Help ? Is this MAC pigment fake?

[tina1wina13]

http://img.makeupalley.com/0/3/2/5/1464590.JPG
I swapped my mac 217 brush for a jar that was supposed to be 80% full of melon pigment. Well I was dissapointed when I got it because it wasn't anywhere close to 80% full, not only that but there was a lot of things about it that were off. First off the box was pretty beat up, almost as if it wasn't the box to the pigment. Then I noticed that the lettering was off, and the top didn't screw onto my other pigments, mostly because I think the jar was larger.

OK so I am lik 98% sure it's fake. Even the swatch of it looked different, but the original owner ( I didn't give the girl I swapped with a hardtime because she is new, new to mac in general and recieved this in a swap and then swapped it off to me, she also sent generous extras afterward to make up for it) has bothered me for awhile now that it isn't fake. She says that she trades pigments with her friends very often? And some of her friends buy from CCO's? Sounded fishy to me. Again I had no business with her, she says that older mac pigments have different lettring and placement, and different jars. I have only been a MAC addict for maybe 3 years? This was "made" back in 2006 from the batch code on the jar....

 

[AllThingsGirly]

Do you have a picture of the bottom label?

 

[shatteredshards]

Melon is one of the few pigments that I bought a full-size jar of, from a freestanding store. My jar looks to be a deal older than 2006 (if I'm reading the batch code correctly, 2001?), though I did only purchase it about 4 years ago, because I remember it was used in a makeover I had done, and I bought it then.

Here's a few pictures of my jar, with no flash and no editing. And if you can take pictures of your jar, like the bottom with the batch code, feel free to post them - we'll be happy to help you figure it out.

 

[tina1wina13]

wow thanks! Actually my camera is out of batteries =( but from the pictures, and just the fact that yours is a bit older than this one is supposed to be, proves to me that it's fake. *sighs*
It doesn't appear to have the little lines on the inside of the jar, ( never noticed that but all my others do!) I also noticed that the bottom is smooth, with just one ring around no engravings in it, and no engravings in the plastic insert.

 

[shatteredshards]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tina1wina13 It doesn't appear to have the little lines on the inside of the jar, ( never noticed that but all my others do!) I also noticed that the bottom is smooth, with just one ring around no engravings in it, and no engravings in the plastic insert.

Eeee, that just sucks. Did you give that girl positive feedback? If you haven't left any yet, neg time, and specify that when you told her it seemed fake, she insisted it was authentic and made excuses, and that you've had it verified as a fake. I think there's a way to respond to feedback now, too, in case if it was already exchanged? I'm hardly ever on mua, so when things change I don't notice.

As for the jars, to my knowledge, the company that MAC licenses to make them, has always made them the same way. No numbers stamped anywhere (to clarify, when the numbers are viewed the right way, from the inside of the cap and jar, they are actually raised) is a huge bad sign, as well as the lack of those grooves.

 

[tina1wina13]

Oh well the thing is the girl I swapped with sent me a sephora brush, and a lorac shadow to make up for it..... so I just left her with a positive, she said she recieved the pigment in a swap from another girl. I messaged the other girl with pictures and told her it was fake, I even took it to some girls I used to work with at the Macy's mac counter, and they said it looked like it might be fake also.... she messaged me 3 times telling me she has seen others just like it at the CCO's..... I wish I could leave her a neg but I never swapped with her so yea......

 

[teaberry]

*goes and checks every pigment*

two of my pigments i swapped for were fake!! rose and dark soul

luckily, there was also a batch i swapped a while back on a forum, i wondered if any were fake because the sticker on the bottom looked a bit different, but they all have the grooves in them *phew*

i feel so jipped with the dark soul and rose.. sigh.. *tips into the trash*

 

[shatteredshards]

The fakes are flooding the market so badly, I avoid ebay and I won't swap for them, either. I've even seen sale posts here on Specktra that looked like fake pigments to me by the photos.