As of this writing, there is still no Victoria’s Secret boutique shop in the Philippines. Although you may chance upon a few items being sold in PCX, most Pinoys still get their Victoria’s Secret merchandise through trips abroad or balikbayan boxes sent from abroad. These are then sold in bazaars and online classified ads.

Recently, I noticed Victoria’s Secret lotions and body mists being sold dirt cheap at street corners. Some online sellers also sell cheap Victoria’s Secret merchandise saying they are Singapore-authentic. Well, here’s some news, I’m sorry to burst your bubble but if you think you got your “VS” for a steal, you probably got a fake.

 

In many cases, the price itself should give away the authenticity of the product. However, some tricky sellers may tag their fake items with the same value as the original ones. Here are some ways to check if your Victoria’s Secret is original or fake:

HYDRATING BODY LOTION:

• Fake ones have cheap glossy sticker labels. Original ones have matte stickers with only the flower design shiny. The gold color is also too shiny in the fake ones because of the glossy sticker.

• Notice the sticker label is misaligned on the fake one. This poor workmanship is also reflected on the small 12M tub above the bar code – It looks distorted!

• The small price tag beside the bar code can easily be removed in original ones thanks to the dotted line. This is not the case in cheap imitations.
• Original ones have a printed control number and sometimes an additional sticker price tag on the bottom of the bottle.

REFRESHING BODY MIST

• Original Victoria’s Secret spray pumps are glittery. Fake ones try to imitate this but you’ll notice that it’s not as shimmery as the original one.

• The type of plastic used on the cap is clear on the original one while it is translucent on the fake one. If you’ve never owned an authentic one, you’d probably miss these small details on the sprayer and cap.

• The sticker label must be neatly spread on the bottle. This fake one have fibers or hair stuck inside the sticker. Ew.

• The typeface must be crisp and there should be no misspelled words (I didn’t find misspelled words in my samples).

• Just the same, original VS body mists must have a printed control number and sometimes a sticker price tag on the bottom of the bottle.

• Lastly, check out the difference when you take out the spray pump.

These are merely external differences discernible by eye. The content inside is also another thing that sets the fakes apart – they smell awful! Buying Victoria’s Secret products is very popular that’s why it is such a hot item to imitate. Be sure you scrutinize the seller’s products before buying them so you won’t end up wasting your hard earned money on fake goods.