The black market of beauty that you may not even know about

The beauty black market is still going as strong as ever, make sure you’re not scammed into buying a fake product this Christmas.

High-end make-up costs a lot of money. This Christmas high-end foundations, eyeshadow palettes and more will be on countless wish lists. It’s easy to see why people delve into the “fake-up” field but, is it worth the risk?

You can buy MAC lipsticks for as cheap as £2, whereas the real lipstick would cost you £15. Most of the manufacturing takes place in China where they re-create brands such as Too Faced, Kylie Cosmetics, and Huda Beauty.

Counterfeit make-up is widely available online as well as market stalls.

David Ellerington, from Newcastle Trading Standards, has said that they have: “no specific issues with shops in Newcastle on cosmetic products.” However, if anything comes up in the future they would: “take action on any allegations under the legislative provisions on trademarks and the safety of cosmetic products.”

As these sellers simply reproduce the original product and packaging in the cheapest way possible, there is no way to tell what’s included in the fake product.

So, what’s in the counterfeit make-up? That could be anyone’s guess. The Daily Mail have tested fake-up products and found them to contain lead, paint-stripper, rat poison and even arsenic.

Bevin Korsan, a psychology student, has purchased and still uses counterfeit make-up: “I’m a student, I can’t always afford the newest high-end products, so I wait until they’re available on eBay.

“I always patch test anything I get off eBay on my arm and leave it there for an hour to make sure I don’t get a bad reaction before I use any product on my face.”

Although Bevin has never had a bad reaction it doesn’t mean she won’t in the future. It’s worth saving your money to buy the real product and knowing exactly what has gone into it so you won’t suffer any reaction.

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