trouble in this article I am going to uncover how to rapidly spot genuine MAC Makeup UK only products from fakes.
This is a matter that concerns me a lot, especially when I speak to some of my friends here in the UK who are looking to buy MAC Makeup products online.
Often I'll get an email or a call from a friend or reader who tells me that they've found this "really great deal on wholesale mac makeup products" (usually pigments, eye shadow or brushes).
Usually I'll go to the website they tell me about (which is almost always eBay) and I will spot immediately that it's either a fake, or the offer isn't quite what they think it is…
Take a look at this example. A friend of mine called me up excited and said, "Guess what? I've found this great deal on eBay where you get 35 pigments for ￡15,… etc, etc".
Well, guess what? She sent me a link and I took one look at it and I knew at once that she hadn't read it properly. On a site like eBay, to begin with whenever you see an offer like this you can pretty much be sure that it's not the correct sized item you're going to be receiving.
You should read ALL of the details (especially the small print) because what you're really going to receive will be about a one-fourth of a teaspoon worth, sent in a small little plastic container.
Nobody but nobody can sell 55 full-sized genuine MAC pigments for ￡25, particularly in the UK!
The old classic rule: If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is! Always consider that.
One of the other important reasons why I tell my friends and readers to stay clear of buying MAC cosmetics from a site like eBay is because you cannot be sure that it's the genuine product you're getting.
There are various people out there selling fake MAC Makeup products and that is true; above all to people in the UK because as we know, pretty much everything in the UK is more pricey and sellers will try to take advantage of that. From whom you buy from, you have to be careful.
If you're adamant that you're going to buy MAC Makeup on eBay then I want to give you several of my tips for staying safe online and what you should watch out for:
1. There is a free tool with the product.
If you come across anybody selling MAC Makeup such as eye shadow or sets and they're giving away a free tool with every product such as a Sponge Tip Applicator, then STAY CLEAR! The product is almost definitely a fake. There is no genuine MAC products that ever come with a free tool such as a sponge tip applicator.
2. It has a number instead of a name.
If any of the products they are selling, for example eye shadow or pigments have a NUMBER instead of an actual product name, then it's not real.
For example, I use a MAC eye shadow called Swiss Chocolate but if I saw a seller advertising a "MAC" product as a number (such as "A59" or whatever) then I would know that it was indeed a fake. Certain products such as pigments do have a number, but they also have a specific name and all genuine MAC resellers would know to only ever use the product name when advertising.
3. Sets of Brushes.
Another common product peole often get caught out with is fake MAC brushes. MAC does not sell "Brush Sets" if you ever see a seller selling a "MAC Brush Set" then it's a phoney. Occasionally they might sell promo sets during the Christmas holidays, but these are always smaller versions of a particular product and not the regular full-sized product.
4. Check the sellers feedback.
It should go without saying that you should read ALL of the seller's feedback before you make a purchase. If they have very little or no feedback, then stay clear. Don't be the first person to find out the hard-way!
5. You must read the small-print.
Always read every last detail on the sellers page to see to it that that you're not just getting tiny little tester pots that will just cover enough for one application.
Here are the three most common MAC products that often get copied:
1) Eye shadow
2) Pigments
3) Brushes
To make sure that you never get ripped off the easiest way is to just go to the MAC website and check to see if you can find that particular product listed on their website. If it's not on there, then it's a fake. That's pretty clear!
All in all, just be careful because I would hate for you to get scammed.
Bear in Mind, buying MAC Makeup UK products from anyone other than a genuine reseller can not only be damaging to your wallet but even worse, damaging to your skin!