Hi, loves!
If you’ve been following my blog posts, you would’ve read a post on my experience with Swiitch and a post on the ingredients analysis of the Holy Grail Flash Case. If you haven’t had a read of the latter, click here!
After each blog post, SwiitchBeauty was kind enough to contact me of their own free will and this prompted a sort of a Q & A session…
After my first post, the owner of SwiitchBeauty (Rabia Ghoor) sent me a direct message on Instagram via Swiitch Beauty’s page and apologized for all the trials and tribulations that I faced when I ordered from them the first time. They were also super sweet and sent me a free gift!
After the second post, the one regarding the Holy Grail Flash Case, SwiitchBeauty contacted me again. They said that the Holy Grail Flash Case is NOT a replica for the Make Up For Ever flash case and has been made using the exact ingredients and percentages from the MUFE flash case. They then further said that if I had any further questions, I should feel free to ask.
So I did…
The Makeup Maverick: Hi,Rabia. I do have a few questions. Thank you for offering to answer.
Firstly, how did you guys get the exact percentages of the formula because Make Up For Ever will not sell their formula. The only time two companies may perhaps have the same formula is probably due to private labelling. If Swiitch claims to manufacture everything themselves so how do get the same formula without private labeling?* MUFE does not private label.
Secondly, would you mind sharing where the palette was manufactured?
Thirdly, why the ingredients were only listed after the flash case was put on sale and can you kindly tell me why ingredients are not listed on the flash case or why was a packaging on which ingredients can be listed not produced?
SwiitchBeauty: Hi, lovey. More than happy to! The flash cases & manufactured, packaged & printed in Korea. I had an original MUFE palette sent to a lab I work alongside & they managed to produce an dupe. This was then further tested & sent in back and forth between myself and the lab until I was happy with the consistency and performance of the product. I am passionate about the kind of products I put into the market and will NEVER sell a product that I do not 100% believe in.
TMM: When will you show us pictures of the factory? We’d love to see how everything is made and where it is made!
SB: It has been a while since ( I myself ) have visited the factory that produces for SwiitchBeauty. We do not own a factory but work alongside existing factories. The next time I visit, I am going to make a point of documenting how products are produced etc so that I can upload and educational video to the site. I would love for Swiitch babes to see where & how SwiitchBeauty products are produced, so they can feel like an insider! Educating my customers on the kind of products they’re spending their money on has got to be on my priority list. There is a lot of work that goes into formulation & quality control. People need to feel a part of it all.
SB: As you know, Aliexpress & Wish are both Chinese websites. The products are purchased locally sold by traders who usually have little to no knowledge of what goes into the product & wether or not it is safe for use. Cosmetic products in China, by law MUST be tested on animals. Aliexpress is very vague in offering ingredient listings. SwiitchBeauty now offers detailed ingredient listings on all its cosmetic formulations.
Share your thoughts in the comment section below! I would LOVE to know what you as a consumer think!
*MUFE is an acronym for Make Up For Ever
**Please note: I have been given permission by SwiitchBeauty to use the information disclosed to me. Refer to screenshots below.
Just Kamini 
I am abit confused about the Holy grail flash case. She did not clearly answer how she got their formula and used exactly the same ingredients.
If MUFE does not do private labelling how was this possible?
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Using the same ingredients has to be infringing a copyright or patent of some sort, hey? I don’t actually know how they fit their formula, but I definitely want ingredients listed on the product or its packaging! Still on the fence as to whether I will make a future purchase. As always, thank you for your support!! 💕💕😘😘😘
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When it comes to reproduction of makeup products it is simple to by pass patents. A brand specifically patents for the product design and ingredients. However if you send that to a lab for analysis, they are able to tell you the exact ingredients and the ratios/etc. So reproducing is simple, however often subtitutions are made which alter both cost and sometimes quality. SwiitchBeauty has in the past been a bit dodgy with listing their product ingredients, but I can assure you that I’ve taken some of the non brown girl friendly shades in the palette and analysed them myself to check dodginess (being a little apprehensive myself), but it all checked out.
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Hi! Thanks for commenting! Its great that you took the initiative to find out what’s in the products so many of us in SA go gaga over. 🙂 However, I do wish that Swiitch Beauty was more transparent about these issues. Surely, reproducing would be infringement over a copyright of some sorts?
