WARNING: Leaded and Fake MAC Lipstick

I have a confession to make. Don't tell anybody.. I don't have any MAC lipstick in my beauty stash. Can you believe that? Oh hush. I told you.. don't tell! Haha. Kidding aside, I've been meaning to buy shades like ruby woo and lady danger long ago, but I would always think twice every time I pass by a MAC cosmetic store. I mean, it's not that I can't afford to buy them. I just don't feel like buying since I still have almost a dozen of lipsticks and lip gloss from brands like Avon, Maybelline, Etude House, and Elf. Half of them were given to me as a gift, the rest were from my own (panic) shopping.

About the fake MAC lipstick, someone gave it to me as gift last Christmas. I don't hate the person who gave it me. I know she doesn't have any idea she was buying a fake product. Besides, gifts are gifts no matter how expensive or cheap or fake it is.





Nice color huh. Oppss.. don't be deceived 'cause it's obviously fake.




You can tell from the box alone. The MAC logo doesn't look like that. It is so wrong.




The packaging is really bad. The bottom sticker of the lipstick says MAC 03? Any idea what shade is that really?! And.. lipstick lipstick lipstick lipstick? What the..!




Here is another thing. The manufacturing details on the lipstick tube. I believe authentic MAC lipsticks don't have that. They're always plane black and gray though there are black/red, pink and white ones of flowers or characters like the Archie's Girls and Viva Glam collections.



How to check if a lipstick has lead?




Step 1: Get a clean white bond paper or any plain paper you can find.

Step 2: Using the lipstick like a pen, draw a short line on the white paper.

Step 3: Get a silver or gold jewelry. In my case, I used my wedding ring.

Step 4: Rub the jewelry against the lipstick line.

Step 5: Check the color of the lipstick. If color darkens then lipstick has traces of lead.


---
Okay, now let me share this Q &A from US FDA from their updated article on lipstick and lead.

Has FDA been aware of concerns about lead in lipstick?
Yes, reports about lead in lipstick are not new. In the 1990s, reports of analytical results from a commercial testing laboratory suggested that traces of lead in lipstick might be of concern. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC), in October 2007, reported finding lead in a selection of lipsticks on the market. Because reports about lead in lipstick have surfaced periodically and because of the time that had elapsed since we last examined information on lipsticks in the marketplace, we decided that further follow-up was needed

Is there a safety concern about the lead levels FDA found in lipsticks?
No. We have assessed the potential for harm to consumers from use of lipstick containing lead at the levels found in both rounds of testing. Lipstick, as a product intended for topical use with limited absorption, is ingested only in very small quantities. We do not consider the lead levels we found in the lipsticks to be a safety concern. The lead levels we found are within the limits recommended by other public health authorities for lead in cosmetics, including lipstick.

What are FDA's next steps for lead in lipstick?
Although we do not believe that the lead content found in our recent lipstick analyses poses a safety concern, we are evaluating whether there may be a need to recommend an upper limit for lead in lipstick in order to further protect the health and welfare of consumers.

To read the entire article, go to www.fda.gov.