Bootleg hair products at Beauty Supply Stores!

[SoforReal]

I did an internship in Atlanta a few years ago and there was this Chinese owned BSS I use to frequent. Whenever I bought my usual name brand products from them and applied it to my hair I noticed the chemicals would react a little differently than normal. Later I found out that in the back of this BSS they mixed up their own batch of chemicals and other products and put them back into their original Name brand containers. My cousins found this out when they accidently left the backdoor open to their "kitchen". Have any of you ladies experienced this?

 

[*Michelle*]

Funny you should post this. Today I was in one looking for chinese hair sticks...well I happened upon some Colourshines and asked the lady if it was authentic. Her jaw dropped to the floor, but another lady came out of the salon (which I didn't know they had) and said "Yes, it is, it was not that popular and we just wanted to get rid of it"...

Thats the first time I've heard of the "kitchen" right in the back though, but I'm not surprised.

 

[creolebeauty]

I can believe it. People do some outrageous stuff. I bought some Elasta QP conditioner from a Korean beauty Supply, and it was very watery. Nothing like I remembered. I few weeks later I bought the same product from Sally's, and it was thick and creamy like it was suppose to be. I will be very careful when buying from them.

Of topic but similar - I found out my ex hairstylist would buy a big container of a really good conditioner and shampoo, and when it ran out, he would fill the brand name containers with cheap dollar store stuff. Every week I would pay an extra $10 for a Mizani deep conditioner and I never got it. He was putting some crappy instant conditioner on my hair and putting my under the dryer. He had me fooled big time. According to my mother in law, who is an ex stylist, this happens often.

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

Why am I not surprised one bit erplexed

 

[MizAvalon]

I've never heard of the homemade kitchen in the back but I have heard of the bootleg products.

That's why it's recommended that you only buy salon products from salons because lots of times they are either completely counterfeit or at the very least heavily diluted.

 

[**WonderWoman**]

Hmmm....I wonder...:scratchch

I was in the BSS this evening looking for Mizani Fufyl. When I saw that Fufyl wasn't among the Mizani line, I asked the guy behind the counter. Ol' buddy whips out a catalogue, flips through it, points to the picture of Fufyl, and says "This one?" When I said "yeah", he walked over to his 'partner' spoke in Chinese and came back to me saying "Come tomorrow. We get new shipment."

New shipment, huh?:scratchch I'm definitely having doubts after reading this thread. Him whipping out that catalogue reminded me of China-town & Gucci's...not that I know anything 'bout that

 

[rosalindb]

This is very common. I checked out the Wild Growth Hair oil site and there is a warning on there about the Asian BSS near where I live selling fake WGHO. I had bought it from them previously and it left build up on my scalp, that was so difficult to remove as it was like chewing gum. I never bought it again but after reading that on the website I wonder if it was the genuine article.

Alot of the Asian stores here are rumoured to do it, apparently they sell everything from fake hair products to fake Palmers cocoa butter (they always seemed to have that on special offer when I used to frequent that store)

I only use natural products so will hopefully avoid this trap altogether

 

[Nefertiti0906]

Yes I've heard of this, even some products I've bought have been suspect. Now I stick to Aveda

 

[PapillionRouge]

Yes! This has been going on for a while with people...
If u know ur staple products well, always do the SMELL test first.
Ive come across some fake Biolage, even in a reputable supermarket in my area.
Smell test NEVER lies.

The dominicans I go to also do the refilling trick... thats why I do my own deep conditions at home now.

 

[seymone]

oh my goodness, say it aint so...

 

[Magus484]

This is very common. I checked out the Wild Growth Hair oil site and there is a warning on there about the Asian BSS near where I live selling fake WGHO. I had bought it from them previously and it left build up on my scalp, that was so difficult to remove as it was like chewing gum. I never bought it again but after reading that on the website I wonder if it was the genuine article.

Alot of the Asian stores here are rumoured to do it, apparently they sell everything from fake hair products to fake Palmers cocoa butter (they always seemed to have that on special offer when I used to frequent that store)

I only use natural products so will hopefully avoid this trap altogether

Yeah, I purchased fake wgho form a korean bss. I noticed it was fake after I got home because the seal was broken and it didnt' have the awful smell that ladies here talked about. I paid $10 for garbage. Never again.

