How to tell if your MAC Blush is a fake

I thought I would write this post after my bad experience with fake MAC products which you can read more about here. After I suspected my purchase was fake I went and googled it to find comparisons however I found it very difficult to find posts that included pictures. As you will see I bought Harmony Blush from cheapsmells.com which when compared with a shop bought blush, was completely different in packaging, shade and texture. Now, I am no MAC expert however this post is just from what I have experienced and seen.

Left: Real,  Right: Fake

The main thing that gave the fake blush away was the packaging and especially the use of slightly yellow tinted writing compared to the more grey toned genuine product. Also, another big giveaway was the code on the fake one (A59) shows that the blush was manufactured in 2009 which seems very old whereas as you can see from the picture, the real blush was made in 2012 (A12). Apart from these two main differences the packaging was very similar.

Left: Real,  Right: Fake 

The MAC logo on the fake was pretty good if only a little larger and thinner than the real. The camera shows up the colour difference quite well as when I got the fake, it was more orange toned compared to swatches I had seen online. The real product is cooler in tone and more rose based which is what makes it such a great contour for pale skinned girls like myself.

Left: Real,  Right: Fake

Another massive giveaway was that the ingredients on the fake didn't correspond with the real product. This shows that you shouldn't be ok with buying fake products for their name just because they are cheap due to all the nasty chemicals that may have been added to them to make it look like the real thing.

Left: Real,  Right: Fake

Last of all, another killer giveaway was the fact that the product name and  barcode on the fake were stuck on whilst on the real thing, they were printed. The stickers just seem like a lazy and cheaper option compared to the real MAC packaging.

I really hope this post was helpful to anyone who suspects a fake product or anyone who wants to get wised  up on what fake MAC blushes look like for the future. Anyone had any other experiences with any fake products?

Hayley xxx

Losing My MAC Virginity

As the title of this post suggests, I have only recently just purchased my very first MAC items. Now, I had put these off for a long time for a few reasons. The first being that I am only in my first year or so in really getting into make up so wanted to experiment with cheaper makeup first and not just waste my money on lots of expensive pieces that I may have not liked. The second is that I will soon be a poor uni student and lastly because I knew once I got one thing, I would want everything. And boy is the last reason true! I debated long and hard for what items I wanted to get first. I wanted something that could be multi-functional as well as something that hadn't got many other really good cheaper alternatives. I ended up entering the MAC store in my nearest Debenhams with two make up pieces that I had in mind. One being Harmony blush and the other being Soft and Gentle MSF.

I have heard from numerous people that the MAC staff aren't always very helpful but my lady was lovely and took the time out to help me. Harmony powder blush was £17.50 whilst the MSF was £21.50 and when you spend over £40 in Debenhams you get a Beauty Club Reward Card with a £5 voucher on it. Because I had only spent £39 I decided to get a pencil sharpener for my eyeliners which the lady said was a really good quality one which keeps the pencils in good shape.

 When I said I wanted Harmony for a contour she MAC lady said it would be perfect because I am fairly pale but it would also work for me in the summer for when my skin gets a bit darker which I thought would be good as I can use it all year around and not just seasonal. So far I have really loved it because it's not too orange toned and warms up my complexion without looking unnatural. I have also experimented with this in the crease of my eyes to contour and it really works to give some dimension and warmth when you have cooler shades across the lid.

I have heard so many good things about this highlighter and thought it was a great item that I could use for many different things. So far I have used it to highlight my cheekbones, inner corner of my eyes as well as my brow bone and I really love it. I can imagine it would be a good colour to just have swept across the eyelid to make me feel a bit more put together if I am in a rush. I also knew I wanted a highlighter as I was yet to find a good high street version.

Above are a few quick swatches and as you may have already figured out the one on the left is Harmony blush and the one on the right is Soft and Gentle. The camera is showing Harmony to be a bit more orangey than it is in real life however you can probably still tell that it is a great contour colour as it's completely matte. Soft and Gentle has a little bit of pink running through it which is great as it doesn't look so stark white on the skin so it makes it more natural. In saying this it isn't as natural as other highlighters as there are a few chunky bits of shimmer here and there which makes your face look very healthy and radiant.

I am really happy with my first few bits from MAC and now I think it's a bit of a slippery slope as I am already eyeing up other pieces. Any recommendations? 

Hayley xxx    

My Current Wishlist #1

Top Left: Zara T-Bar Wedge Top Centre: MAC Harmony Blush Far Right: Zara Leather-Look Trousers Bottom Left: MAC Soft and Gentle MSF Middle: Naked Palette Middle Bottom: Real Techniques Core Collection Brushes