Wednesday, June 1, 2011

How to Spot a Fake - Episode 1, Too Faced Natural Eye Palette

When a deal is too good to be true, it probably isn't.
This is the real palette from Sephora, retail $35, comes with 9 shadows, 3 tutorial cards, and a pull out drawer with brush...this is what I got...

Now, there are quite a few obvious differences, but I saw this in Ross (an "authentic designer" store at discount prices) and I recognized the eye right away.  Not having the other product with me, I threw it in my basket b/c it was the last one and hey, it was $5!

While looking at it in line, I looked at the differences:
  1. It doesn't even say Too Faced on the top of the box
  2. The Natural Eye logo on mine is bronze with black lettering (sorry for the camera glare)
  3. The lacy outside pattern is different
  4. The eye is different with the lashes and more eyebrow is showing in mine.
In my box, I also had the cards:
These look very similar to the TF one, so it's hard to tell by that alone.
Inside the box, again, the eye is slightly different, but check out the names of the shadows (yes they are all named correctly).  The names are folding over into the shadow compartments.  If you are buying a $35 palette, they aren't going to sell you this.
The shadows are still incredibly pigmented, but you can see the Nude Beach shade is chipped in the corner (which can happen in transit on high end palettes as well on occasion).
While I only spent $5, it's hard to trust that stores like Ross or Marshalls are selling other legit items.  Example #2: my roommate purchased a Chi flat iron for about $60 there and when we got home...it was a chi box.  With another brand of straightener inside.  That went straight back to the store, but I truly question what it is they are selling.

Take extra care when you aren't sure something is authentic because you never know what is going into the products or how the companies are testing them.  In this case, the palette was actually made by Almar and I explored their website to learn more about what is in the products, etc.

I hope this was helpful.  I know I made a lot of mistakes buying makeup when I first got into it.  This is the first of a series (but don't worry, I'll set them up a week or so apart so you aren't overwhelmed with false products)

12 comments:

  1. Oh wow! Thanks for the heads up, hun! I would never have thought there were be a fake two faced palette out there..

    -Dinah
    http://dgsbeauty.blogspot.com/ or dgsbeauty.com

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  2. I know right? I had no clue people were making fake Too Faced products. I've seen a lot of Benefit and MAC, but not Too Faced.

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  3. I had no idea they sold fake stuff, that's just terrible! :( Thanks for sharing, sorry this happened to you, but at least it was only $5!

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  4. @Vintage, Definitely! I would have been made if I spent over 15!

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  5. Yes, I just bought a fake on ebay and was so angry!

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  6. I think they sell this at Rue 21. & if it doesn't say Too Faced then they aren't trying to "fake you out" Its just another natural eyeshadow palette!

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  7. Hi i want to buy this palette on ebay, and this one i found is $30. seems pretty cheap right? that's why im suspicious. the picture looks like the real one. i think you would be able to get your money back if it was a fake one like that because of false advertising?

    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Too-Faced-Natural-Eyeshadow-Palette-Kit-/270959488747?pt=AU_Makeup&hash=item3f1671aeeb

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  8. ^ and also even though $30 isn't that cheap, it is for too faced in Australia, and its the cheapest one on ebay.

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  9. I bought one off eBay, and was so annoyed to find that it was a fake! The idea cards were stuck in the package, and when I pulled them out, the packaging was made of Chinese packing cardboard! Beware of buying from eBay sellers!

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  10. someone recently pointed out to me that I might have gotten a fake version of the Smokey Eye Kit from Too Faced. How can we tell if it is real or fake?

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  11. I ordered one on eBay, too. The pictures on both boxes were the same, but this one didn't have the slide-out tray for the brush or even the brush at all.

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  12. I used to work for the for the TJX company and they get damaged/discounted item from these companies. That is how they are able to sell it to you for such amazing prices. They palette you bought may have even been produced by the Too Faced company (you said they were pigmented the same) and it was damaged before they finished printing the packaging so instead of throwing in away and losing that money altogether they sold it to a discount store. Also most name brand mar their brand logo before sending it to the store. Tags inside the clothing will have a black marker X-ed through them. So all in all that chip in Nude Beach may be the very reason you got it for $5. Also the flat iron the store probably had nothing to do with. Another customer probably switched out the two iron and got the Chi for a LOT less. I used to deal with stuff like this all the time when I worked there.

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