Fake: Benefit BADgal Lash Mascara

With an influx of counterfeit Benefit Cosmetics hitting the shelves, consumers need to be increasingly wary when purchasing products online. One the more popular imitation products currently being sold on sites such as eBay is Benefit's Badgal Mascara.

Fake mascaras are particularly dangerous as the product is applied so closely to the eye. With laboratory tests showing that some fake mascaras contain nail polish remover, paint stripper, lead, and high levels of bacteria, it is important to ensure that you are buying the real thing. Testing of fake Benefit mascara in particular has also found high levels of lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury which can cause infection, itching, burning, and flaking of the skin.

If you have purchased a BADgal Lash Mascara online and are unsure of whether or not it is genuine, check out the tips below:

• Mascara with an overly chemical smell can be a sign that it is fake.
• A strange or a very cheap looking wand can be a simple indicator that it is a counterfeit.
• Light pink "lash" text can be a signal that your Badgal Mascara is not authentic.
• A flimsy box is an easy tell that you have bought a fake.
• Lumpy and inconsistent mascara means that it is definitely unusable and probably a counterfeit.
• If your mascara has an overly sweet smell, it is unlikely to be genuine.
• Mascara should come with a leaflet, check the spelling of this; any mistakes and you can be sure it is a fake.

Upon being made aware of fake mascara's mercury content, Benefit said: 

"On the subject of fake products our customers need to be made aware that our products can be years in development and have to be made to the strictest compliance. We have to meet and match the requirements of every country in which we choose to sell our products."

It is because these genuine products are of such high-quality that they are being counterfeited. Unfortunately  putting a stop to these illegal counterfeiters is expensive and time-consuming for the organization. For every counterfeiter that they stop, another pops up. It is therefore our job as conscientious consumers to be mindful of what we are buying and what we are applying to our bodies. 

For more information check out: The Daily Mail

There may be numerous counterfeiters producing different imitation Benefit Badgal Lash Mascara. This means that imitation products may vary slightly. To be sure you are buying a real Benefit Badgal Lash Mascara purchase your cosmetics from a trusted seller such as the ones listed below:

Benefit: $19.00

Sephora: $19.00

Boots: £17.50

If you decide to purchase your product on eBay make sure that you:

1. Check the seller's feedback to see whether other buyers have received fakes.
2. Look at the seller's other listings; if they have a lot of the same product this can be a sign that they are distributing counterfeits.
3. Make sure your seller is providing original photos, not stock images; since otherwise you really don't know what you are going to get.
4. Examine the photos carefully for signs that it is a fake.
5. Ask the seller for a receipt, proof of purchase, or ask them how they got the product.
6. Take your product in store and compare it to the real thing, ask the cashier to scan the bar-code to ensure that it is genuine.
7. And after all of that, you will still need to be prepared to receive a fake. So make sure you know how to use 'eBay Protection', and if you can; use Paypal so that you are protected by Paypal 'Buyer Protection' too.

So why not buy a fake?

There are a number of reasons not to purchase a fake, the most important being that they can be very dangerous. Seized and tested counterfeit cosmetics have been found to contain many dangerous materials including copper, mercury, cadmium, lead, and even arsenic. These fakes are cheaper because they aren't put through the same vigorous testing as industry leaders' products. Counterfeiters primary aim is to make products that look the same so that you will be tricked into purchasing a sub-standard product; they are not aiming for quality.