Makeup scams to watch out for before you buy your summer looks

Makeup scams to watch out for before you buy your summer looks

Summer travel and events drive a need for makeup looks that are not only seasonal trends, but can actually survive the hot and humid months. Scammers capitalize on this summer rush, knowing that many buyers make hasty decisions and don’t slow down to check whether they’re purchasing authentic beauty brands or products that deliver on their claims.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reports that cosmetics rank among the top eight most counterfeited product categories worldwide, and the industry loses an estimated $5.4 billion a year to fakes, according to the OECD and the Personal Care Products Council. AI-generated endorsements and overhyped marketing claims play an increasingly significant role in this type of fraud. SmartCustomer dug into the research and recent reviews to flag scams and unsupported claims shoppers should watch for this summer.

1. Counterfeit Cosmetics and Black Market Sellers

Counterfeit cosmetics and black market sellers target platforms built to take advantage of impulse buys. More than three-quarters (81%) of TikTok Shop US sales fall into beauty and health categories. One investigation found that around two-thirds of cosmetics bought from sellers on major online marketplaces were likely counterfeit, including products marketed under popular and trusted brand names. One SmartCustomer reviewer shared that they only found out after their purchase that a $60 product was fake. When they sent photos of the knock-off product to the original manufacturer, the company confirmed the product wasn’t theirs, which led to an investigation into the matter.

Even if a consumer sees a familiar retailer name on a website, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee that retailer manufactured or personally verified the products. Some major marketplaces host third-party sellers who handle their own inventory and fulfillment, a structure that has fueled years of litigation over who’s actually accountable when something goes wrong. For example, one SmartCustomer reviewer shared an issue that arose from this organizational structure. The reviewer ordered a product from a third-party seller on a website and even though the product never arrived, the hosting website still marked it as delivered.

Counterfeit listings have two major red flags. The first significant red flag is price. A listing that is significantly cheaper than a brand’s official retail channels is suspect. Packaging is another significant red flag: Common tip-offs are blurry logos or missing batch codes.

To protect yourself from this type of fraud:

• Buy directly from the brand’s own site.
• Confirm the retailer or third-party seller is an authorized partner of the original company.

2. AI-Generated “Miracle” Endorsements

A 2025study by McAfee found that nearly 3 in 4 Americans (72%) have seen a fake celebrity or influencer endorsement online, and fewer than a third (29%) feel confident telling a real one from a fake. Beauty and skincare have become a preferred target. NordVPN cybersecurity researchers reported a surge in AI-generated endorsement videos for skincare and cosmetics circulating on TikTok and Instagram, some convincing enough to slip past the platforms’ own AI-content labels.

Some of these accounts create an entirely fictional identity or backstory to help promote and sell products. Scammers also use deepfake videos of real people. For example, in 2025, a cybercrime ring used deepfake video of a supermodel to push fake skincare giveaways, tricking victims into paying shipping fees for products that never arrived. Another drawback of this scam is that the AI versions of people’s likenesses, which are unblemished and near perfect, reinforce the beauty industry’s unattainable and unrealistic standards.

To protect yourself from this type of fraud:

• View any endorsement that promises dramatic results or pressures an immediate purchase with skepticism until you’ve done your own research.
• Confirm the product through the brand’s own official channels before buying.

3. Overhyped Sun and Shade Claims

Not every summer beauty product trap is necessarily counterfeit. Some sellers promise more for their products than they can deliver. For example, sunscreens and tinted moisturizers marketed as a “universal" shade” or “zero white cast” have drawn repeated pushback for falling short of claims when used on darker skin tones. For example, one organization pulled its “no white cast” and "universal tint" claims this year after users reported a visible cast. The company’s founder acknowledged the brand had “missed the mark” despite its own testing. Despite these claims, brands are not currently required to test these claims across a full range of skin tones before making them.

Shade range isn't the only complaint. Some brands market beauty products as sweat- or water-resistant, only for users to find it melts off or won't blend into skin at all in the heat.

Still other brands might also lead consumers to mistakenly believe that makeup with SPF is a substitute for sunscreen. In fact, cosmetic products with SPF should not replace sunscreen. According to dermatologist Anna Chien at Johns Hopkins Medicine, people rarely apply enough product to achieve the labeled SPF.

To protect yourself from unsupported claims:

• Check reviews for repeated complaints about a product melting, separating, or not blending.
• Apply a dedicated sunscreen first, with SPF makeup layered on top. Don’t use makeup as your only protection.

Before You Buy

Each of these scams and false claims count on consumers making hasty decisions without taking the time to confirm whether sellers are legitimate. Before buying from an unfamiliar seller or clicking on an ad, following the advice above and taking a quick look at verified buyer reviews on a brand's official retail channels is well worth the additional time.

This story was produced by SmartCustomer and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.