Counterfeit or Fake Mac

I have had so many people tell me that they know of someone or the other selling Mac products at ridiculously low prices and I have a difficult time pointing out to them that these products are most probably fake as Mac does not sell to individuals for resale.

Mac, being a high end makeup brand is very expensive and due to its high price tag has become a bit of a social symbol(to many). We have people preying on unsuspecting souls who cannot afford Mac by taking advantage of their weaknesses and sell them fake products at a fraction of the original price. I myself had fallen prey many years ago only to come home and realise that the pigment was powdery and chalky(what else did I expect for R50 lol). I have encountered such people at flea markets and fairs that sell these counterfeit makeup claiming to have purchased them from overseas blah, blah, bah....

Apart from this being a criminal offence, you put yourself at risk by purchasing such products as you never know what ingredients are being put in, how sanitary it is and, would in all probability, be made under poor hygienic conditions(logically, why would anyone manufacture fake items in a factory that is registered and stringent on quality???)

Many beauty bloggers have touched on how to spot fake Mac products and what to essentially look out for but in the process end up educating these unscrupulous manufacturers on how to get their products to resemble the authentic goods almost to perfection. So how do you protect yourself from falling prey to such predators? The answer is simple...buy from legitimate Mac counters and stores that are licensed to sell Mac.

This is what Mac has to say about the sale of Mac products via private individuals...

"M·A·C Cosmetics does not offer its products through individuals, street vendors, flea markets, internet auctions, independent boutiques or unauthorized online retailers. M·A·C does not sell its products at wholesale over the internet."

And what do they have to say on private sales....?

"While we appreciate your interest in M·A·C products, please be advised that our products are  for sale only at our authorized retail store accounts, the majority of which are located in major department stores or international perfumeries. While there are other points of sale, we are not seeking to expand our distribution network at this time. We do not offer franchises." Source: http://www.maccosmetics.com/cms/customer_service/counterfeit_education.tmpl Picture source: https://www.facebook.com/notes/a-team/easy-ways-to-spot-fake-mac-make-up/328499383906237 Have you ever been duped into buying fake Mac products? Tell us about it...

Mac Dupes- NYX

For most people, paying R190 for an eyeshadow is just being lavish. For others, it's feeding an addiction and who would sell a kidney to feed this addiction....lol. However, we should always bear in mind that not everything that comes with a low price tag is poor in quality. NYX is a range of makeup that has certainly carved a niche for itself in the makeup industry for its quality and affordability. There are several colors in the NYX eyeshadow range that are very similar in color...in fact the similarity is just uncanny.

So I have done some intense research and have come up with these Mac dupes from the NYX range. Ok, ok...you can all thank me later lol. What is a dupe: a dupe is a duplicate of a makeup item that matches the others quality, performance and color....and in our case, at a more affordable price. Basically, it's a brand wannabe...hahahaha.

Here's a list of pictures and names of some of the colors. Since these were taken off various sources, there may be a couple of repetitions.

 

The following pictures are courtesy of 'itscarlasampson'

                                                     

Do you have any Mac dupes that you would like to share with us? We'd love to hear from you....

Review- Coloressence 8 Palette Pearl Eyeshadow, EP2

Coloressence is a sub-brand of the company Natures Essence which has its roots in India. It has been available in South Africa for quite a while now but I had never really given much attention to it until a few weeks ago when I happened to see it on display at a local beauticians shop. I was attracted to the intense depth of the dark colors on the 8 shadow palette and it's satiny feel to it. I placed my order for both palettes and received them last week.

 A bit about the cosmetic range of Natures Essence- all products manufactured by Natures Essence are 100% natural ingredients and have NO animal content in them. They have a vast range of beauty products used for facials etc and a complete range of makeup products from foundation to lipsticks. They are well within the reach of the average and below average consumer but as I always say, makeup is a personal choice and what may work for one, may not necessarily work for another.

Having said that, let me tell you about my experience with the Pearl 8 eyeshadow palettes. The packaging is sleek and classy being black in color and slim and light enough to slip into your handbag without causing an unsightly bulge. It comes in a similarly designed box and the eyeshadows are nestled in a plastic casing. When you open it, you have a large mirror, a firm double ended sponge applicator and 8 eyeshadows of 3.5 gr each. The shelf life of the palettes are 2yrs.

I loved all the colors on this EP2 pearl palette with the exception of the light yellow gold and lime green colors. I found that the majority of the colors in this palette are highly pigmented and they scoop up quite a bit of product in a single swipe. They have a satiny, pearlised finish which I love. It packs on perfectly but certain colors move out of place easily leaving certain areas uneven & patchy. You would have to go back and pack on a bit more if this happens to even  it out.  The duration of the wear was about 3-4 hrs after which it started to fade. When applied without a base primer, the lighter colors were sheer and a bit powdery. A good base primer is a MUST.

The white & gold shimmer colors I used as a highlighter in these pictures.

So to sum up my pros & cons.....

Pros

• Darker shades are highly pigmented
• Has a beautiful satiny finish with a lot of sparkle and fine glittery look
• Excellent packaging
• 100% natural ingredients
• R250 for 8 x 3.5gr eye shades(now that is a steal even if 1 or 2 colors  turn out to be not your favorite)
• It has lovely, shimmery bridal colors
• Doesn't really have to be paired with a second color to give it a rich glamorous look(check pictures above) but looks even better when paired with a second shade.

