How to tell your makeup is original

Start with the seal

Almost every new lipstick, powder or tube leaves the factory with a tamper-evident seal: a foil disc under the cap, a shrink band around the box, or a strip of plastic across the lid. Check it before anything else. A seal that is already broken, or one that has clearly been pressed back down, tells you the item has been opened by somebody — a tester, a reseller, anyone.

The best moment to look is at the door, while the courier is still there. Open the parcel, check the seals, and film it if you want a record. It takes seconds and it is the simplest evidence you can have.

Match the batch code

Cosmetics carry a batch or lot code: a short string of letters and numbers, printed or stamped in two places — on the outer box and on the item itself. The two should match. A code on the box and nothing on the tube, or two codes that disagree, is worth asking about before you use it.

Many boxes also carry a best-before date, or a period-after-opening symbol — an open jar with a number of months beside it. A box with no code and no date at all is a box worth questioning.

There is no public code checker for most budget cosmetics brands, so be careful with any seller who claims to have one, or who promises a QR scan that proves authenticity. If a brand had a verification tool, the brand itself would publish it.

Read the box, not the caption

Genuine packaging is usually boring in a good way: printing that sits straight, a logo embossed or foiled cleanly rather than fuzzily, text spelled correctly, and a full ingredient list. If you already own something from the same line, compare the two boxes side by side — differences in finish, font weight or the position of the text are far easier to see that way than from memory.

A properly imported product also names the company that brought it into the country, with a way to contact them, along with the net weight and the ingredient list. A box with none of that leaves you with no idea what you are holding or who to ask.

Ask who you are buying from

The seller matters more than the box. A shop with a published address, a working number, a written returns rule and public replies to complaints is accountable to you. A seller who takes payment only to a personal account, gives no address and goes quiet when you ask a question is not.

Price is a signal in both directions. A price far below everything else on the market usually means something — old stock, stock that travelled an unofficial route, or a product that is not what the label says. A price far above it usually just means somebody is counting on you not comparing.

What we do on our side

We ship sealed items only, and the return rule is built around that. Unopened, sealed items can be returned within 7 days of delivery. Anything that arrives wrong or damaged is replaced free — send us a photo within 48 hours.

If a seal is broken or a code doesn't match when your parcel arrives, send us a photo within 48 hours and we will replace it. Paying cash at the door means you can check all of this before any money moves — see how cash on delivery works.