 

[Guyaneek]

I'm not surprised either. The things people do for a buck

 

[chellero]

I've stopped buying things from those kinds of beauty supply stores. A friend of mine bought a relaxer kit that did not have real neutralizing shampoo in the box. The shampoo didn't smell like it usually did. If she hadn't had her own bottle at home then she might have lost a lot of hair.

 

[YoungWavey]

I can believe it. People do some outrageous stuff. I bought some Elasta QP conditioner from a Korean beauty Supply, and it was very watery. Nothing like I remembered. I few weeks later I bought the same product from Sally's, and it was thick and creamy like it was suppose to be. I will be very careful when buying from them.

Of topic but similar - I found out my ex hairstylist would buy a big container of a really good conditioner and shampoo, and when it ran out, he would fill the brand name containers with cheap dollar store stuff. Every week I would pay an extra $10 for a Mizani deep conditioner and I never got it. He was putting some crappy instant conditioner on my hair and putting my under the dryer. He had me fooled big time. According to my mother in law, who is an ex stylist, this happens often.

Wow, i can really relate to this....
You know my old stylists used to play this trick...I always wonder why she would wash my hair with Nexxus Conditioner bottle but it never smell like nexxus. Then she would charge me $10 for Nexxus emergency but it had a creamy feeling which later turned out to be Toquez emergency(hope i spell that right) that only cost less than $10...then i started going to the other stylist house(she left) and she informed my that all the bottles of nexxus she got laying around aren't nexxus. Then she said OH YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL SHE SOMETIMES SWITCHES relaxers...ONCE A CUSTOMER HAIR CAME OUT B/C OF THAT THE LADY WAS SOO UPSET...SHE HAD BURNS ON HER SCALP AND HER HAIR WAS SHEDDING LIKE CRAZY...
Then i had a stylists that washed my hair with shampoo but i soo remember the smell i dad used to use it when he cleaned the floors it had a candy-ish smell to it..Well long story short that was my shampoo that dayerplexed....then i started to buy all my own products after that...

 

[Tamrin]

Now I see why I buy at the aveda place and when I used to go to a stylist on the regular I bought my own stuff. Now Im thinking of that running curdled ORS carrot oil I bought and I tossed in the trash cause it did not look right. hmmm

 

[nikkablue]

This is actually very common, I watched a video on Youtube about asian owned BSS's. You should check out www.bobsa.org They were the ones who produced the video on youtube. You wouldn't believe the shady s*** that these bss's pull. It was definately a real eye opener for me.

 

[DreamLife]

I really thought I got some fake Surge one time. I bought it once from Walgreen's and then I bought it from the asian BSS and it smelled and felt like spritz. Well I'm glad I saw this before I go on my spree next week and go buy all fake products!

 

[tkj25]

wow! i am truly amazed, but i shouldn't be surprised -- this explains a lot ... i went to this one store and the products literally had dust on them. i remember thinking do they never restock. i even opened up one and it had mold inside. needless to say i've never been back. but making fake products & selling them as real is too underhanded. no more corner beauty store for me. i'll stick to sally's, target (for my cheapies), whole foods, online, or make it my dang self.

 

[EMJazzy]

I'm not surprised.

 

[schipperchow1]

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised. Even though I have been tempted to purchase "salon" products, I just take the extra trip & go to a salon to purchase my "expensive" products. I don't mind paying more for quality, would be highly upset if I paid a lot for some unknown concoction

 

[BrooklynSouth]

OK...now that we suspect foul play, what do we do/which official department should we notify should a BSS be selling BS?
PS..Dept of Consumer Affairs sounds about right, come to think of it.

 

[SoforReal]

I can believe it. People do some outrageous stuff. I bought some Elasta QP conditioner from a Korean beauty Supply, and it was very watery. Nothing like I remembered. I few weeks later I bought the same product from Sally's, and it was thick and creamy like it was suppose to be. I will be very careful when buying from them.

Of topic but similar - I found out my ex hairstylist would buy a big container of a really good conditioner and shampoo, and when it ran out, he would fill the brand name containers with cheap dollar store stuff. Every week I would pay an extra $10 for a Mizani deep conditioner and I never got it. He was putting some crappy instant conditioner on my hair and putting my under the dryer. He had me fooled big time. According to my mother in law, who is an ex stylist, this happens often.