Cons

• Doesn't stay on as long as I would like it to(3-4hrs max before it starts fading)
• Lighter shades are a bit sheer and powdery- BUT this can easily be overcome if you use a good base primer that will grab the product and give it some intensity and depth
• Not as blend-able as I would prefer... takes a bit of time and patience. If you are using it as the lids main color, and another product color to blend out the edges, it will work perfectly to give you the desired look. 
• Slight fallout- but not much more than I've experienced with some Mac and Inglot Matt shades

Would I buy these again? I don't want to be quick to jump the gun just yet and commit to either a yes or no without having another go at it but I certainly am eager to try out their other products eg the eyeliners and jumbo pencil eyeshades.

What do I rate it??? 7 out of 10

What have your experiences been with Coloressence eyeshadows? Let us know if it's worked any better for you than it did for me....

Eastern Bridal Fair 2013

Last night was the first day of the Eastern Bridal Fair at Kendra Hall. The last that I attended the Bridal Fair was about 4 years ago as having attended it many times previously and saw that there was a lot of repetition with the same companies advertising year after year. I decided to use up my two VIP tickets that I received and found that although the decor styles with the stage and lighting companies had advanced, and some where really breathtaking might I add,  the advertising businesses itself remained pretty much the same. I was hoping to see new and younger businesses showcasing their work but was a bit disappointed at seeing that they hadn't changed much. The number of business stall holders had significantly decreased  from the initial years when I would make a concerted effort to attend it every year. I can't help wondering if its the cost of taking up a stall that is preventing new businesses from joining this expo or is it other contributing factors. I can't deny that the attendance of the fair certainly had not waned... Having said that, the items on sale were of high standards and quality unlike the India/Eastern fairs that we are so used to and if you are shopping for jewelry or clothing in particular, you are certain to pick up some great deals and bargains. BEWARE of the fake MAC products being sold here- I noticed at least 2 stalls that were claiming to sell authentic MAC makeup...remember, if its not directly from MAC, its fake! Simple as that...

Outfit from the Dadar Paaneri stand

The planning and layout seemed a bit unco-ordinated especially for the main attraction which was the fashion show. Directions were poor and seating the huge number of attendees was poorly organized. It left many people standing in the aisles for the duration of the show which was more than an hour.

However, I must compliment the co-ordination and quality of the fashion show that showcased the work of fashion designer Mansi Malhotra and Dadar Paaneri of India, dances(choreographed by Shampa Sonthalia of Jalak Dikalaja & Smitha Maharaj of Nateshwar Dance Academy) and  the stage acts of 'Gudda' and 'Guddi' who introduced each segment with some excellent comedy who for me, were the highlight of the show.

The performance of Mrinalini Tyagi(Teju) and the hunky Shakti Arora(Onir Dutt) of popular TV series Pavitra Rishta was brief and I'm sure everyone would have appreciated a longer performance from them. Their interactions with the audience was however, outstanding!!!

All in all....for me it was a good Friday night getaway from home. If you need to while away some time this weekend, then maybe this will be a good alternative to the mall, if not, don't fret....you are not going to be missing much or not seeing anything that you haven't seen before.

Review: NYX Jumbo Pencils

I am generally not the type of person who buys makeup on a whim or without constraint. If its a color that is missing from my collection or if its a real deal and I find the color attractive, I may spend but not without the 'should I, shouldn't I?'...lol. But that doesn't mean that I have never splurged on makeup in a moment of weakness. Having been an ex e-bay shopaholic, I had once made a purchase of ALL the NYX jumbo pencils after watching many makeup gurus using them. I made a bit of use with the pencil in Milk but the rest was tossed away at the back of my draw and was soon forgotten. After doing the review on the NYX eyeshadows, I decided to dig up these long forgotten babies from their hibernation and give them a chance to impress me once more.

I have mentioned previously that I am a die hard Mac fanatic, and anything not Mac always slipped under my beauty radar. Having said that, I also realized that not all products in a brand range will be definite hits....u will get a few misses amongst them, be it Mac or be it Rimmel. I also learned that if you give a product a chance, you are sure to find items that are worth much more than what you've paid for them and which you will find yourself really treasuring. One of those products are the Essence range of Long Wear cream eyeshadows that I've reviewed recently and another is the NYX makeup range.

I have swatched my long lost beauty budget friends and the results were quite pleasing. Check out which ones were a hit for me and which I would give a miss....

Pros

After swatching all of the colors that I own, there are a few colors that I would definitely be making more use of. I found that they were astonishingly pigmented and the texture of the pencils were creamy and very blend-able. They were easy to apply with no tugging and pulling of the skin like most shadesticks or pencil eyeshadows. It is soft and glides evenly without much pressure. Most of the colors had a radiant shimmer to them especially the darker shades. For me, the big plus is that it doubles as a sticky base when you need something for your eyeshadow to grab onto. Also, if you have a very sheer shadow which is not well pigmented and you want to deepen the color, these will be an excellent buy. I found whilst washing it off in between swatching that it did not come off easily with water and soap and that I needed a cotton wool ball soaked in hand wash with a pressured rub to wash them off. For me that's a quality we all want in an eyeshadow or base. 

Cons 

The only problem I foresee with these is that creasing is a possibility especially if you have very oily eyelids. I for one would not want to wear it as an eyeshadow on its own but for those that donot have a problem with oily lids and creasing, it provides a foolproof application and may be a good buy for those mornings where time is of the essence and you need a quick slap of color on your lid. Some of the lighter colors applied were very sheer and looked somewhat blotchy- so watch out for that if you intend buying one of the light, pastel shades. To overcome the problem of creasing, make sure you blend it out well try not to apply it past the lid crease. The other problem I foresee is sharpening the pencil. I would suggest placing it in the fridge for a few minutes to harden before sharpening to prevent it from breaking. 

Overall for me, this is a win . The colors that I loved were Horse Raddish, Pacific, Bronze, Baby Blue, Black Bean, Milk, Gold, Rust and Hot Pink.