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Correct me if I’m wrong if the lab/company where it’s been made is FDA approved are not all cosmetic ingredients and labeling required under the fair packaging and labeling act? And will be deemed misbranded because ingredients are not listed and place of manufacture etc, I’m very wary of this and even as a teenager I was aware that anything! Used by a consumer they are entitled or have right to know exactly what is in it, and I’m one of those people who always checks and reads ingredients.
But anyhow that’s my thoughts. Rather be safe than sorry in any regard
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Hi, Hun! I completely agree with you! Ingredients not being listed on the packaging or the product is misbranding, as you said. I wish more consumers thought like you! As I’ve said at the end of the post, once I see images of the factory, I will consider purchasing. The aim of this post was just to get information out to consumers! A lot of people have questions about Swiitch so I decided to just put it all in this post instead of giving my opinion. Thank you for reading my blog posts! You are a sweetheart! 💕💕
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She’s basically said her flash case is a replica. Dupes, ie duplicates, are not exact copies using the exact same ingredients and recipes. People also need to stop using the word replica as a synonym for counterfeit. Counterfeiting companies replicate products using the same ingredients and recipes, including the branding of the product. Private labelling companies replicate in the same manner, except branding. They will brand using the branding supplied by the person or company purchasing from there. Whether or not they are using identical formulae depends of the licensing agreement they have with the original brand. Often the agreement is limited to a particular period after which the PLM may replicate the formula for sale to others, much like what happens with generic medication. PLMs can also be FDA approved and they are not limited to China. There are PLMs in Japan and Korea as well. Replica/generic products are not necessarily bad. It depends on the individual factories. The problem comes in when people who sell them do not disclose that they are PLM products and they don’t disclose the PLM that they are using. Counterfeiting a brand Is another story entirely. It is illegal and as such should not be supported in any way.
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Hi, Sam! Thanks for reading the post! ❤ I agree with everything you’ve just said. I’ve never seen a more thorough explanation! Wow! Thank you for teaching me something! 😆😆 I would just like to say this post a platform to put the answers to many questions people had pertaining Swiitch. I did not give an opinion in this post because I prefer the consumer to make a decision in a situation like this. I wish every Beauty-lover thought like you! 🙂
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1. When asked previously why her stuff looks like wish/Ali/Ebay products, she said the packaging comes from China, would that not mean the printing was done in China?
2. Slays was said to have been hand pressed, I haven’t heard any factory do that but I might be wrong.
3. Rabia says she bought a MUFE palette and had it sent back and forth to a lab to be copied to get the EXACT formula and percentages (which is impossible).
So she is basically saying she had another companies product deliberately dissected/replicated/ripped?…is that ethical or even legal (copyright/intellectual property/goodwill?), seeing as the formula belongs to MUFE and can only be obtained when purchased from them and that is only if they private label (which swiitch claims not to do)?
4. It is the duty of a seller to research the field they specializing in and know the applicable laws, saying you didn’t know about labeling ingredients is not acceptable
5. Ingredients list: was asked by customers for the ingredients list – so she was partly aware- and long after numerous requests uploaded it to her site, ingredients must be listed on product/packaging even the net weight. Color cosmetics must be properly labeled BEFORE SALE – (is her palettes transparent/colourless?) Swiitch is just as vague with ingredients list as aliexpress/wish, heck her slays palette has no shade/pigment colours listed.
6. Private Labeling: MUFE and flash case ingredients is listed exactly the same on her site (copy and paste?), the only time I have seen this is when companies private label (which she says she does not do). Its weird that she admits to going out of her way to exactly replicate MUFE’s formula (even going as far as sending it back and forth to a lab) which is not legal but refuses to admit to private labeling which is legal
7. Admits hasn’t been at the ‘Korean’ factory personally in a while so how is she overseeing the production what quality control measure is she taking? When she shows the facilities can she pls actually show herself in the facilities?
8. Does not tolerate 3rd party reselling, when I buy a product its mine if I want to resell it in a personal capacity I can, haven’t seen anyone replicate her branding like they do with big international brands
9.FDA does not ‘approve’ facilities/manufacturers, they do INSPECT product manufacturers to verify that they comply with good manufacturing practices in the USA, foreign companies must submit authentic/reputable documents. There is no such thing as ‘FDA Approved’
10. You can pay Aliexpress/Wish/Dhgate to screen print your brand name on a product when you buy wholesale. People have received unbranded product at pop-ups, excuse was there wa no time to have it printed well if you have the product made and printed at the same place how could there not have been time?
