Jeffree Star's $2.5 Million Makeup Robbery

courtesy of Youtube

What the hell happened?

Hi! How are ya? In case you’re new to his channel, makeup artist, mogul, and self-described alien, Jeffree Star, recently revealed that 2.5 million dollars worth of makeup was stolen from his Jeffree Star Cosmetics warehouse in California. Now, that’s what we call one hell of a heist!

According to Revelist, this news comes after Star’s unannounced but extremely hyped Magic Star concealer was sold on Facebook Marketplace. Of course, this incident sent the internet into a frenzy, but then again, when is social media not in mass hysteria over something? Although Star claimed to know of the robbery before the leak, the Facebook picture forced him to explain exactly how someone got their hands on his never-before-seen concealer.

So who did it and HOW?

According to Alternative Press, Jeffree Star believes the burglary was an inside job. In fact, Star states that the group of professionals came in through the roof to steal all the cosmetics and stack them into a truck. In his Youtube video about the theft, Star said, “This is the biggest theft I have ever experienced in my entire career,” emphasizing just how badly the brand was hit. A multi-million dollar operation conducted by a bunch of “highly experienced” thieves dropping mission-impossible style from the ceiling? The incident sounds like it came out of a damn movie.

Of course, as anticipated, the items are now being sold on the black market. But luckily for Star, the pictures of the product actually lead law officials to the alleged culprits. Talk about a silver lining.

What’s the big deal?

For starters, not only does this scandal affect Jeffree Star, but it deeply affects his fans and other ethical consumers. It’s no secret that buying counterfeit makeup can be extremely dangerous and harmful to the customer, which probably why Star spent so much time explaining the incident to his fans. In his video, he warned his consumers that if they saw his new Magic Star concealer online, there was a significant chance it was part of the stolen products from the robbery.

Additionally, according to Refinery29, Star stated, "If I’ve never shown or talked about something, you know it’s wrong," in his video. This suggests that the Jeffree Star items on the black market aren’t just stolen goods, but also products with unregulated formulas.

How are counterfeit beauty companies bad?

The counterfeit makeup industry attracts unsuspecting customers with incredibly cheap prices, but the catch is in the quality. What most customers don’t realize when they buy counterfeit products is that they’re buying stolen goods from unauthorized sellers, which means regulation goes completely out the window. Because of this, many of these counterfeit formulas can be harmful or irritating to the skin, sold by bootleg companies like Wish, Fab, Overstock, GearBest, and more, each one encouraging oblivious customers to take advantage of ‘spectacular’ deals. Now not only is this illegal, but it’s also beyond dangerous because of how unsafe unregulated makeup is. After all, everything has a price.

So wait, this makeup is bad for me?

Many unregulated formulas sold on the black market have tested positive for contaminants, including bacteria and human waste. In fact, according to Sheen Magazine, the FBI has reported that its agents have found aluminum, human carcinogens, dangerous levels of bacteria, and even horse urine in the products they’ve seized. Even worse, the report states, “Some of these products have caused conditions like acne, psoriasis, rashes, and eye infections.”

Homeland Security’s Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the investigation, Deborah Parker, believes that stolen or counterfeit products like Star’s “actually [pose] a national health problem.” Moreover, brands like MAC and Anastasia Beverly Hills have conducted their own investigations on counterfeit cosmetics, further revealing deadlier ingredients, including arsenic, mercury, and lead. Do you really want to put any of that crap on your face or eyes? We sure as hell don’t.

Bottom line?

Buy makeup from authorized retailers or directly from the brand itself. Don’t take the chance on counterfeit makeup products, unless you’re willing to potentially compromise your health. Is saving a few dollars on a new concealer really worth that risk? We understand that we’re all poor college students but come on guys. We can definitely do better, and so can the makeup industry.