wordgirl
Well-known member
I have held off on reporting this because when I talked to the folks at makeup.com they seemed very sincerely concerned about the authenticity of their product. However, I've been watching their website and I haven't seen any signs that they pulled the suspect colors. In fact, they have added more colors. Some may well be authentic. And others here may say I'm being too cautious about their authenticity. But for now, order from that store with caution.
To be fair, they quickly refunded my money when I complained and did not ask me to return the GWP that they sent me.
The fake colors I received are: Green Brown, Emerald Green and Deep Purple. If you're willing to just take my word for it, this is all you need to read; otherwise read on.
All three pigments were uniformly frosty with a strange, thick, "creamy" texture. This was the biggest tip-off to me; unfortunately, it's downright impossible to photograph. The cardboard in all three boxes is definitely thinner and less glossy than the cardboard in my legitimate boxes. I did not swatch Emerald Green because I do not have a "control" sample to compare it to, but its box and jar lead to me to believe it is also fake. Also, it doesn't match common descriptions of Emerald Green, as a satiny green base with silver twinkles.
Here are two shots of the swatches. In each picture, Copperized (which is very similar to the fake) comes first, then the fake Green Brown, then a real Green Brown (This is a sample I personally obtained at a Pro store.) Next is Deep Purple. The first is the authentic, the second the fake. I did another swatch of Deep Purple to get a better idea of the difference, but it was elusive to photograph.
Here is another sample of the fake and real Deep Purples. Note the BLUE twinkles in the fake:
Here is a comparison of the stickers on the bottoms of the jars: (Gold Metal, which I bought at a Pro store, is used for comparison)
The jars laid on their sides to show the difference in height:
And finally, a shot of the tops of the boxes (I used Quick Frost for a box comparison because I had it handy; that box was purchased by me from a MAC counter.):
I am really bummed to be reporting this because I've always had such good experiences with makeup.com. And they seemed very certain that their supplier was giving them good product. However, I felt it only fair to warn people.
I should also note that I ordered shadows from them (Rose Blanc, Romp, Stars And Rockets) I haven't yet had the heart to inspect them more closely to see if they are fake as well.
If there's anything I should have done differently here, or if anyone disagrees with my analysis, please let me know - I'm still a bit nervous about posting this! I never would have known to question these if not for the wealth of valuable info I've found here.
To be fair, they quickly refunded my money when I complained and did not ask me to return the GWP that they sent me.
The fake colors I received are: Green Brown, Emerald Green and Deep Purple. If you're willing to just take my word for it, this is all you need to read; otherwise read on.
All three pigments were uniformly frosty with a strange, thick, "creamy" texture. This was the biggest tip-off to me; unfortunately, it's downright impossible to photograph. The cardboard in all three boxes is definitely thinner and less glossy than the cardboard in my legitimate boxes. I did not swatch Emerald Green because I do not have a "control" sample to compare it to, but its box and jar lead to me to believe it is also fake. Also, it doesn't match common descriptions of Emerald Green, as a satiny green base with silver twinkles.
Here are two shots of the swatches. In each picture, Copperized (which is very similar to the fake) comes first, then the fake Green Brown, then a real Green Brown (This is a sample I personally obtained at a Pro store.) Next is Deep Purple. The first is the authentic, the second the fake. I did another swatch of Deep Purple to get a better idea of the difference, but it was elusive to photograph.
Here is another sample of the fake and real Deep Purples. Note the BLUE twinkles in the fake:
Here is a comparison of the stickers on the bottoms of the jars: (Gold Metal, which I bought at a Pro store, is used for comparison)
The jars laid on their sides to show the difference in height:
And finally, a shot of the tops of the boxes (I used Quick Frost for a box comparison because I had it handy; that box was purchased by me from a MAC counter.):
I am really bummed to be reporting this because I've always had such good experiences with makeup.com. And they seemed very certain that their supplier was giving them good product. However, I felt it only fair to warn people.
I should also note that I ordered shadows from them (Rose Blanc, Romp, Stars And Rockets) I haven't yet had the heart to inspect them more closely to see if they are fake as well.
If there's anything I should have done differently here, or if anyone disagrees with my analysis, please let me know - I'm still a bit nervous about posting this! I never would have known to question these if not for the wealth of valuable info I've found here.
