Identifying fake MAC Pigments ***Guide with photos***

GlamQueen21

Well-known member
I myself got a fake Off the Radar pigment batch code B37. I also have another one that has the batch code A47. Does anyone know which batch code on the Off the Radar is authentic? Thanks.
 

Xqueeze_me

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by GlamQueen21
I myself got a fake Off the Radar pigment batch code B37. I also have another one that has the batch code A47. Does anyone know which batch code on the Off the Radar is authentic? Thanks.

Batch code can't be used for identifying whether pigments are fake or not, unfortunately. Sometimes they have the same pigments made in different runs and/or months.
 

TheCollector

Well-known member
I am so confused by the batch code thing... Where can I find out what is the correct batch code for a pigment?? thanks.
 

darklocke

Well-known member
So, I'd like your opinion on some pigments. I'm sorry about the quality, but it's really hard to take good pictures without something being completely wrong... All of these are supposedly genuine, but I have a bed feeling towards at least one of them.

The colors are from the top left:
Golden Lemon, White Gold, Chartreuse

Bottom left:
Dark Soul, Acid Orange


Boxes:
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/box1.jpg (front)
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/box2.jpg (back)
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/box3.jpg (top)
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/box4.jpg (bottom)

Jars:
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/jar1.jpg (front)
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/jar2.jpg (back)
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/jar3.jpg (bottom)

The picture that shows the bottoms of these jars is too bright, but the others I took was even worse. I'll try to take some more tomorrow, if anyone would like more.

Thanks for looking!
 

1165Cheryl

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by panda0410
Yikes!!! I have seen some of these exact same pigments from other people
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Golden Olive was one of them
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The Revved Up, Rushmetal, Apricot Pink & Rose Gold all came out in the same issue of fakes, I remember when they were circulating the "lots" in that group of colours!! And there is a fake Sweet Sienna that goes hand in hand with fake Your Ladyship as well!

I stopped buying pigments off ebay a long time ago, I cant remember the last time I did, it was last year some time.... the risk just isnt worth it, but there are still a few good sellers that you can trust for authentic pigments
smiles.gif


Remember all of those smoke signals, my god they were every where and still are and I think the fake grape was around that same time. Your so right, the colors come out in groups. Like RR Blue, that was one of the 1st ones.....

I should make a list of all the one's I've seen. I did recently get a new direct stock order in & have some info to help people know about some changes I saw MAC make or pointers to help people. Like you Panda, I want to post it but don't want to help the fake sellers know more then they alreay do, it's a catch 22. Did you get my PM last week??
 

1165Cheryl

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by darklocke
So, I'd like your opinion on some pigments. I'm sorry about the quality, but it's really hard to take good pictures without something being completely wrong... All of these are supposedly genuine, but I have a bed feeling towards at least one of them.

The colors are from the top left:
Golden Lemon, White Gold, Chartreuse

Bottom left:
Dark Soul, Acid Orange


Boxes:
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/box1.jpg (front)
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/box2.jpg (back)
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/box3.jpg (top)
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/box4.jpg (bottom)

Jars:
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/jar1.jpg (front)
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/jar2.jpg (back)
http://www.shamini.no/graphics/pigments/jar3.jpg (bottom)

The picture that shows the bottoms of these jars is too bright, but the others I took was even worse. I'll try to take some more tomorrow, if anyone would like more.

Thanks for looking!




Hi,

I just got a few of those in direct from MAC. The only one I've checked so far is the ACID ORANGE and it's just the same and the bar code #'s are the same. My last order I found many had small print on the stickers & barcodes and others had thinner print. There was a pattern with the types, years, ect but I dont want to give out to much info and help fake sellers. I'll check 2 of the others I got in that you mentioned and let you know how those compare also. One thing sellers can do is put fake pigment in real box's & jars, I'm not sure how far they have gone with that. I mainly compared the print styles, lable on box (exactly like yours, far on the right side top almost hanging off the side), ect. I havent compared the look of the lids or jar thickness yet. What I did check is right on with the one I just got in
smiles.gif
 

1165Cheryl

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by darklocke
Thank you Cheryl! Much appreciated indeed!
smiles.gif



Hi,

I checked the DARK SOUL and both of mine are from the same year as yours. It doesnt have the "book" on the box, the bar code # is the same and doesnt have the batch code on it. It has the batch code stamped on the box like yours and same exact stamp on the bottom of the jar. Both my vanillas & violets I got in also didnt have the batch # on the barcode. Others I got in (got 16 direct from MP) which I wont leave names or many clues but many dont have the batch# on the box/barcode, some no ingredients listed, some with thick font bottom sticker & others very thin, 5 came with no book picture on box's. I didnt go through all the ones you posted, some I can tell they are most likely not real but I'm sure Panda already told you which one's and why. I get my Pro's, Regulars current le's direct so feel free to PM me if you need a comparison. I also have many old jars of colors no longer made. I makes notes with every order so I can personally keep up with any changes, manufacturing errors, ect they might make.

Hope this helps
smiles.gif
 

darklocke

Well-known member
I haven't got an answer from Panda yet, but I'm hoping I will soon. I bought these Pigments on eBay, from a seller that is praised here on Specktra.. I was disappointed when I understood that at least one of them were fake, but I'm relieved to hear that some of them are genuine too.
smiles.gif
Thank you so much!
 

cloudsweare

Well-known member
Okay. So, I think I got a fake.

