You might think that counterfeits exist only in the realm of Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags and wallets, but there are counterfeit and black-market cosmetics as well. I love looking for cheap but authentic products and bargains, so instead of buying fake ones, I go for reasonably priced cosmetics like Maybelline, Lola Cosmetics, or Fanny Serrano. When it comes to shopping for makeup and other skin care products, you have to take extra caution and you have got to be extremely careful.

I was recently on eBay looking for a hard-to-find MAC lipstick shade (all stores sold out), and other MAC faced-out lipstick shades. I've found quite a number of imitation eye shadows, lipsticks, glosses and fragrances… EVEN SKIN CARE!! -all offered at prices that are way too good to be true. While there are also a lot of honest sellers out there, a few folks are out to make a quick buck. Passing fake products as the real deal.

Why is buying counterfeit merchandise a bad idea, you may ask? There are a few good reasons, but first and foremost is your health. If you don't know where a product really comes from, or God only knows what ingredients are in them, why would you let it touch your skin? The skin is the largest organ of the human body and the most that absorbs chemicals and unwanted substances.

Counterfeits also funnel money into shady operations, and are illegal. And on a less sinister level, the colors just aren't accurate. These products also don’t lass that very long. Eye color that seem to disappear the moment you blink your lids.

To find out how to avoid buying fakes, read more about these “shady” products online. There are quite a number of sites out there that review these counterfeit products to warn makeup lovers out there.

Common sense will take you a long way. If a deal seems too good to be true or they sell products in bulk, they probably are fakes. For instance, the 12 "MAC" eye shadow powders shown on the photo were being sold on eBay for PhP 99.00/pc. Hmm, that's a pretty low price, considering a single shadow is PhP 850/pc. in the stores. Some lip glosses are sold for PhP 1,500 for a set of 25. Now, I can't tell whether those eye shadows are genuine or fake (maybe some people just like to throw them away at really low prices), but the price seems a little odd.

Check the seller's feedback, complaints by bidders are usually posted there so read on before you click “ADD TO CART”. For most people, common sense will help you spot obvious fakes, but the counterfeiters are getting better and better at making their stuff look like the real thing.

What do you think ladies? Would you sacrifice your skin and buy counterfeit makeup to save a few bucks, or would you rather save up for the real thing which are actually worth it? It's also good to know what products your local salon or makeup artist is using just to make sure. Makeup artists who are professional would be happy to discuss with you their products of choice to ensure your skin's safety.

Photos Courtesy of Google Images