look_divine
Well-known member
yes she is a great seller, now to find authentic brushes or would i need to hit a mac counter for those LOL
Identifying fake MAC Pigments ***Guide with photos***
- Thread starter Xqueeze_me
- Start date
Xqueeze_me
Well-known member
Quote:
I don't own any MAC brushes so I don't know who to go to but I'm sure the Specktrettes here sell authentic MAC brushes. Check out the sales thread in the Clearance Bin section.
I'm going to sleep...
Originally Posted by look_divine
yes she is a great seller, now to find authentic brushes or would i need to hit a mac counter for those LOL |
I don't own any MAC brushes so I don't know who to go to but I'm sure the Specktrettes here sell authentic MAC brushes. Check out the sales thread in the Clearance Bin section.
I'm going to sleep...
look_divine
Well-known member
where can i find the clearance bin at???
looked i cant find it BO HOO
looked i cant find it BO HOO
panda0410
Well-known member
I have put this here as well so it doesnt slip off the page when the other thread slides off!
COURTESY of HALOCAUSTIC
Apologies for the large pics but they need to be big enough to see clearly.
First off, the packaging on these fakes are the best I've seen in years. VERY, VERY close to the real deal. This is even more reason to only buy from people you know for a FACT have genuine pigments and not from people who THINK they have genuine pigments!
The pigments themselves? Well...that's another story and we'll get to that.
Okay here goes.....
1. First comparison, and the one that's debated most often - the base labels:
You can see the base label on the genuine one is very clear and has a batch number clearly printed on it. Batch numbers can either be printed or stamped but ALL pigments should have a colour name and a batch number. Pro pigments have clear labels and Ltd Ed and regular line pigments will have silver labels. The label on the fake pigment is too opaque and has no batch number.
Also, you can see the subtle difference in colour here too. I'll explain more about that later on too.
2. The back of the jars:
Pre 2006 - genuine MAC pigments had centre aligned text on the back of the jjars. This changed to left aligned text in late 2006(ish). I have seen fakes with both versions of the text.
Fake pigments, although the aligment of the text is correct, normally have the font slightly off or the text way too thick. The pictures haven't come out too great here, but you can *just* see that the text on the fake is thicker than the genuine one. Again the subtle colour difference is visible.
3. The lids:
Genuine pigments have matte black lids except for some really really old batches (normally pre-2001). The old batches will have corresponding pre-2001 batch number though which should verify authenticity. You can see here that the fake pigment lid has a sheen to it, even though the pic isn't that great :/
4. The product itself:
What alarms me most about this is that the fake pigment texture is very, very similar to the genuine one. They're getting closer every time. However, here you can see the colour difference again and it's a bit clearer. The fake pigment lacks the base blue hue of the genuine one.
5.The BIG difference - the swatches:
Okay...pictures speak louder than words here. This is precisely the reason I wanted to see the pigment in person. Although the pictures the website sent looked convincing enough, I knew that swatching the pigment would tell me 100% if it was fake or not. You can see that the fake pigment is a wishy washy colour compared to the genuine one. It also has a helluva lot of gold pearl in it which the genuine one doesn't have.
Here's a pic of the swatches in a different light:
Here you can see the characteristic blue green sheen that gives the genuine pigment it's name. The fake pigment looks like a goldy black and has no visible blue or green on application.
The fake pigment also stained my skin a bit and was hard to wash off compared to the genuine one. Not something I want to put on my eye area!
Okay....now on to the boxes. Now this was hard....really hard! These boxes are so close to the real deal that I was gobsmacked when I saw them. However, there are some very subtle differences.
6. The box tops:
Genuine MAC pigment will always have the label in the same place, the top right hand corner of the lid. As you can see, the label on the fake is identical to that of the genuine one which is worrying. The fake boxes will also normally be slightly scratched as batches of fakes are shipped thrown into big boxes.
7. The front of the boxes:
MAC are extremely picky about quality control and don't do 'seconds' so printing errors on boxes are sure signs of fakes. Although you really need to know what the genuine boxes look like to see the errors. From this picture if you look closely the text at the bottom of the fake box isn't as defined as the genuine box, everything else is spot on though. Also I noticed that the fake pigment box cardboard feels much poorer quality that the genuine one.