It has some of the real markings though. It has the coltaner-III thing on the lid inside the jar and on the bottom. It's a clear sticker on the bottom but it's a pro pigment. I even peeled the sticker off the bottom of my authentic (bought directly from mac) Pink Bronze to see if it has coltaner-III on the bottom as well. It did.

The cardboard from the package is different though. I don't know how to describe it. It's like thicker and feels cheap. The package is not scratched up though. And, the lid is not metallic or shiny. But, the pigment also smells different than my real ones. My real ones have a chalk like smell. The one I got from ebay has no smell.

The batch code on the box is also different from the one on the jar. Says AC3 on the jar and AA3 on the box. It's so strange.

Don't have a picture right now though.

Also says 'polvos con pigmentos' and it is clear sky blue.
 

416gal

New member
Hey guys,

I'm sure nobody has no idea of this is actually happening but I was actually tipped that one MAC store is buying 1000 pcs of fake pigments a month. Obviously, a regular buyer wouldn't think its fake because they bought it in the actual MAC store.

From what I was advised, since original and fakes are so identical now, one way to tell of the product's authenticity is by looking at how the UPC sticker was put on the box. Original products always have their UPC stickers straight and centred since this is done with the help of machinery. Fakes have crooked UPC stickers because they put it manually using the fingers.
 

1165Cheryl

Well-known member
I would think if people/sellers buy there stuff from MAC PROS 800# and NY MAC COSMETICS it would be OK. Thats were I get my stuff. It's very normal for the same color (pigments) to have different batch #'s since they make more then 1 batch as long as the year makes sense. Theres more detail then that acourse but that's the short version, lol. Sometimes the manufacture does make errors...a few orders ago many lids on the side had a very small wiggle line around it, it was clearly a mfg error. I've gotten box's with the sticker on top of the box almost hanging off the right side of the box and stickers on the jar bottoms 1/2 hanging off, all these from MAC PRO. Thats why each order I get I write notes on the packing slip with notes on any small things I see. I still get box's from 2003 from them, mainly from the colors that don't sell well like Dark Brown.

Has anyone heard of the make-up company called Nixxy? (i think thats the name). Someone mentioned some of their loose mineral shadows look just like MACS, like All girl, Rose and a few others. They dont use the same names as MACS but I hear they look exactly the same so watch out. Someone on youtube did a video on it.

If anyone ever has questions about a real or fake jar feel free to email me, I'd be more then happy to compare a real one to it. I dont want to give out too much info here and help the fakes sellers more.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend
smiles.gif
 

1165Cheryl

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by darklocke
I haven't got an answer from Panda yet, but I'm hoping I will soon. I bought these Pigments on eBay, from a seller that is praised here on Specktra.. I was disappointed when I understood that at least one of them were fake, but I'm relieved to hear that some of them are genuine too.
smiles.gif
Thank you so much!




Hi again...PM or email me. The one I mentioned might not be due to the part I thought was also like that on one of my colors I got in yesterday from MP. Then I checked a few others with of that color and they are the same...
 

darklocke

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1165Cheryl
Hi again...PM or email me. The one I mentioned might not be due to the part I thought was also like that on one of my colors I got in yesterday from MP. Then I checked a few others with of that color and they are the same...

I did e-mail you, as I did Panda, aren't my mails arriving?
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Boasorte

Well-known member
is this real? I like the colour but hmmmm
http://cgi.ebay.com/MAC-Pigment-eyeshadow-OLD-GOLD-New-w-o-box_W0QQitemZ320374844287QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item4a97d42b7f&_trksid=p3286.c0. m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240% 3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50
 

flushed

Member
Hi girls!

I'm low on dough and I'm in love with pigments now that I've gotten a sample from MAC.

What are some websites that sell AUTHENTIC samples?
I've checked the bodyneeds2.com but I was reading some youtube comments and some people said that some of their samples were fakes? Can anybody verify this or suggest other websites?

THANKS
smiles.gif
 

BellaItalia1969

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by flushed
Hi girls!

I'm low on dough and I'm in love with pigments now that I've gotten a sample from MAC.

What are some websites that sell AUTHENTIC samples?
I've checked the bodyneeds2.com but I was reading some youtube comments and some people said that some of their samples were fakes? Can anybody verify this or suggest other websites?

THANKS
smiles.gif


Hun,PM 1165 Cheryl,she sells MAC pigments ...100%real McCoy!
mac_addict.gif

Here is her website and she is also a Spectra member
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MAC PIGMENT RARE, MAC PIGMENT, MAC PIGMENT SAMPLES, 1165CHERYL, MAC PIGMENT 1/2 TSP, FREE , MAC GLITTER , MAC METAL URGE, MAC PIGMENT, MAC PIGMENT LOT, MAC PIGMENT 8, 1165CHERYL, CHERYLSSHINYEYES, CHERYLS SHINY EYES, 1/2 tsp, MAC PIGMENT, Mac Samples
cannot comment on bodyneeds,as never purchased from them ,hope that info helps
winks.gif
 
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