What Counts as Counterfeit and Its Risks

Counterfeit beauty products are more common than many people realize, and they’re increasingly difficult to spot. You may think you’re buying an authentic foundation, lip gloss, or moisturizer on Amazon or other big marketplaces, but a recent Wirecutter investigation revealed how easy it is to buy fakes. 

In this episode, we talk with Wirecutter senior writer Rose Maura Lorre about her six-month investigation into the world of counterfeit beauty and skincare products. She worked with a cosmetic chemist to test a dozen products, and most of them proved to be questionable. 

Rose explains how counterfeit beauty products circulate online, what warning signs shoppers should watch for, and how to make sure the products you’re buying are the real thing.

This episode covers:

• Why counterfeits show up on legitimate shopping sites: Large marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and Shein allow a variety of sellers to list products. T If the seller actually fulfilling your order isn’t the brand or an authorized retailer, it means the product is being sold by a “third party” seller, and it’s more likely to be a fake.
• The most important thing to check before buying: Look closely at who the product is sold by and shipped from. If the seller isn’t the brand itself or a retailer you recognize, you’re taking a risk—even if the listing looks official.
• How third-party sellers complicate things: Some products are real but diverted from authorized supply chains. They may have been stored improperly, tampered with, or sold past their intended distribution channel.
• Why packaging clues aren’t always reliable: People often look for differences in fonts, labels, or packaging quality, but counterfeiters have become excellent copycats. The seller’s legitimacy is usually a more reliable signal.
• The safest way to shop for beauty products online: Buy directly from the brand or from retailers the brand lists as authorized. If you’re shopping on a marketplace, double-check the seller information before purchasing anything.

Additional reading:

• I Hired a Lab to Counterfeit-Test a Dozen Suspicious Beauty Products I Bought Online. Every Single One Had a Problem.

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more›

Wirecutter Social and Website

Instagram: /wirecutter

Threads: /@wirecutter

Twitter: /wirecutter

Facebook: /thewirecutter

TikTok: /wirecutter

LinkedIn: /nyt-wirecutter

Website: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/

Newsletter: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/newsletters/

The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel.Engineering support from Maddy Masiello and Nick Pitman. Episodes are mixed by Catherine Anderson, Efim Shapiro, Rowan Niemisto, Sophia Lanman, and Sonia Herrero. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Diane Wong. Wirecutter’s deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. Hosted by Rosie Guerin, Caira Blackwell and Christine Cyr Clisset.

Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.