8. The bottom labels:
These are very close. The one glaring difference is that the batch number is printed on the label of the fake and NOT on the jar label, whereas you can see that the batch number on the genuine box label corresponds with the batch number on the jar.
9. The body of the jar:
I was unable to get a picture of it because it didn't show up on pics :/
The plastic of the fake jar has a horrible wavy, almost bevelled look to it and reflects the light weird whereas the genuine jar is perfectly smooth and good quality plastic.
I hope this has explained things a bit better!!
If you want more info on how to spot earlier runs of fakes (there are lots of different kinds of fakes out there) there are good guides on ebay, make-up alley and specktra.net
I'll give you a few of the most obvious ones here though:
* Don't buy any bulk batches of pigments on ebay
* Every genuine MAC product has a colour name, not just a number or a description like 'sparkly black'. If you're not familiar with the colour name, google it and do your research.
*Don't buy ANYTHING from Hong Kong, Thailand or China. They will most likely be fake. This is where the counterfeits started although a lot have been coming out of Australia recently.
*MAC pigments never have black jar labels with white text showing only a batch number. These are the first run fakes from the far east and they are still in circulation
*MAC pigments never have a weird nozzle type thing on the inside plastic lid of the jar. I've seen a few fakes recently with this bizzare thing on them!
*Be very, very wary of any seller who has more than one of the really rare colours and don't be afraid to ask for extra pics of the bottom label. If it's a discontinued product or a Ltd ed colour, google for more info and find out what the batch number is likely to be (if they are only available for a ltd period of time, the batch numbers will be quite specific) and see if the pics correspond.
There are LOADS of other ways to spot fakes and if you google 'how to spot fake MAC pigments' you will find good guides and even Youtube videos to help you out...or you can always email me. I have eyes like a hawk ;
COURTESY of HALOCAUSTIC
Apologies for the large pics but they need to be big enough to see clearly.
First off, the packaging on these fakes are the best I've seen in years. VERY, VERY close to the real deal. This is even more reason to only buy from people you know for a FACT have genuine pigments and not from people who THINK they have genuine pigments!
The pigments themselves? Well...that's another story and we'll get to that.
Okay here goes.....
1. First comparison, and the one that's debated most often - the base labels:
You can see the base label on the genuine one is very clear and has a batch number clearly printed on it. Batch numbers can either be printed or stamped but ALL pigments should have a colour name and a batch number. Pro pigments have clear labels and Ltd Ed and regular line pigments will have silver labels. The label on the fake pigment is too opaque and has no batch number.
Also, you can see the subtle difference in colour here too. I'll explain more about that later on too.
2. The back of the jars:
Pre 2006 - genuine MAC pigments had centre aligned text on the back of the jjars. This changed to left aligned text in late 2006(ish). I have seen fakes with both versions of the text.
Fake pigments, although the aligment of the text is correct, normally have the font slightly off or the text way too thick. The pictures haven't come out too great here, but you can *just* see that the text on the fake is thicker than the genuine one. Again the subtle colour difference is visible.
3. The lids:
Genuine pigments have matte black lids except for some really really old batches (normally pre-2001). The old batches will have corresponding pre-2001 batch number though which should verify authenticity. You can see here that the fake pigment lid has a sheen to it, even though the pic isn't that great :/
4. The product itself:
What alarms me most about this is that the fake pigment texture is very, very similar to the genuine one. They're getting closer every time. However, here you can see the colour difference again and it's a bit clearer. The fake pigment lacks the base blue hue of the genuine one.
5.The BIG difference - the swatches:
Okay...pictures speak louder than words here. This is precisely the reason I wanted to see the pigment in person. Although the pictures the website sent looked convincing enough, I knew that swatching the pigment would tell me 100% if it was fake or not. You can see that the fake pigment is a wishy washy colour compared to the genuine one. It also has a helluva lot of gold pearl in it which the genuine one doesn't have.
Here's a pic of the swatches in a different light:
Here you can see the characteristic blue green sheen that gives the genuine pigment it's name. The fake pigment looks like a goldy black and has no visible blue or green on application.
The fake pigment also stained my skin a bit and was hard to wash off compared to the genuine one. Not something I want to put on my eye area!
Okay....now on to the boxes. Now this was hard....really hard! These boxes are so close to the real deal that I was gobsmacked when I saw them. However, there are some very subtle differences.
