Fake pigments again

[PinkBasset]

So it happened to me too - got fake pigments from Ebay. I bought four pigments from becomingmum last january (so I guess it is too late to do anything about this) on Ebay. I looked at them then with noobies eyes to tell they were authenthic. But now when I've read this forum more and more, I think I spot fakes better and guess what - the pigments were fakes. One other pigment I bought in may from other97 and that is fake too.

So I suspect them to be fakes, can somebody confirm me? Please forgive me if I'm not specific enough, this is my first time dealing with fakes.

Here are the reasons why I think they are fakes:

1. The bottoms of the jars are different from my authenthic jars. You can feel the Coltainer text with your fingernail - on a legit jar the surface is smooth.

2. 3050 numbers are hard to read and are much smaller on the fake jars (bottom).

3. The bottom stickers that should be transparent are scotch tape -like.

4. There was a long ingredient list in the jar.

5. Jar text is like this on a fake jar: NET WT./POIDS NET 7.5 g/. 26 US OZ
So the dot before number 26 is not immediately next to it.

6. The lids are a bit shinier than the real ones.

7. Atleast becomingmum has been mentioned here to be avoided (I wish I was reading Specktra back then when ordering this crap).

8. The Smoke Signal says both on the box and on the jar it's 7.5g. I thought that all mattes are 2.5g?

The colours and numbers that I bought are:
- Provence AC6
- Platinum A54
- Pastorale B96
- Silver A75
- Smoke Signal A47

So based on this information are those fake pigments? TIA!

 

[panda0410]

I can tell you outright that the Silver is a fake - that Silver was Dcd in 2003 and that was the very last run of that pigment, so 5 simply cannot be the ending digit in the batch code, it needs to be 3.

As for the rest, we know they have been faked, but the batch codes here are corresponding - we would need some pics.

 

[elle25]

I realised that other day that my silver pigment was fake. It ends in 5 as well and theres a space between the dot and 2. Something else I noticed was that on a couple of fake pigments I have, the jar lid is higher. I'm not sure if this is a sign of a fake or just a different design but I thought I'd mention it since we've both got fake silvers.

 

[PinkBasset]

Thank you both very much, I really appreciate your help! I'll get back to this matter when I have some pictures to post.

 

[PinkBasset]

Okay, here are some pictures, I hope they are informative enough as I'm not much of a photographer.

First picture: The boxes and labels
Second picture: Smoke Signal and Provence
Third: Pastorale and Platinum
Fourth: The jars of SS and Provence
Fifth: Far left is a legit jar of Milk pigment and right there are Pastorale and Platinum

 

[PinkBasset]

More pictures here. The jar bottoms and the long list that came with all of them.

 

[PinkBasset]

And finally these. In the last picture on the left is the authentic pigment Milk, right is the Smoke Signal, for comparing the shine of the lids. Thank you!

 

[TheCollector]

From these pictures, I believe those four are all fake.


Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkBasset More pictures here. The jar bottoms and the long list that came with all of them.

 

[panda0410]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCollector From these pictures, I believe those four are all fake.

Yup, unfortunately I agree... they are ALL fakes.

 

[PinkBasset]

Thanks again all of you! This sucks big time. But if there is anything positive to this, atleast I now know for sure they are fakes, and know not to buy them from nobody but sellers recommended here. Luckily I hadn't wore them, only swatched them once.

Was the reasons I mentioned right reasons to suspect they were fakes or have I missed some other obvious fake factors on these? What about the matte weight - are they always 2.5g?

Now I'm little concerned about the other pigments I have, but only a little. I have bought the Milk pigment from a Mac counter and the others from sellers that should be fine. I compared them and I cannot tell any difference, so I suppose I can trust them to be the real thing. But I'm still a bit freaked out.

 

[PinkBasset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elle25 I realised that other day that my silver pigment was fake. It ends in 5 as well and theres a space between the dot and 2. Something else I noticed was that on a couple of fake pigments I have, the jar lid is higher. I'm not sure if this is a sign of a fake or just a different design but I thought I'd mention it since we've both got fake silvers.

You're right, it seems the lid is tiny bit higher! But what to do with these nasty things - I guess throw them out? I wouldn't use them in any case, the only thing I thought was to keep them for comparisons, but if from now on I buy pigments only from trusted sources I guess I won't need them.

 

[User27]

****

 

[PinkBasset]

^Hah, tell me about it - it does make you want to scream dealing with that crap! They are getting so good at making fakes too. Before I read Specktra, I thought I would know instantly from a picture if the item is fake (like those horrible ugly fakes on ebay that anyone who wears Mac sees they are fakes). But now I know I might have to go through the damn thing with a microscope - one dot here or there tells it all. Not easy sometimes!

And no, it doesn't sound terrible to keep them for "evidence". I thought about that too. And btw, I just love your avatar!

 

[User27]

****

 

[PinkBasset]

Detective skills are improving little by little

. My boyfriend found it amusing and funny when I was, like he said, "inspecting those little bottles" over and over.

I told him it's serious business spotting fakes and my fellow makeup addicts will surely help me on this matter!

 

[macluvermre]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkBasset Was the reasons I mentioned right reasons to suspect they were fakes or have I missed some other obvious fake factors on these? What about the matte weight - are they always 2.5g?

...double check with panda and other pigment addicts, but I have definitely seen 2.5g in pro pigments before (maybe mattes?), but I am unsure if it is ALL of them... see what panda bear says

 

[fashionjunkiexx]

i recon theyre fake, the mac logo on the jars is in a different position than on the legit one

 

[panda0410]

Quote:

Originally Posted by macluvermre ...double check with panda and other pigment addicts, but I have definitely seen 2.5g in pro pigments before (maybe mattes?), but I am unsure if it is ALL of them... see what panda bear says

LOL!! But you are right ~ not all the pigments are 2.5gm. Usually its ONLY MATTES at that weight, however several mattes are 7.5gm, cant recall which offhand, but some of the new ones and plenty of the old ones were full sized. Also the Richmetal piggies are 4.3gm - something to keep in mind

 

[User27]

****

 

[PinkBasset]

Because I suffered this great loss among these pigments, I got myself four new today (The Makeup Artist collection piggies)... from MAC counter!