[how to] Spot a fake – Dandelion boxed powder by Benefit.

There’s no doubt that shopping online is a great way to buy cosmetics – it’s easy and you can often find a bargain.

But you have to be very careful when buying makeup online, particularly high end brands such as Benefit or MAC – eBay and other sites are full of dodgy copies. Can you spot the fake?

The prices offered by some eBay sellers and online stores seem like a great deal. But the first time I ever bought cosmetics from eBay, it was definitely the last time as well. I’d been wanting to try out Benefit’s boxed powder Dandelion for a while, and found one on eBay for about $15 AUD – a steal compared to the $51 it retails for in Australia!

But of course, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I was duped. So before I show you the tell tale signs of a fake, take my advice: only ever buy high end cosmetics from an authorised seller, to be sure of the quality and most importantly, its safety. Aussie gals can buy safely online from the US Benefit store – the prices are so much cheaper (particularly with the current exchange rate) and if you order over $115 worth of stuff, you get free international shipping. I bought a real Dandelion from the website and am really happy with it!

Read on to find out how to spot a fake!

1. The first thing is to look at the outside packaging. You can see the fake here is a darker green, and though it’s not really visible in the photo, the real one is glossy, while the fake is matte.

2. Look how the ‘dandelion’ logo isn’t square on the fake, and the box isn’t as structurally perfect as the real one.

3. See how the weight on the fake is written as 10g, and on the real one it’s 10.0g.

4. Note how the writing on the fake isn’t straight, and the font is bolder.

5. The Label on the back is full of errors!

* Sooo many spelling mistakes!!

* The side margins are very different.

* The fonts are different styles and colours and are too small on the fake, plus the text isn’t aligned properly.

* Look at how ‘London’ is underlined on the real one, but the area code is underlined on the fake!

* The label on the back should also peel off to reveal a list of ingredients in other languages. On some fakes, the label actually doesn’t peel off, but on mine it does so I didn’t bother taking a picture of that.

6.  The corners don’t match up where the picture has been pasted down. It just looks really poor quality.

7. The brushes are completely different.

* The fake has a larger wooden handle and shorted bristles, which are  rougher and darker than the real ones.

* There are less bristles in the fake.

8. The bad quality is pretty obvious really, especially when you compare it with the one bought from a Benefit counter. You can see the difference in colour and how the pan fits nicely into the box.

– THE SIGNS –

* Firstly, just smell it. The fake doesn’t smell like anything, but the real Dandelion smells so delicious, it’s like flowers on a summer day!

* Pan doesn’t fit the box (bottom right corner)

* The paper covering the box is really badly done!

* The colour is lighter, hardly pigmented at all.

* It’s not shimmery, and very chalky in consistency.

9. It’s a little hard to tell on this picture, but can you see how the real Dandelion looks like a natural pink flush to the skin, while the fake has an orange tinge to it? It’s also chalky and didn’t rub into the skin, there were still flecks of it sitting on my arm that I had to blow away.

If you know what to look for, spotting a fake is a bit easier. But again, let me say that it’s dangerous to buy cosmetics from random online sellers because you don’t know what’s in it! You might suffer from an allergic reaction, especially if you buy something like a foundation which goes all over your face. It’s seriously not worth it.

Aussie girls: if you buy online from www.benefitcosmetics.com you can save money, because the exchange rate is so good at the moment. This blush sells for US $28 online, or if you want to try it out first, you can buy it for $51 in Myer or David Jones.

I’ve also bought from www.au.strawberrynet.com and they sell real products, but are often the ones which have been discontinued.

If you think you have been scammed by an online seller through eBay, all is not lost. Message the seller and tell them politely but firmly that you want a refund because they sold you a fake. Tell them that if they don’t comply within, say, 48 hours, you will open a dispute with PayPal and eBay, and you will leave negative feedback as well. I did exactly that and the seller refunded my money immediately.

They asked me not to leave negative feedback but of course I did anyway, to hopefully avoid others being scammed. I informed eBay about the dodgy seller and checked back a few weeks later – the account was gone.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to email me or leave a comment!

I am not affiliated with Benefit Cosmetics, StrawberryNet or any other Benefit seller.  This post is purely to help others avoid being scammed by unscrupulous sellers on eBay.  Both Dandelion blushes were purchased with my own money.