6. The box tops:
Genuine MAC pigment will always have the label in the same place, the top right hand corner of the lid. As you can see, the label on the fake is identical to that of the genuine one which is worrying. The fake boxes will also normally be slightly scratched as batches of fakes are shipped thrown into big boxes.
7. The front of the boxes:
MAC are extremely picky about quality control and don't do 'seconds' so printing errors on boxes are sure signs of fakes. Although you really need to know what the genuine boxes look like to see the errors. From this picture if you look closely the text at the bottom of the fake box isn't as defined as the genuine box, everything else is spot on though. Also I noticed that the fake pigment box cardboard feels much poorer quality that the genuine one.
8. The bottom labels:
These are very close. The one glaring difference is that the batch number is printed on the label of the fake and NOT on the jar label, whereas you can see that the batch number on the genuine box label corresponds with the batch number on the jar.
9. The body of the jar:
I was unable to get a picture of it because it didn't show up on pics :/
The plastic of the fake jar has a horrible wavy, almost bevelled look to it and reflects the light weird whereas the genuine jar is perfectly smooth and good quality plastic.
I hope this has explained things a bit better!!
If you want more info on how to spot earlier runs of fakes (there are lots of different kinds of fakes out there) there are good guides on ebay, make-up alley and specktra.net
I'll give you a few of the most obvious ones here though:
* Don't buy any bulk batches of pigments on ebay
* Every genuine MAC product has a colour name, not just a number or a description like 'sparkly black'. If you're not familiar with the colour name, google it and do your research.
*Don't buy ANYTHING from Hong Kong, Thailand or China. They will most likely be fake. This is where the counterfeits started although a lot have been coming out of Australia recently.
*MAC pigments never have black jar labels with white text showing only a batch number. These are the first run fakes from the far east and they are still in circulation
*MAC pigments never have a weird nozzle type thing on the inside plastic lid of the jar. I've seen a few fakes recently with this bizzare thing on them!
*Be very, very wary of any seller who has more than one of the really rare colours and don't be afraid to ask for extra pics of the bottom label. If it's a discontinued product or a Ltd ed colour, google for more info and find out what the batch number is likely to be (if they are only available for a ltd period of time, the batch numbers will be quite specific) and see if the pics correspond.
There are LOADS of other ways to spot fakes and if you google 'how to spot fake MAC pigments' you will find good guides and even Youtube videos to help you out...or you can always email me. I have eyes like a hawk ;
Xqueeze_me
Well-known member
Quote:
Agreed! haha Triple post for the following info.
Thanks to julie (and a counterfeit seller, kate.richie) for providing this information, the updated fakes are (and may not be limited to):
Thanks to a counterfeit seller's list: kate.richie
Glitters:
Eyeshadows:
| Originally Posted by panda0410 I have put this here as well so it doesnt slip off the page when the other thread slides off! |
Agreed! haha Triple post for the following info.
Thanks to julie (and a counterfeit seller, kate.richie) for providing this information, the updated fakes are (and may not be limited to):
- Deep Blue Green
- Deep Purple
- Green Brown
- Blue Brown
- Blue
- Basic Red
- Jardinaires
- Provence
- Emerald Green
- Chartreuse
- Rocking Orange
- Copperclast
- Copper Sparkle
- Electric Coral
- Tan
- Accent Red
- Rose Gold
- Silver Fog
- White
Thanks to a counterfeit seller's list: kate.richie
Glitters:
- Reflects Gold
- Neon 60's
- Black
- 3D Silver
- Rocking Orange
- Jewelmarine
- Grey
Eyeshadows:
- Budding Beauty
- Idol Eyes
- Jasmine
- Surreal
- Vellum
- Swimming
- Angelcake
- Satellite Dreams
- Black Tied
- Light Ray
- Rose Blanc
- Twinks
- Fade
- Romp
- Club
pepper_mint2
Active member
just wondering, how about pigments vials that are sell in ebay? do they sell fakes for the pigments vials also?
julie150463
Well-known member
Quote:
There's a UK seller as well - sold me Cyrstalled Lime & Purple in a 'job lot' - both fake who has these pigments for sale too
Hope the charm sized pigments are ok - I've got some for sale
| Originally Posted by panda0410
I'm pretty sure you can safely add Electric Coral and Tan to that list as well - I am seeing a theme in groups of colours like the last lot (Dark Soul, Fairylite etc) and one AU seller in particular has these exact same colour listings....... |
There's a UK seller as well - sold me Cyrstalled Lime & Purple in a 'job lot' - both fake who has these pigments for sale too
Hope the charm sized pigments are ok - I've got some for sale
pepper_mint2
Active member
is this legit?
