Like I said before, you practically have to be an expert at identifying fakes or at least have a real one in its box handy to compare the two and be able to tell that its not real. A big thing is Ebay. They are selling TONS of fake MAC on Ebay, infact 90% of it on ebay is fake.Especially brushes. your best bet is just buying it straight from the store or site. Please spread the word to everyone you know! I think the more people who know about it might lower the rate of purchases made to these scandalous companies who are stealing peoples money!
If you would like to see live videos on how to compare/tell them apart, just go to youtube and search "fake mac" I would have liked to make a video or at least posted pictures up on here of real ones but I don't have any mac to show really :( Here are some ways to spot fakes :
( I hope this helps)
Fake MAC pigments:
look exactly the same next to a real one except the fake is a tiny bit shorter, the real one will always have a tracking/product number on it, and this is the big one : the fake mac pigment says 26 US OZ on the front of it, the REAL one says .26 oz. BIG difference there! Sometimes the fake one will say on the outside or top of the box " blue pigment" or just "pigment" and in reality ALL MAC products have a real name! Eyeshadows, blushes, beauty powders, They all have their own color names!
Packaging:
If the packaging looks cheap, It's fake! A big thing these sites like to make are Limited Edition items that you cant find anymore unless you get lucky and can find them at a cco. Make sure if the item is limited edition, you have done your research and made sure that that product ever even existed. Example : Heatherette liquid liner or Hello Kitty Fix + or clean water... Those products never even existed! Sometimes they will show an eyeshadow or a little blush compact that comes with a little sponge tip applicator. MAC doesnt make things with little sponge tip applicators except for sometimes when it comes in a special edition item sold in a MAC store.
Sometimes they sell whole MAC brush rolls, which mac doesnt make. And dont be fooled by a "too good to be true" deal where you can get " 54 pigments for 39.99! "
Ebay:
If you are buying things off Ebay make sure you are dealing with a trusted seller. Take time to read the reviews people have left about them. If people arent happy with what they have gotten, they will complain about it. So make sure there are good ones. Don't be afraid to ask alot of questions or even request more pictures of the item just so you can be sure. And make sure you ALWAYS read the fine print!
Make sure that if you do recive a Fake item, you do not open or use it and demand your money back right away! You have no idea what is in these products, so you dont know what you are putting on your face. And sometimes they are made in bulk in unsanitary conditions.
Well I hope this helped some of you, I'm still like beyond shocked at how many people actually fall for it and buy fake products so please, anyone who actually reads this, spread the word!
xoxo Ashley
PS. so dont buy mac off ebay or the internet unless it's from a trusted seller :) here are some links to the BAD sites so you know NOT to buy from them :
http://www.brush111.com/
and sometimes --> Ebay
Here is the link to a trusted and guaranteed authentic site :
http://www.allcosmeticswholesale.com/
Here are some more informational sites:
http://www.specktra.net/blogs/counterfeit-mac-packaging-comparison
.jpg)