Monday, 13 February 2012

Fake Make Up

There are so many fake beauty products around at the moment, I thought I’d do a little bit of digging and see what brands are doing to counteract the pretenders.

First, I spoke to Benefit who are understandably horrified to have discovered that a fake Benefit mascara was recently found to contain Mercury. They say, “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.” Basically, any old Joe can mix together a recipe of flour and water – and worse – that can be packed into clever copies of mainstream brands to superficially fool the eye.  Fakers aren’t the least bit interested in meeting any kind of standard; their aim is to fool you and take your money. Nothing will have been tested for sensitivity or toxicity so you buy at your peril. Basically, the old rules apply – if it seems too good to be true, pricewise, then it probably is. Benefit say, “It is so frustrating that our products are being copied – the goods are inferior in every single way.”

In fact, they employ a specialist to get to the source of the fakery, but for every faker that gets discovered another pops up. “There was a recent seizure by Coventry trading standards which revealed a fake Benefit Bad Gal Lash with Mercury in it. This is VERY worrying, this is an example of an extremely dangerous ingredient being used in fake products and further highlights why we are so determined to close down all illegal supply & distribution of counterfeit/fake merchandise.”  It’s not just here and there either; the fakers are continually re-inventing the Benefit Wheel. “ Our customer service team have had many complaints about fake products. There have been some minor allergic reactions, though thankfully nothing too serious so far.  There have been far more instances of people complaining because of the poor quality of the fake products they have mistakenly or naively purchased.  We had a customer's husband contact us recently as his wife had purchased a 'Some Kind of Gorgeous' on ebay for about £8, the day after she used it, she came up in a rash and a puffy face. When these complaints come to us it's disheartening and frustrating for us as there's nothing we can do to help when the products are fake and not purchased through an official outlet. It's also embarrassing for the customer when we have to reveal a gift that has been purchased for her by a partner, friend or family member is a fake!” 

Again, bottom line is that Benefit only sell through authorized retailers such as Benefit boutiques, Debenhams, John Lewis, HOF, Boots, Harvey Nichols and other selected, independent Department Stores.  Their online business consists of; our own web site, benefitcosmetics.co.uk, the online sites of their key retail partners, (Debenhams, Boots, John Lewis & HOF), plus the following online partners; Feel Unique, ASOS and Look Fantastic. So, if you’re shopping Benefit elsewhere, there is no way to know how old the stock is or if it is even real Benefit.

So that pretty much leaves the ball in the consumer’s court. That temptingly cheap deal may end up far more costly than you could ever imagine. And, by buying off-piste, it’s us, the customer, that is creating the counterfeit market.
Fakes usually come from countries, such as China, where the cost of production is slight, but it is known that some fakers will produce the packaging in the UK and order the ‘fillers’ from another country and put all the components together here. 

OPI is another commonly copied brand. For them, counterfeit products and unauthorised sellers go hand in hand. “It’s the unauthorised sellers who sell the counterfeit in the first place: the polishes are watery and smell very strong, or are thick and gloopy.”  OPI has spent literally millions of dollars to end counterfeiting and again it comes down to buying from authorised retailers to ensure you are getting the real thing. There is no other way round it. You can’t ignore the fact that brands such as Benefit, MAC, Essie, Gelish, Touche Eclat and OPI, popularly copied brands, are losing millions to counterfeiters and of course it’s in their interests to stamp it out. However, the real loser is the end user every single time. OPI use private investigators and lawyers to combat fakers, but the issue is so rife that it’s a full-time job.
A blogger, just back from Tokyo, was surprised to find that even brands such as Nivea are being copied, although the most popular fakes were the perfumes. 

Talking to a specialist in the area of fakes in general (and not just make-up), the stats are staggering. Rob says, “Without doubt the majority of fake beauty products come from China. We only work in the UK but one investigation took us from the UK to Korea where we had factories closed down by the authorities.” Investigators work closely with the UK Border Agency where targeting importations at the Parcel Force Hub in Coventry is one way to try and combat the surge of fakes. “Over 7000 parcels come into the UK from China every single day; it is estimated that 75% contain counterfeits, so beating the fakers is a massive task,” explains Rob. “We have a team of agents who regularly sweep the markets (in the UK) where fakes are being sold and then identify retailers and wholesalers. We work closely with Trading Standards seizing counterfeit products and prosecuting the offenders.” Rob’s agency also deals with counterfeits on Ebay, targeting multiple sellers, and also bogus internet sites which need the intervention of the Metropolitan Police Ecrime Unit at Scotland Yard to get taken down.
As if that isn’t bad enough, fakes are without doubt linked to organised crime. Rob says, “We have dealt with cases where the proceeds have been destined for terrorism funding.”  

Revolting working conditions, ridiculously low wages and nil in the way of workers’ rights go without saying. 
So, you know, the message could not be more stark. If we stopped buying them, they’d stop making them. 

That beauty ‘bargain’ comes with all sorts of strings attached.

Sunday, 12 February 2012

Beatitude Bath Oil: Joy


There's nothing as comforting as a hot bath while it snows outside which is what happened when I used this beautiful Beatitude Oil. A mix of Orange, Mandarin, Petitgrain, Grapefruit and Bergamot, the scent is completely uplifting and I can well see why the oil is named Joy. The scents lie in a base of oat oil, camelia oil and peach kernel oil and disperses in water to form a milky looking bath - and the 'joy' of that is cleaning the bath afterwards isn't nearly the slog that non-dispersing oil is. Although the bottle suggests there will be bubbles, I'd have to say they were few in evidence.. and NO! I didn't....