Wow that's crazy! I use to go to this Dominican Salon in Long Island and I would pay an extra $10 for a Mizani Relaxer. They would always mix it up in the back room and bring it out in a bowl, so till this day I still don't know if that was Mizani or not. erplexed

 

[SoforReal]

Wow, i can really relate to this....
You know my old stylists used to play this trick...I always wonder why she would wash my hair with Nexxus Conditioner bottle but it never smell like nexxus. Then she would charge me $10 for Nexxus emergency but it had a creamy feeling which later turned out to be Toquez emergency(hope i spell that right) that only cost less than $10...then i started going to the other stylist house(she left) and she informed my that all the bottles of nexxus she got laying around aren't nexxus. Then she said OH YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL SHE SOMETIMES SWITCHES relaxers...ONCE A CUSTOMER HAIR CAME OUT B/C OF THAT THE LADY WAS SOO UPSET...SHE HAD BURNS ON HER SCALP AND HER HAIR WAS SHEDDING LIKE CRAZY...
Then i had a stylists that washed my hair with shampoo but i soo remember the smell i dad used to use it when he cleaned the floors it had a candy-ish smell to it..Well long story short that was my shampoo that dayerplexed....then i started to buy all my own products after that...

Whoa that's scary! I had this happen once at this black salon I use to go to in Florida. I was like that's not KeraCare conditioner. I'm usually very good about picking up on scents especially Shampoos and Conditioners. I usually don't even need to see the bottle b/c once I smell it I know exactly which one it is. Maybe that's the PJ in me

 

[dillard]

Why am I not surprised one bit erplexed

omg!!! why am i totally surprised? i had no idea... so this could prob happen at a Sally's too then, right?

 

[YoungWavey]

Whoa that's scary! I had this happen once at this black salon I use to go to in Florida. I was like that's not KeraCare conditioner. I'm usually very good about picking up on scents especially Shampoos and Conditioners. I usually don't even need to see the bottle b/c once I smell it I know exactly which one it is. Maybe that's the PJ in me

Now, before i buy anything i always smell it...my mother do my touch-ups so i don't have to worry about is that really mizani or homemade mizani

 

[Daisimae]

omg!!! why am i totally surprised? i had no idea... so this could prob happen at a Sally's too then, right?

I think it could happen anywhere. But, I would think it would be less likely to happen at Sallys. They are not a small business or small chain trying to maximize profits, in a very competitive arena, by any means necessary. They are a publicly traded company. Doing something like this, (and getting caught), would mean serious consequences for their reputation and investors.

The question I have about Sallys is: What do they do with the returns? I've returned things I have used and things I haven't. No one has ever asked me if I've used it or not. I always have to volunteer that info. That is why, if something is not sealed, I do a smell test and open things up to look at them before I buy them even there.

 

[cicilypayne]

Hi I just brought 78 dollars worth of keracare, dudley's and wave nouveou from a Black Owned Beauty Supply here in Miami, they keep all the higher end brands in the back room I thought it was to keep down shoplifting but maybe its just to hide from the regulating agencies. The wave Nouveou smooth edges gel is not what I purchased from JcPenny's and Amazon. I was so excited to see it price for 4.99 so I took all that was on the shelf I've been paying about 7 to 9 dollars before. I went to smooth down my fly aways at the red light a block a way and this thick pasty glop poured from the jar. I panic and check all four jars and they all had something but not the true product inside I'm so pissed Now I'm looking at my 32 dollar bottle of Keracare dry itchy scalp like yeah right. I've been had. I hope the dudley's is real.

 

[DeepBluSea]

Wow. I am was just thinking about purchasing some Redken products I saw at Kroger.

 

[cococutie007]

Hi I just brought 78 dollars worth of keracare, dudley's and wave nouveou from a Black Owned Beauty Supply here in Miami, they keep all the higher end brands in the back room I thought it was to keep down shoplifting but maybe its just to hide from the regulating agencies. The wave Nouveou smooth edges gel is not what I purchased from JcPenny's and Amazon. I was so excited to see it price for 4.99 so I took all that was on the shelf I've been paying about 7 to 9 dollars before. I went to smooth down my fly aways at the red light a block a way and this thick pasty glop poured from the jar. I panic and check all four jars and they all had something but not the true product inside I'm so pissed Now I'm looking at my 32 dollar bottle of Keracare dry itchy scalp like yeah right. I've been had. I hope the dudley's is real.

Girl you better toss it or try to return them. I wouldn't try it if you have the least bit of suspicion. So sorry. I wonder if they never think that you, as a frequent user of a product, wouldn't know if they switched it with some garbage.

 

[matuncks]

Okay,this will nt be happening at my BSS.