Today I’m sharing my tips for buying beauty products on Amazon so you can ensure you’re buying an authentic product every time!
It’s officially Amazon’s world and we’re just living in it. 😜 Not a bad thing when it comes to convenience. It still baffles me that you can buy almost any item and have it to your door in 48 hours – sometimes 24 hours. What a world! As most of you know, I live in Boston and it’s nice to be able to buy things like paper towels, toilet paper, and even my Nespresso pods on Amazon without having to make multiple trips lug bulky items down the street.
That being said – for me, Amazon is not a one-stop shop for everything I need in my life. Today I wanted to touch on something I haven’t seen talked about and that is the purchase of beauty products on Amazon. For many beauty brands, Amazon is not an authorized retailer. What does that mean? It means that many of the beauty products you’re buying on Amazon could be counterfeit. I have always felt that your skin is not something to screw around with which is why I avoid buying most skincare products on Amazon. Continue reading to see my tips for buying beauty products on Amazon!
Above all, when buying beauty products on Amazon, it’s good to use your best judgment. For me, if an item is even close to being considered a splurge, I avoid purchasing on Amazon. An example of something I would buy on Amazon is this – it’s at a low price point and the reviews check out (and there are 11K of them). There are some negative reviews, but again, that’s almost every product, so use your best judgment.
Tips For Buying Beauty Products on Amazon
Here are a couple general “rules” I follow when purchasing beauty products from Amazon! Obviously there are always exceptions to the rule, but keeping these items in mind will ensure you’re buying authentic beauty products on Amazon.
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1. Check the brand’s website to see authorized retailers
A simple search of the brand’s website to see if Amazon is an authorized retailer is a good first step.You can usually find this at the bottom of the web page in the small font near where would normally find the “contact” button. I will let you know that in most cases, Amazon is NOT an authorized retailer of high end skincare products that you’d buy at places like Sephora or bluemercury.
2. Read your reviews
This is another important one. I always read reviews before I buy a product, but especially on Amazon. Obviously there will almost always be negative reviews of a product because beauty products react differently on each person. If there are a handful of reviews questioning the authenticity of the product, it’s best to avoid purchasing and instead, purchase at an authorized retailer.
3. Check who the item is sold by
This can be another dead giveaway for an item being counterfeit. If the “sold by” name is an obscure name you’ve never heard of and not the brand you’re buying from, this can be a clue that an item may not be 100% authentic. Use your best judgment here. If there’s any question of the authenticity of the product, I would avoid.
4. Narrow your search
When searching for products, you can edit the search results to show only selections that are sold by the brand, only 4 star reviews, etc. I do this to narrow down products quickly when shopping online.
5. Use Your Best Judgment
There are some items I’m just not willing to chance. In these scenarios, it’s beauty items that are a splurge for me – like SkinCeuticals. I own a few items from their line (here and here). They are definitely splurge items and Amazon is not an authorized retailer. I don’t even bother buying their products on Amazon and instead, purchase them from an authorized retailer like SkinStore.
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