Big name beauty products sold on Amazon and Vinted found to be FAKE as shoppers warned over chemical burns

The Sun

23-07-2025

BRANDED beauty products being sold on online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay have been found to be fake.
An investigation by Which? has revealed that at least two thirds of cosmetics advertised as being from big brands, including Charlotte Tilbury, MAC and Maybelline, sold on the platforms could be counterfeit.
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The consumer champions warned of the "grave" dangers of buying fake cosmetics, which have previously been found to contain toxic chemicals such as arsenic and lead, and even animal poo and urine.
Fake products could also cause skin irritation, infections, or even chemical burns, they warned, as they may be incorrectly formulated and don't undergo strict safety checks.
Which? researchers bought 34 makeup and skincare products from third party sellers on Amazon, eBay, Tiktok Shop and Vinted.
They carried out visual checks on the packaging and contents, and compared them with the genuine products bought from trusted retailers.
It found that 23 of the 34 products bought (67%) were likely to be counterfeit.
This included four out of 11 products bought from Amazon, eight out of 11 products from eBay, five out of six products from TikTok shop, and six out of six items bought from Vinted.
The cosmetics purchased were advertised as being from household names including Charlotte Tilbury, La Roche-Posay, Maybelline, The Ordinary and MAC.
In one instance, the researchers said a tube of La Roche Posay Effaclar Serum (RRP £40) purchased on Vinted for just £12 smelled "suspiciously like shampoo".
They also noticed that the sample bought from Vinted had completely different text on the side of the box.
Meanwhile, a tube of Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara (RRP £12.99) bought from Tiktok Shop for £8.07 had an "incorrect label on the bottom of the tube, and other inconsistencies in the design".
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Which? also bought The Ordinary Niacinamide serum (RRP £5) from eBay (£5.99), Tiktok Shop (£2.45) and Vinted (£6), and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (RRP £8.80) from eBay for £5.98.
It said they "all seemed obviously fake, with the consistency and colour of the liquid in the bottles markedly different to the genuine samples".
"Some also used a different font on either the box or bottle," it said.
Many of the dupes were difficult to spot, Which? said, and were only noticeable when they were compared directly with the genuine products.
For example, a bottle of Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray (RRP £32.99) bought from Amazon for an inflated price of £37.90 looked genuine from the outside.
But researchers noticed it had a different scent to the original.
Similarly, a MAC Macximal silky matte lipstick in shade Ruby Woo (RRP £25) bought from Vinted for £15 arrived in packaging very similar to the genuine version.
But when closely compared, the lipstick bullet was "subtly different with a smudged logo that didn't match up with the original".
Which? director of policy and advocacy Rocio Concha said: 'It's alarming that Which? was able to find such high volumes of what appeared to be potentially dangerous counterfeit cosmetics on popular online marketplaces, where teenagers in particular are likely to be enticed by what seem to be big discounts on popular brands.
'Consumers should be as confident in the products they buy online as the items that they purchase on the high street, but in reality they risk buying untested, unregulated and potentially toxic cosmetics.
'The government must ensure there are clear duties on online marketplaces to prevent the sale of counterfeit goods, and urgently commit to the reforms needed to ensure our consumer enforcement system is fit for the 21st century."
Director general of The Anti-Counterfeiting Group, Phil Lewis, said that even on cheaper fake products the profit margins are "extremely high", meaning consumers should be on their guard even if discounts seem more realistic.
How to avoid fake makeup products online
Which? has given its top tips on how to avoid falling victim to fake product scams.
Buy direct or from an affiliated retailer or from one of their approved stockists, Which? says. Some brands also sell via online platforms, Maybelline and The Ordinary have stores on Tiktok Shop for example.
Be careful when buying popular products or those that have sold out elsewhere. Bad actors can often take advantage where there's high demand.
Check the product and seller reviews, as other buyers often flag issues with fake products. But keep in mind that bad actors may also use fake positive reviews to hide negative ratings, so be sure to read reviews from a variety of star ratings.
Check who is dispatching the product. Which? recommend checking who the product is being dispatched by before buying, for example products on Amazon or Tiktok may come either directly from the seller or be distributed by the platform.
While buying a product being dispatched by the platform isn't a guarantee, it is an extra barrier between sellers and buyers.
An Amazon spokesperson said: 'We have a zero-tolerance policy for counterfeits and have proactive measures in place to prevent counterfeit products being listed."
It added that "three of the offers in question have been removed while we investigate.'
An eBay spokesperson said: 'The sale of counterfeit items is strictly prohibited on eBay and we proactively block millions of counterfeit items every year.
'In the rare instance that a counterfeit item is listed, brands and other intellectual property rights owners can use our VeRO Program to report them.
"We then investigate these reports and take the appropriate action, which may include ending listings and suspending seller accounts.'
A spokesperson for L'oreal Groupe, the parent group for Cerave, La Roche Posay, L'oreal and Maybelline said: 'L'Oréal Groupe takes the threat of counterfeit products very seriously. We are committed to the fight against counterfeiting to protect consumer health and safety, and the integrity of our brands.
'We actively collaborate with law enforcement agencies worldwide and with online platforms, helping them to identify and seize counterfeit products, and to dismantle the criminal networks involved in this illegal trade."
Tiktok told Which? it does not allow counterfeit products to be sold on the platform and takes strict action against sellers infringing IPR.
MAC directed Which? to a webpage setting out their approach to counterfeit products.
A Vinted spokesperson said: 'Selling counterfeit items is strictly prohibited on Vinted and we're committed to fighting this issue, which we recognise is a challenge for much of the beauty industry.
"We have policies in place to protect our members and encourage them to report any account which may be violating our guidelines, so that we can take appropriate action.'