11. Never answered why their new releases ALWAYS appears after goods appear for sale on these Chinese sites. Btw wand brushes was available in SA before she had it
12. Cosmetics made in China DOES NOT need to be tested on animals, its only when its made in another country and wants to sell in China that it must be tested. So saying that China manufactured products are not cruelty free is wrong.
13. Cruelty free? Why isn’t she leaping bunny/cruelty free kitties/even Peta approved? Where’s the badge?
14. Valued customers? There has been numerous complaints about late delivery and also queries going unanswered only when people complain on social media does she respond (comments get removed). Nice touch that she actually sent gifts to SOME of her customers that were messed around and ignored. People had to give out extra expense to collect undelivered product at pop ups, is their courier fees being refunded?
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Hi, Akeela! Thank you so much for your comment! It has really REALLY made me question a lot of things and I’ve definitely learnt a lot 🙂 I do agree with everything you’ve mentioned but I am not in a position to answer any of your questions. I have contact Swiitch Beauty and asked them to kindly respond to all the comments, because after all they are directed to them. I cannot thank you enough for reading my post and supporting me! Xxx ❤
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This is all so complicated. I can’t imagine that she’d put herself in a position to be in trouble with stealing a formula. THough I don’t know about cosmetic laws and what is acceptable and what isn’t.
I was very close to purchasing from Swiitch, but not so sure anymore. Thanks for all the information.
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Hi, love! Surely MUFE has their own flash case under a patent or copyright of some sorts. It does make you question whether is a copyright infringement or anything of a similar nature. I have contacted Swiitch Beauty and asked them to please respond to all the comments! Thank you for reading my post and for all the support, babe! Xxx ❤❤
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Thank you Kamini for asking all the questions that so many have wondered about. Swiitch’s responses has just opened more unanswered questions hopefully she replies to customers concerns
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I hope so too, Shamiela! As always, thank you for reading xxx 💕💕
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Awesome blog post Kamini. Still unsure as to why Switchbeauty could not answer you directly regarding their new products being released the same time they are released on Wish/Aliexpress – the products look exactly the same.
Also, how can we prove that they aren’t just printing random ingredients onto their packaging even though their products may contain/be made from something else?
Keep up the great work 💕
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Thanks for the comment, Amber! I share your suspicions and I hope that Swiitch Beauty will comment on all the statements made in the comment section. Thank you for all your support! Love and light, The Makeup Maverick xx ❤❤❤
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I’ve always wanted to try the makeup palettes from Swiitch, and haven’t purchased as I’ve been a little concerned. I had the Slays For Days palette used on my for my wedding makeup trial and the big day, and wowzers was I happy with it! Not only did it not irritate my sensitive eyes, but it also stayed put and looked beautiful and vibrant the whole day. Super impressed and now keen to buy one for myself!
https://sugarandspicelifestyleblog.wordpress.com/
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I’m all for supporting local brands and I’m so glad that you didn’t get a reaction from the palette’s use. The only thing holding me back from supporting them is the fact that ingredients are not disclosed on the product itself or on the packaging. It’s just super shady. But to each, his own. Please do a review when you purchase one. Would love to hear your thoughts! Xxx
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Amazing post! I like Swiitch and their products but im so hesitant to buy from them because they’re shady about where their products actually come from. Where is this magical factory Rabia visits every now and then to ‘formulate’ new products? i think it’s a load of bull and she actually mass buys them from Ali or Ebay then re-brands and packages in South Africa. my 2 cents anyway. i still use their products and love the slays for days but i will no longer support their company. i simply think they’re too shady! also their shipping sucks it takes 2-3 weeks on average. i’ve had friends who have had their packages gone missing with no response from Swiitch or Rabia. imagine paying money and receiving nothing. THEIR SERVICE SUCKS. i myself, have won 5 animal masks in an insta competition held back in 2015 or 2016 and since then i never received it. they told me they’re waiting for their producer to send it to them – they then apparently restocked these masks. i was devastated. i worked along Rabia at her pop up in cape town and she was quite sweet. i received many goodies for free as payment for helping at the popup (brushes, Swiitch branded masks and a flash case) i bought the slays for days during a sale recently, i received no tracking number and received my package after 3 long weeks. i was quite frustrated. i like the shadows and the pigmentation a lot. however i just cannot and do not trust their brand anymore. i am replying so late lol but yeah,
Nuhaa Fuentes
Promter – Makeup Addict – Singer
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Thank you for being so honest. I’m sorry you had such a terrible experience! xx
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