I recently fell in love with The Balm's products especially their liquid lipstick, Meet Matte Hughes. Quick review, it's one of the best liquid lipsticks out there. I love liquid lipsticks that have mousse-y texture and doesn't suck the moisture out of my lips. Although it doesn't last as long as some liquid lipsticks I own, it's very comfortable on the lips. The only problem I have is that a lot of online shops sell fake products and claim it as original products. Me being reckless, I fell in the trap and got myself a fake lipstick. This writing is meant to show the difference between the fake and the real Meet Matte Hughes, and to share some tips based on personal experience on how to avoid getting fake products.
During the holiday I purchased The Balm Committed in an online shop on Instagram (IG: cathydolla now seoulshopping - this online shop changed their name 3 times since I purchased the fake lipstick ). I've been eyeing on Committed and Adoring and decided to purchase one just in case the online shop is not trusted. I purchased the lipstick around IDR 15-20k (about 1.5 USD) cheaper than usual. The Balm released some new shades and the online shop was having "sale" for the older shades. Even before the lipstick arrived I had problem with shipping time. I bought makeup from two other online shops - shipped on Monday and arrived on Tuesday. With the same courier service, this package arrived on Friday. I don't think it's delivered on the same day as promised. And ooh I just checked and found two people commenting, having problems with the online shop.
The package finally came and I had a bad feeling. Here are some of the differences between the fake one and the real one. If you already own an original The Balm Meet Matt(e) Hughes then you'd be able to spot the counterfeit. However, if you haven't own any it might be hard to distinguish because the packaging is pretty much the same. Additional note to the pictures below, real product is always on the left side.
1. The box: I cut through the paper wrap, held the the lipstick box and instantly felt that something was wrong. The surface felt rough and the picture of Matt and his date looks blurry. Applause to other aspects, though. All the fonts used are identical. Looking from the front, there's not much different except Matt is looking a little fa...chubbier on the fake product if you zoom in. I think the real difference is at the back where there's a TV surrounding the barcode and TheBalm logo present in the authentic product.
2. The tube: Again, all the fonts used are identical and the picture of Matt and his date is blurry. The most visible difference would be the writings in the original one is written in bold white colour, whereas the fake one is a lot less visible.
3. The applicator: when I opened the fake product I can feel that it doesn't open smoothly (bahasa Indonesia nya pas diputer terasa seret). The real lipstick has shorter wand and bigger applicator while the fake lipstick has longer wand and smaller applicator. It may be hard to see if you haven't got the original to compare. It's very hard to find a con of this lipstick, but I've heard people saying that the product would leak out of the packaging. As you can see below the real lipstick wand is very messy, covered in lipstick. Meanwhile, the fake one is very clean (no, I did not wipe the lipstick off the wand).
4. The scent: The Balm Meet Matt(e) Hughes is famous for its chocolate mint scent. The bogus one has a super sweet smell that makes me feel nauseous. I think this would be the easiest way to determine whether the lipstick is real or not.
My advice to those who wants to purchase this lipstick is make sure you buy it from a trusted online shop. The price ranges from 185k-235k. If you happen to stumble upon The Balm Meet Matte Hughes that only costs 150k, it's fake. Even when the seller says it's on sale or it's real, don't believe it. It's better to spend more money on authentic product rather than purchase something that's 50k cheaper but fake. Don't even dare to use fake lipstick. There might be harmful chemicals and it can get inside your body through your mouth when you eat or drink.
During the holiday I purchased The Balm Committed in an online shop on Instagram (IG: cathydolla now seoulshopping - this online shop changed their name 3 times since I purchased the fake lipstick ). I've been eyeing on Committed and Adoring and decided to purchase one just in case the online shop is not trusted. I purchased the lipstick around IDR 15-20k (about 1.5 USD) cheaper than usual. The Balm released some new shades and the online shop was having "sale" for the older shades. Even before the lipstick arrived I had problem with shipping time. I bought makeup from two other online shops - shipped on Monday and arrived on Tuesday. With the same courier service, this package arrived on Friday. I don't think it's delivered on the same day as promised. And ooh I just checked and found two people commenting, having problems with the online shop.
The package finally came and I had a bad feeling. Here are some of the differences between the fake one and the real one. If you already own an original The Balm Meet Matt(e) Hughes then you'd be able to spot the counterfeit. However, if you haven't own any it might be hard to distinguish because the packaging is pretty much the same. Additional note to the pictures below, real product is always on the left side.
1. The box: I cut through the paper wrap, held the the lipstick box and instantly felt that something was wrong. The surface felt rough and the picture of Matt and his date looks blurry. Applause to other aspects, though. All the fonts used are identical. Looking from the front, there's not much different except Matt is looking a little fa...chubbier on the fake product if you zoom in. I think the real difference is at the back where there's a TV surrounding the barcode and TheBalm logo present in the authentic product.
2. The tube: Again, all the fonts used are identical and the picture of Matt and his date is blurry. The most visible difference would be the writings in the original one is written in bold white colour, whereas the fake one is a lot less visible.
3. The applicator: when I opened the fake product I can feel that it doesn't open smoothly (bahasa Indonesia nya pas diputer terasa seret). The real lipstick has shorter wand and bigger applicator while the fake lipstick has longer wand and smaller applicator. It may be hard to see if you haven't got the original to compare. It's very hard to find a con of this lipstick, but I've heard people saying that the product would leak out of the packaging. As you can see below the real lipstick wand is very messy, covered in lipstick. Meanwhile, the fake one is very clean (no, I did not wipe the lipstick off the wand).
4. The scent: The Balm Meet Matt(e) Hughes is famous for its chocolate mint scent. The bogus one has a super sweet smell that makes me feel nauseous. I think this would be the easiest way to determine whether the lipstick is real or not.
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| Top: Real - Sincere, Bottom: Fake - Committed |
Comments
i wanna buy Meet Matt(e) and i've searched many online shop on IG, but I am still doubtful about the authentics. And I found your article, yeay!! could you give me your recommendation where i've to buy the authentic ones,please?
Thankyouu