Fake Makeup on the Rise: Is it a Big Deal?

De Herdillddddd reports that the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) has issued a warning to consumers to beware of counterfeit make-up at Christmas.  Customs officers have reported that the illegal importation of fakes is up by 60pc on last year, and that since October, they've seized 4,483 counterfeit products.

Is it a big deal? Yes, it is, and lets put this into the context of cigarettes, also a huge target for counterfeiters. Fags are bad, mm'kay? But illegal fags are badder. Strictly regulated and controlled, legit brands are at least policed and have to conform to very strict regulations. Fake ones are not, and have been shown to contain far greater concentrations of lead and arsenic, with ineffective filters added on the end, than the ones you'll get down the local Spar. This is even before you even consider the revenue loss to the exchequer. A quicker, cheaper route to lung cancer's not looking so appealing now, is it?

Fake makeup is equally unregulated and while the health issue isn't as serious as it is with illegal cigarettes, the IMB says that the seized beauty products "have been found to contain dangerous compounds such as lead and cadmium."  Now, some stuff you already own probably contains trace elements of these too - but in tiny and proven-to-be-safe concentrations.  In uncontrolled doses, "chronic long-term exposure to cadmium can result in impaired kidney function," the paper reports, adding, "lead can accumulate in the body over time and chronic long-term exposure can impact on the central nervous system."

And what brand is the one most aped? Oh, you guessed it: Mac.

The products you're being offered at knock-down prices just aren't worth it, and in handy bullet point form, here's why:

• The very basic thing here is the products are not what they say they are
• You have no idea what's in there and how it'll react on your skin
• You give up your consumer rights when you buy fake products and you have no recourse in the event of a problem
• Fake products are generally made by not-very-nice-people. Do you want your money to fuel terrorism or organised crime purely so you can have a fake logo slapped on some crap-quality makeup?

Have you been offered or noticed a rise in the amount of fakes around at the moment? Have you ever bought any or were you considering it? Do you even think it's a big deal? Lets get to it in the comments - this is gonna be an interesting debate, I reckon.