Hi girls! Well, if you are wondering why I am writing this blog post, that is because (as much as I hate to admit it), I was fooled months ago into buying a fake benefit product. I was aware of fake benefit make ups lurking around online stores and bazaars. That was why, when I bought my benetint I thoroughly checked the samples they had on this bazaar at Eastwood.
The samples they had were authentic! But I failed to check and inspect the exact product they gave me when I purchased. So when I went home, and I compared it to my old bottle, I was shocked to see that what I have with me was a fake one. Believe me, it feels awful! You were at the thought of saving up 600 pesos (I bought the benetint for 1200) only to realize that you spent more. Lugi! as what we Filipinos always say.
When I was at Divisoria, I found a store that was full of fake products. Mac, Bobbi Brown, Ecotools, Benefit, Urban Decay - and the list goes on. I purposely bought a fake Coralista Box O' Powder to blog and compare it to my old one which was bought from Sephora. I just don't like another 'girl-gets-fooled-into-buying-fake-makeup' incident. So I hope this blog entry would be a bit helpful to those who will purchase this coveted box o' powder.
FRONT PACKAGING:
Just by the texture of the cover, you would know if it is fake. The original has a matte texture, despite the little shimmer it gives when you move the box. The fake one on the other hand is more glossy. You would also notice bumps from glue when you run your fingers on it.
Check the font. On the lower left of the box, you will see that the original Coralista has a normal font on the 'benefit' written on it while the fake has a bold font. Below that should read '12.0 g Net. Wt. 0.42 oz' the fake one has a mispelled one saying '12.0 g Nef. Wf. 0.42 oz'. This may vary, but any mispelled label is a fake one.
Check the lettering of CORALista. Notice the 't' on it. The original has a pointed 't' while the fake one has a shorter tip on the upper part of the 't'. Also the sticker of the coralista looks more like a foil sticker and it hardly sticks on the box.
The edges of the original are more flat and sharp while the fake one is a bit cuved and irregular.
BACK PACKAGING:
Again, when you find any mispelled word, what you have is fake product. At the bottom, you will see 'PEEL HERE'. The original one can be peeled twice, and inside you'll see 17 different versions/ languages of the product content. The fake one that I have cannot be peeled completely, but I checked other's which can be peeled once, and they have chinese characters in it. If it is all written in chinese, that is one big sign that you have a fake one with you. Beside the BARCODE you will see a 4 digit number in grey (left side) where as the fake does not have any. You would also notice that the first and last numbers of the barcode should fall right after the first and last lines below. The fake one is a bit far than the original one. On the last paragraph you will se the DISTRIBUTOR. London is underlined boldly on the original one and the site 'benefitcosmetics.com' is written in a smaller font and is bold as well.
SIDE PACKAGING:
The original Coralista has the colors, pink (salmon), black and a little bit of gold streaks. The fake on the other hand has less streaks and is in black and bright pink. You will also notice that the leaves on the original one is thinner on the fake and the color is in a lighter green as well.
SIDE (INNER) PACKAGING:
The leopard print (correct me if I am mistaken please, this looks like a leopard print to me hehe) is smaller, but fatter than the fake one. The colors are also more of a salmon pink, and this time it has orange 'streaks'. The fake one has orange on the sides of the leopard print only. Again the edges are symmetrical, flat and a bit sharp on the original. While on the fake one, you will see the sticker peeling out on the corners.
BRUSH:
This one is obvious. The HANDLES of the original Coralista is made out of wood, while the fake one is made of plastic. You will also see that the original is slightly longer than the fake one. While the fake one is already soft, it is still not as soft as the original brush. There is also shedding on the fake one even if it has not been washed yet.
BLUSH:
OOOPS!! I hit the pan with mine, sorry for the big hole. There you will see that the original has a more salmon tone of pink, it also has a bit of shimmer. While the fake has a baby pink color - not even close to being 'coral' as it should be.
SWATCHES:
The original is more pigmented and has a hint of shimmer when swiped as swatches. The fake on the other hand is more pink, and chalky.
This is how it looks like when blended. Not close enough right? Also, try smelling the product, because original benefit make up has a floral kind of scent with it. And the smell doesn't wear out. The fake smelled a bit musty at firt then it now smells like plastic.
BOTTOM LINE:
It's better if you buy from the store itself. Benefit opened a number of stores here in the Philippines. Back then, I was lazy to go to Makati to buy Benefit so I resorted in this Bazaar and got fooled by it. (Lessons learned for me!) Well, another good thing is, Benefit Philippines opened more branches and I found one near my area! HOORAY! If you are to buy online and on bazaars, make sure you purchase only to those you know and trust.
You will initially feel that you are saving alot when you buy fake products, but quality wise, you still loose in this part. Say, you bought a number of fake products, but since it is not of good quality, you hardly get to use them. The coralista that I have, obviously served me well, as I forgot that I had other blushes when I first used it. And who knows, that 500 peso you saved up from buying the fake one orignally costs 50 pesos on a factory some where in China.
The reason high end make up is expensive is that it goes through alot of quality control before being released in the market. They make sure that what you put on your face is safe. This is something you won't gurantee from fake products.
Okay this has been pretty long already. Hehe. I hope this has helped in any way. I appreciate your comments and if you like something to add up in this post, go lang! Stay smart ladies!
P.S. To the lady who fooled me into buying fake make up.. I believe in karma. =)
Love,
Katrina
