Want To Save 50%+ On High End Cosmetics?
a) Isn't beauty on eBay fake?
It can be. But if approached smartly, there are great bargains to be had. The key is sourcing less popular brands. Think products not sold or released in the UK yet. High ticket items not flying off the shelves. What's selling in Sephora etc. Such products may not be sold on the high street. They may not be prominent in our department stores or haven't been endorsed by celebs on social media.
b) What beauty brands should I search for on eBay?
You want to do some research. Identify your shade within the product and search for that shade along with the product name. Sort by low-high. Some great places to discover new brands is to search a site like Cult beauty. They sell dozens of brands. Not all are sold on the high street or in department stores. It's a great way to discover RRP and compare prices found on eBay.
c) What beauty brands should I avoid on eBay?
Popular i.e Fenty beauty. Rihanna is super mega-popular. It's worth it to manufacturers to replicate her brand. If there is high demand, you will most certainly find fakes flooding eBay.
Brands saturated on Youtube and social media.. think brands such as Mac and products such as eyeshadows. There'll be endless fake naked palettes, Morphe palettes and so on.
Avoid sellers who sell bulk high-end makeup at a significantly reduced price. What kind of special deal will they have with suppliers that other well-known businesses don't?
If you value the genuine article, you take a chance buying on eBay. Sellers & manufacturers will be deceitful. They may not sell at a reduced rate declaring a likeness but rather aim to dupe customer into believing they are buying an authentic product.
d) How searching for makeup on eBay can actually work
Search for less known, highly rated, high ticket items. This method works especially well for deeper skin types. Fair & light tend to sell much closer to the RRP on eBay. Even if a seller starts at 99p, the product will likely bid right up. But some items will fall under the carpet.
On occasion, there will be sellers who list different shades at different price points. This could be down to supply and demand. Many deeper shapes will be listed from 99p this could be due to fewer expectations of a high sale.
We need to think about our skin type and shade. Search Google for foundations paying particular attention to skin type and condition.
During my test, I came across a brand called Hourglass. The foundation was called Immaculate. It was described as a liquid foundation, mattifying and oil-free. Perfect. I then did a quick check to see how much this foundation would set me back. I eventually found it on Cult beauty at £51 for 30ml.
Is it really mattifying? Will it suit my skin? £51 seemed a bit much but I really want to try it. I continued my research. I looked for bloggers and YouTubers reviewing the product. My goal at this point was to try and identify my shade.
Swatches on product pages often don't give a true likeness. It's much better to see the shade on the skin. Some bloggers will swatch them on their arm. By watching Youtube videos we may get to match our shade to them and get a real idea of how a product may look.
I decided on the shade Sable. I searched for Hourglass Sable in Ebay. A few dozens listing appeared. I came across 1 seller offering the shade. They had it listed with ‘buy it now' for £20. The sellers asking price was less than half the RRP. Many sellers will not list at asking price. They will list auction-style and occasionally from 99p.
The downside to this way of purchasing is deals are usually a one-off. It's not reliable but a great way to discover new products cost-effectively.