LOT of 7 *MAC Cosmetics* Glitter Pigment Set - eBay (item 260215755538 end time Mar-02-08 04:24:48 PST)
it looks like it's from last year's collection but it doesnt come with the set box, so im wondering, how do we differentiate fake pigments vial with the real one?
LOT of 7 *MAC Cosmetics* Glitter Pigment Set - eBay (item 260215755538 end time Mar-02-08 04:24:48 PST)
it looks like it's from last year's collection but it doesnt come with the set box, so im wondering, how do we differentiate fake pigments vial with the real one?
rockin
Well-known member
I'm afraid I have to report that I have received fake pigments from yet another seller on the 'recommended' list.
This morning I received Deep Blue Green and Chartreuse from naomidrive in the US. The Deep Blue Green is exactly the same as those being reported on here recently. The Chartreuse is a lovely colour, but I fear is not the same as others have described the genuine Chartreuse to be. This has the code AB4 on the translucent sticker on the bottom of the jar, and on the barcode sticker on the bottom of the box (which marks easily) but has the dot matrix A76 on the back of the box.
This morning I received Deep Blue Green and Chartreuse from naomidrive in the US. The Deep Blue Green is exactly the same as those being reported on here recently. The Chartreuse is a lovely colour, but I fear is not the same as others have described the genuine Chartreuse to be. This has the code AB4 on the translucent sticker on the bottom of the jar, and on the barcode sticker on the bottom of the box (which marks easily) but has the dot matrix A76 on the back of the box.
Xqueeze_me
Well-known member
Quote:
Quote:
The charms/vials of pigments/glitters in my experience have not been faked.. YET! So you guys are safe there.
Quote:
Ergh! Go get your refund quick!! You know the drill. I'm sorry you got the fakes. It truly sucks!!! It seems like the "recommended" sellers are selling updated fake batches of CRAP now. I'm pretty sure they got them all from the same source/faker(s)/supplier(s)/counterfeiter(s) - Duh, unfortunately! I'd REALLY love to find out who they are so I can fry their asses.. or slap them with lawsuits or something! :/
| Originally Posted by pepper_mint2
just wondering, how about pigments vials that are sell in ebay? do they sell fakes for the pigments vials also? |
Quote:
| Originally Posted by julie150463
Hope the charm sized pigments are ok - I've got some for sale
|
The charms/vials of pigments/glitters in my experience have not been faked.. YET! So you guys are safe there.
Quote:
| Originally Posted by rockin
I'm afraid I have to report that I have received fake pigments from yet another seller on the 'recommended' list.
This morning I received Deep Blue Green and Chartreuse from naomidrive in the US. The Deep Blue Green is exactly the same as those being reported on here recently. The Chartreuse is a lovely colour, but I fear is not the same as others have described the genuine Chartreuse to be. This has the code AB4 on the translucent sticker on the bottom of the jar, and on the barcode sticker on the bottom of the box (which marks easily) but has the dot matrix A76 on the back of the box. |
Ergh! Go get your refund quick!! You know the drill. I'm sorry you got the fakes. It truly sucks!!! It seems like the "recommended" sellers are selling updated fake batches of CRAP now. I'm pretty sure they got them all from the same source/faker(s)/supplier(s)/counterfeiter(s) - Duh, unfortunately! I'd REALLY love to find out who they are so I can fry their asses.. or slap them with lawsuits or something! :/
panda0410
Well-known member
Quote:
I wondered the same thing actually. Members with pro cards might make up some of the re-seller demographic, but it doesnt explain the switch with selles who were previously selling authentic items. My guess is that many of them switched suppliers because it was probably cheaper and still looks like the real deal..... There is such a huge competition for MAC on the ebay market that I guess quality and authenticity are no longer a priority......
| Originally Posted by rockin
I'd love to know how all these recommended sellers are suddenly selling fakes, seemingly from the same source. |
I wondered the same thing actually. Members with pro cards might make up some of the re-seller demographic, but it doesnt explain the switch with selles who were previously selling authentic items. My guess is that many of them switched suppliers because it was probably cheaper and still looks like the real deal..... There is such a huge competition for MAC on the ebay market that I guess quality and authenticity are no longer a priority......
red
Well-known member
Counterfeit Teal and Cornflower
These belong to a friend that just got them on Ebay US and had them shipped to my house, I’m going to be in Europe in a few weeks and was to give them to her.
