fake jeffree star cosmetics palette (rant + review)

I have always wondered what it would be like to try something from Jeffree Star Cosmetics. There are so many YouTubers that rave about the quality of the products. Especially the liquid lipsticks and highlights...in addition to some standout palettes from the brand. (Like the Blue Bloods palette, which I debated on in a previous post.) Of course, I was excited when a company approached me with the opportunity to try out something from their wholesale makeup website. I selected a Jeffree Star Cosmetics palette, assuming it was overstock or an older release that was no longer available on the official website. Wrong. It was fake, fake, fake. I will not name names, but perhaps be wary of wholesale makeup websites based in China. Not only did the palette take months to arrive but it was fake as fake can be. Today, I wanted to show you the palette, let you know how it performed, and break down the many signs that proved it was inauthentic.

Spotting a Fake Palette: Important Things to Look For

First thing is first. Before I even get into the actual quality of the palette itself (because really, that is secondary to the fact that this product is fake and is being sold as the genuine article)...I want to touch base on a few different ways to determine whether a product is authentic or not. These are some of the issues I noticed immediately: 

• Typos or Grammatical Errors. As you can see from the picture above, I have circled four different spelling and grammar errors printed on the back of the palette packaging. Four. A genuine palette would never have a spelling error on it. Not one, let alone four of them. This was how I knew the palette was fake right from the get go. Spelling errors on a palette are extremely rare and there would never be that many of them.
• Logos Not Pressed in Completely and Off Center. Next up were the Jeffree Star logos that are printed on the actual highlight shades. In this version of the palette, they are slightly off centre and aren't pressed in cleanly. In a real palette, the logos will always look crisp and will be easy to read when you first purchase it. 
• Pigmentation Quality and Colours. Something else I noticed was that the shades included in this palette were slightly darker than the ones pictured on the official Jeffree Star website. Additionally, the pigmentation level of the swatches was dramatically different to live swatches on YouTube videos from people who had bought the palette directly from Jeffree Star Cosmetics.
• Lack of Design Details. I also noticed that there were certain design elements missing from this palette. For example, on the real palette, there is a pattern around the mirror on the inside. Not here. The font colour on the front of the palette is also a different colour to the real one and the background design is barely visible on the fake. 

If you are ever unsure about the authenticity of a beauty product....take a closer look. Check for typos, logo quality, pigmentation, and design details. These are all clear indicators of whether or not a palette is the real deal.

The Fake Jeffree Star Palette: How Did it Perform? 

How did the palette actually perform? It was fine. Not high end quality - or even drugstore quality - but passable. Some of the shades had a decent amount of colour payoff and shimmer. That being said, I will never ever use this palette on my face. In fact, I plan to throw this away as soon as I finish writing this post. Why? There are a lot of dangerous associated with using counterfeit or fake beauty products. (Read more about that here.) Some have potentially harmful bacteria which can cause inflammation, irritation, or even infection. If that wasn't enough, consider this. This "Jeffree Star" palette claims to be cruelty free and made in the USA. However, since this was clearly made in another country (likely China since the wholesale website was shipping all items from China)...that cannot be true. Though changes are being made on this front, as of 2019, all beauty products in China must by law be tested on animals. Therefore, if the palette was produced in China or sold from China, the palette simply cannot be cruelty free. 

Let me make this clear: I have no problem with dupe palettes or affordable makeup items. In fact, I am a huge advocate for drugstore products. However, when products claim to be high end and those products are fake? That's when I have a problem. Any company that does this is intentionally deceiving people, stealing their money, and putting them in danger. My advice? Be careful about certain online retailers, read reviews, and always trust your gut. If it looks like too good of a deal or you have a bad feeling....shop elsewhere. 

Have you ever been sent a fake beauty item? How did you react?