Is cheaper make-up fake?

[cakedup]

I used to buy my make-up from ebay, since it was so much cheaper. However I was put off by so many reviews claiming the products to be fake, and many of them did seem too cheap to be true. So then I moved on to Amazon...not as cheap, but cheaper than Boots. However, I'm not sure why I thought there'd be no fakes there, surely it's just as likely?

So. Do you pay full price? Or do you trust Amazon, Ebay even to get the real McCoy?

I used to buy makeup from ebay, but after seeing Aliexpress's makeup section and all the obviously fake products, I've realised just how easy it is for people to buy cheap fake makeup and pass it off as genuine.

I only buy from authorised sources now. I'd rather buy less than risk putting something dodgy on my face.

I wouldn't buy make up from ebay/Amazon. Allbeauty and zaveonmakeup arrrree cheap but legit suppliers. Failing that I buy from a proper really life shop.

I won't buy make up off ebay. Way too high a chance of it being fake. I think Amazon used to be a lot more genuine, but has become questionable in recent years. if I buy online it's usually from Allbeauty or Strawberrynet. Careful you don't get caught for customs with Strawberrynet though, although they are generally good to refund.

I only every buy makeup either on the physical high street or from somewhere like Debenhams/HoF if it's a more expensive brand. I don't buy enough to be that fussed about saving £10 off a once a year purchase of a £30 eyeshadow pallette.

I buy almost all of my makeup from Amazon and I've never had any fakes? Most of the time Amazon is the seller, and I only tend to use 3rd party sellers that have very high feedback ratings. Most of the time its not that much cheaper anyway! I buy online for convenience.

ive bought cheaper makeup from ebay and its been fine, but i bought a mascara from amazon once that was cheaper and it wasnt right at all. Was only max factor too, so didnt imagine a big market for fakes, but it was definitely not their usual formulation

If we're talking £10 for £40+ palettes then I would trust it.

I guess if it's sold directly by Amazon it won't be fake, but to be honest most make-up/toiletries sold on Amazon for substantially lower prices tend to be sold by others. Some of these are companies with VAT numbers and are trade registered but I don't know if that's a guarantee either.

WOULDNT* trust it

I'd be surprised if Strawberry . net sell fakes?? Surely it'd be easy enough to shut them down. I'm surprised make up companies aren't doing more about the fakes to be honest.

It's horrendously expensive to pursue fake brands. Most of them also come from jurisdictions where the brands have little recourse to the law. Turnaround times in those jurisdictions are also so fast that any operations shut down can be replaced ten fold in a few days. Suppliers dealing in fakes can just claim ignorance too. This isn't very successful in this country as a defence but again, limited pursuit because who wants to get into a dispute with a large retailer and potentially cut supply chain.

In my office we see hundreds of products each week (shoes and boots) returned to us because people have bought fakes and decide to chance their arm returning a "gift" they've thrown away the packaging for.

Fakes are badly made and sometimes dangerous. Shoes are bad enough but something you put on your eyes? No thanks! They may be dangerous or if not dangerous then tested on animals (or not tested at all).

I guess it comes down to the old saying if it sound's too good to be true then it probably is.
I was looking for some eyeliner recently and saw one on amazon for £5 cheaper than everywhere else. Considering the pricing of this is pretty consistent across retailers there's no way the one on amazon isn't a fake. I think it's too risky co wondering it's going on your face.
One thing I don't understand is people who buy it knowing it's fake... Why would you risk it when you can get really good genuine makeup for so cheap now with lots of companies duping the higher end stuff anyway (think makeup revolution).

I bought a set of Stila liquid lipsticks that were such obvious fakes when held next to the real ones. Different lengths of tube, blurred writing and an awful sickly sweet smell. There was no way I was putting it anywhere near my face.
I contacted the ebay seller (who was listed as a UK seller in Portsmouth) and they told me it was to be shipped back to China! I eventually got a refund from them. Lesson learnt.

It seriously depends on the brand and the seller, I buy certain lipstick brands from eBay, they've all been real, I know this as I have real ones bought in Sephora. I wouldn't buy stuff that's in demand like Estée Lauder advanced night repair etc as the chance of getting a fake is very HIGH!

Have had fake perfume from amazon before, sent it back and got a fill refund but wouldn't rush to try them again!

*full

I was unwittingly given a fake mascara. Didn't realise at first until my face exploded into a red, swollen rash and I checked what I had been using...who knew 'MAC' was from Niw Yorke

The mascara-giver was horrified. I had months of steroids. Still flares up from time to time...now only buy from boots or Superdrug.

Oh my gosh InglouriousBasterd that's awful. Weirdly enough, it's not the reactions to fakes that I'm scared of (although your post makes me think twice about that) especially as I think that's quite a rare occurrence. I'm more put off by the fact that after spending time choosing the product I want to use (and I do research everything I buy) I'm not actually even using that product. And a product that might have worked wonders with me - well I might never find out because I've bought a fake with fake results.

Cake if you are worried google 'is my xyz fake' and you should get sone good pointers as to if your item is fake.

I get cheap good brand make up from tkmax. I am hoping that is a bit safer.