I really focused more on the Teal, as the color just didn’t match up, and on closer inspection there were other issues as well.
The Cornflower is a super-fake, everything about it spells real (well almost) but it doesn’t swatch as a true Cornflower – I’m not familiar with this color and had nothing to compare it to. Our Panda looked over the swatches, and in her opinion, this Cornflower is probably a fake as well (although it has all the bells & whistles)
Small video, done before I received word the Cornflower didn’t swatch to be authentic. It’s in Italian, done for the buyer of the piggies, but I think you get the picture.
Panda thanks againnnnnnnnnnnn ;-)
Video
Video of fake teal - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
I’ll post all the pictures tonight, my digital went dead – I have really nice shots.
Hope this is useful.
These belong to a friend that just got them on Ebay US and had them shipped to my house, I’m going to be in Europe in a few weeks and was to give them to her.
I really focused more on the Teal, as the color just didn’t match up, and on closer inspection there were other issues as well.
The Cornflower is a super-fake, everything about it spells real (well almost) but it doesn’t swatch as a true Cornflower – I’m not familiar with this color and had nothing to compare it to. Our Panda looked over the swatches, and in her opinion, this Cornflower is probably a fake as well (although it has all the bells & whistles)
Small video, done before I received word the Cornflower didn’t swatch to be authentic. It’s in Italian, done for the buyer of the piggies, but I think you get the picture.
Panda thanks againnnnnnnnnnnn ;-)
Video
Video of fake teal - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
I’ll post all the pictures tonight, my digital went dead – I have really nice shots.
Hope this is useful.
Xqueeze_me
Well-known member
Cornflower is definitely FAKE! It's from the previous batch of fakes: Cornflower, Dark Soul, Melon, Vanilla, Pink Opal, Aire de Blu, Rose and Fairylite.
Not too sure about Teal.
Not too sure about Teal.
red
Well-known member
The seller of the Teal & Cornflower will not give a refund. She states she buys her products from Mac at their warehouse in Canada where they have overruns, discontinued items, blah blah blah
All her items are genuine
Listen girlfriend, I got a Teal in my house that's green that's never seen that freakin' warehouse
Mac Pro is sending me samples, I'll swatch and throw it right back at this seller, I'm determined to get my friend's money back ..
All her items are genuine
Listen girlfriend, I got a Teal in my house that's green that's never seen that freakin' warehouse
Mac Pro is sending me samples, I'll swatch and throw it right back at this seller, I'm determined to get my friend's money back ..
rockin
Well-known member
If you paid with PayPal, you should start a dispute. You'll need to obtain written proof that the pigments are counterfeit, though.
With PayPal involved, they might decide to offer a refund on return of the goods anyway, although you end up having to pay the cost of returning the items (and make sure you send via a trackable means)
With PayPal involved, they might decide to offer a refund on return of the goods anyway, although you end up having to pay the cost of returning the items (and make sure you send via a trackable means)
wolfsong
Well-known member
Quote:
Overruns? Does this mean that they have made too many of one product (sorry for my dense moment)? This would be bull, because pigments and glitters dont have a shelf life.
Discontinued items get sent to CCO's (also there is the 'GBNF' program).
Do these sellers get a 'How To Con the Public and Stifle Queries' info pack with their pigment orders?
| Originally Posted by red
The seller of the Teal & Cornflower will not give a refund. She states she buys her products from Mac at their warehouse in Canada where they have overruns, discontinued items, blah blah blah |
Overruns? Does this mean that they have made too many of one product (sorry for my dense moment)? This would be bull, because pigments and glitters dont have a shelf life.
Discontinued items get sent to CCO's (also there is the 'GBNF' program).
Do these sellers get a 'How To Con the Public and Stifle Queries' info pack with their pigment orders?
