My beauty fix could end up costing me my health

They say the first step to curing an addiction is admitting you have got a problem so here it is - I’m addicted to buying make-up.
Kate MasonKate Mason
Kate Mason

That’s right I’m mad about mascara, crazy about kohl liners and get overly excited by eye shadows.

I don’t think this makes me a bad person, I mean, is it wrong to have seven different brands of concealer on the go at the same time?

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Fair enough my obsession has cost my bank balance dearly but I never considered my addiction could affect my health.

So imagine my shock when I read the story about the surge in fake make-up products loaded with toxic chemicals flooding into the country.

I blinked my mascara laden lashes several times in shock as I struggled to believe what I was reading.

Counterfeit versions of some of my favourite brands were being cooked up by criminals in dank and dirty underground labs.

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Products purporting to be from Benefit, Urban Decay and my all time favourite MAC have been found with dangerous levels of lead, mercury and even cyanide in them.

I read horror stories about unsuspecting beauty loves like myself who had bought high-end eyeshadows and nearly lost their sight after reacting to the toxic substances contained in the fake goods.

The biggest concern I usually have when applying a new make-up product is looking like a drag queen, not losing my sight.

According to reports over the past 18 months investigators have suspended more than 5,500 websites for selling fake luxury goods.

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And in one shipping container police found more than 4,700 counterfeit versions of MAC products - it’s an epidemic.

I usually pick my make-up purchases in person as I love to try before I buy.

In fact you can often spot me on my lunch break wandering around Boots with multi-coloured marks daubed across my hands after swatching the latest new colours on the market.

Whilst I pick up the majority of beauty products from reputable retailers I do love a bargain and have taken to ordering online in the past if it means saving a few pounds.

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But my faith in bagging a beauty bargain has been totally shaken after finding out these criminals are selling the potentially hazardous products through websites, including eBay and Amazon.

Maybe I’ll be opting for the dewy fresh-faced look in future.

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