There was a NAR's concealer,

alleged NAR's concealer,

that was a 2% match to its real counterpart.

And Rachel, she told me,

this may as well be applesauce.

That was how unlike they were.

Music This may as well be applesauce. That was how unlike they were. I'm Rosie Garron, and you're listening to The Wirecutter Show.

Hey, it's Rosie Garan'm running solo today, and my guest is my colleague here at Wirecutter, senior staff writer Rose Laurie.

Rose spent the last several months trying to answer a question that even I admittedly didn't realize was an issue

as widespread as it actually is, the problem of counterfeit makeup and beauty products being

sold online. You probably know about bootleg products, maybe you've even bought some, but counterfeit

cosmetics can actually pose serious health risks, and unfortunately, it's

becoming harder and harder for regular folks to spot the reel from the fake online.

Rose spent months reporting in what she calls the astonishingly pervasive cesspool of counterfeit

beauty products sold online.

As she writes in her article, quote,

In certain corners of the internet, your chances of buying an item that isn't what you think it is

are unfortunately and shockingly high.

So after the break, Rose is going to walk me through her findings,

and we'll talk about how she set out to answer the question of what's real, what's fake,

and how we as online shoppers can identify the differences and avoid being scammed.

Stick around. We'll be right back. My guest today is Rose Mora Lori. Rose is a senior staff writer here at Wirecutter.

...