As some of you might have noticed, I am a huge fan of ebay!  You can get some great deals on there or even make some extra money getting rid of extra products you don’t need.  However, if you use ebay frequently enough you will probably run into a problem sooner or later.  A while ago, I saw that the seller mysticallovebox was selling some “Benefit” deluxe samples for $3.75 a piece.  At the time, the person did not have any negative feedback and I saw they were based in San Francisco (where Benefit is based) so I thought that maybe they had some kind of connections to the company and were selling surpluses.  I love Benefit’s powders and thought this would be a great way to try some of their products that I have never tried.  I also have a large collection and wasn’t looking into investing in full sizes.  Well, a deal that is too good to be true probably is, and in this case that was the outcome.

I guess it would be really difficult to make counterfeits of Benefit’s full sized powders since the boxes are so complex.  So, they tried to knock off their deluxe samples.  There are some very clear signs that these are inauthentic, though.  Click read more to see pictures and how to identify these fraudulent products!

This is the packaging for the counterfeit Moonbeam.  Something is a bit off.  I could be wrong, but I do not remember information on the back also being written in so many various languages, especially Korean or Arabic (though I could be wrong-can someone else confirm it for me?).  The tube was also lacking a plastic seal.

On the top is the counterfeit product, below is an authentic Posietint to compare it to.  The one on top has a larger font that is more blurred.

My camera was having a hard time focusing, but you can see again that the code on the bottom of the counterfeit is larger and more blurred.

Even deluxe samples of Benefit’s items come with a brush applicator, not a doe foot one as seen with the counterfeit.

I was first tipped off that something was wrong when the deluxe samples of the powders were dusty and did not have a plastic wrapper around them, as seen above with an authentic item.

The counterfeit item (the middle one) has been dented in the corners, the sticker is flimsier (almost see through) and has a different finish.  One of the most major tip offs is that the tab you touch when opening the powder is on the left side instead of the right.  It feels awkward to open for those who are not left handed.

When I opened the items, I noticed right away that they looked really chalky.  Benefit’s powders are also scented, and there was no smell to these.

This is a swatch of the counterfeit Moonbeam.  The real Moonbeam does not have such strange pink undertones.

It is not even worth swatching on my arm to show you how terrible these are.  If I did, you wouldn’t be able to see anything since they are not pigmented at all.  

So please beware when you are buying things on ebay.  If you have been tricked, ask for a refund and then open a case with paypal right away!