Beatitude Joy Bathing Oil is nothing short of delightful, both the aroma and the experience were blissful. It's £38 for 100ml and £22 for 50ml - on the pricy side but a proper treat. http://www.beatitudeproducts.com

Thai Massage at Asia Gardens Hotel

I'm not one for massages, it has to be said, but until you've had a tiny Thai lady jumping on your buttocks and bending your legs behind your ears I'd suggest that you haven't really experienced massage in its entirety. 

On my coldest-weekend-in-Spain-for-twenty-seven-years trip last week, the hotel very kindly threw in a traditional Thai massage so my friend and I could have a proper experience of the spa element. The massage begins with the therapist washing your feet in hot water - I have to say, I hated that element - it just doesn't feel right to me and although I get that it is supposed to be the cleansing and bonding part, it's all wrong in practice. I was just embarrassed. However, we were quickly moved on to a double room; something of a surprise since I had never expected to see my friend, Wendy, with her limbs extended far beyond their natural reach, and nor she mine. We're English and therefore far more easily mortified than any other nation!

I can't fault the therapists; I opted for a 'hard' massage - in for a penny and all that. Both therapists were delightful; very kind and actually very intuative in their technique. But, having no clue about Thai massage, I really wasn't expecting to find my legs in what I can only describe as a frog-leg postition.. I didn't even know they could do that. They do some clever flicky things with your arms that mean they just move in a fluid way into a stretch and the same for your legs. There's an element of the massage that involves the therapist kneading your buttocks with their feet.. it's odd, let me say, but the ultimate result of the massage was that we were both like boneless chickens at the end of the hour, flopping about with limbs so stretched, folded and relaxed we could barely move. 

Thai massage uses ancient traditions and each therapist will do things a little differently to tackle pressure points, lengthen the muscles and release tension - there must be a detoxifcation element as well because both of us kept having to go to the loo for some time afterwards.

My default stance for massage is to get away as soon as I possibly can; in this instance, my body was barely capable of doing the short walk to the relaxation area and we both fell asleep by the pool, swathed in towels for warmth. I'd recommend it in a heartbeat, although my fear of er, escaping air, didn't leave me throughout... I mean, it could so easily happen with one leg twizzled to the other side of your body...

Klorane Soothing Make-Up Remover Gel With Cornflower


I really enjoyed using this cooling make-up remover gel: it's a lovely formula and really did remove every last trace of make-up. You can rinse it away or not; I chose not to (laziness, really) and it left my skin feeling both clean and soft. What's not so clever is the blue writing on a blue bottle.. it was something of a struggle to read the instructions on the back which are miniscule.

It's paraben free and alcohol free and can imagine that in summer it's a gorgeous treat for skin, especially if you keep it in the fridge. It's £10 for 200ml which I think is very reasonable. 

Friday, 10 February 2012

REN Skincare Video: OMG. 18+

Wow, I never thought I'd have a video like this on BBB, but it's so beautiful and so different - amazing forward thinking from REN. And it IS 18+ so you are warned. 



Beaut.ie & BritishBeautyBlogger Magazine Awards



Next week we’re launching an exciting initiative: The Magazine Awards brought to you by Beaut.ie and BritishBeautyBlogger.

It was a real "let's put on the show right here in the barn" moment we decided to do this.  We wanted to know who our readers feel are still rocking out the good stuff in magazine world. 

Beauty blogging has exploded in popularity 
so it’s time for us to let you do the talking when it comes to what you love to read. 

We’d like our readers to judge the very best in their field, who’s coasting along on their reputation and just who has earned the right to be the Best Womens Magazine in 2012. Between us, Beaut.ie and BBB have over 350,000 unique readers so we think we're well placed to winkle out the weedy and big up the beauties. 

So, how will it work? We'll have categories for Best Weekly, Best Monthly, Best For Fashion, Best for Beauty, Best for Features and Best Irish Magazine. Then, we'll pop the polls up and all you have to do is click and vote.  This collaboration will bring together readers from Ireland and the UK with a common passion for beauty in a way that has never been done before. This is an absolute first and we're proud to be working together to get a true view of what beauty consumers really think.

You can vote as many times as you want and polling will last for two weeks (A break from dancing will then ensue as we count the votes (aaagh) and write up the results).

Importantly, there are no judges and no input from the industry: the only voices we need to hear are yours. 


About us:  With a combined total of over 350,000 unique visitors a month, Beaut.ie is Ireland's biggest and most powerful blog, widely read in Ireland, the UK and the rest of the world. BritishBeautyBlogger is one of the UK’s most prominent Beauty Blogs.  We count ourselves as the independent voice and the consumer champion of ordinary women who love beauty.  Both sites command readers from both consumer and industry sources and are primary sources of beauty news and opinion.

Thursday, 9 February 2012

Jo Malone Home Collection

Jo Malone Red Roses Scent Diffuser

Some gorgeous things coming up from Jo Malone in April: Scent Surround Diffusers in Lime, Basil and Mandarin, Pomegranate Noir and Red Roses, Scent Surround Room Sprays in the same fragrances and a limited edition range of drawer liners and sachets in Lime, Basil and Mandarin only.

Jo Malone Home Drawer Sachets in Lime, Basil and Mandarin

Jo Malone Home Drawer Liners in Lime, Basil and Mandarin

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