Tips: How to distinguish the real and fake OPI

Recently I was been to many fleas and came across many sellers selling cheap OPI for $8 buyout for a bottle. You thought you are lucky, are you really? Or are you wondering are those authentic or fakes? Well, below are some guidelines to help you to shop smart!

How to distinguish the real and the fake?

1. The front

Letter "L" of "mL" is upper case and "Fl" is lower case. The font of the number "5" is very special.

2. The warning signs at the back 

Apart from the clear printing of all the information, the order of 4 warning signs has to follow exact the same order as shown in pic here. If they were swapped around, FAKE! 

3. The label at the bottom of the bottle.

There are TWO layers of label at the bottom of the bottle. The first and second layer look like the pic below

As you can see, 1st layer contains product name, product code, a line of black printing, barcode, and "PEEL HERE" at the bottom.

The 2nd layer has product name and code in the centre and other info all around it. No barcode on 2nd layer.

If the bottle has only either one layer, FAKE. Double layer but not exact set out like shown above, FAKE.


4. Steel balls x 2

If you put the bottle on its side and let it rest for a minute, you can see there are two little steel balls in the bottle. One or none, FAKE.
note: see the space at the bottom of the bottle is smooth and even? Some fakes can be spotted from miles away using this test alone. 

5. Barcode number 

For those with only 1 sticker and no barcode - this is simply the inner label, after you peel off the outer label with the barcode. Why peel this? Well, because on those stickers with barcodes, there is usually a production code as well. And more recently, I have seen stickers with both the serial numbers and production codes. Apparently, with the production code, OPI is able to trace the source of where these are purchased. So to avoid getting into trouble with OPI, some e-tailers have taken off the outer layer.

Also, most real OPI have engraved numbers on the bottle. The digits of the numbers differ from bottle to bottle. They are a little blurry and hard to read. Some bottles from Japan or sold in a kit might not have the engraving at all. Only FAKE OPI will engrave them big and clear, they still fake. 

6. The brush

Real OPI will have its brand printed on ONE side of the brush. You will have to clean the brush a bit to be able to see it. Once again, pay attention to the font and size of it. 

7. The seal on the cap

The plastic seal with "Exclusively ProWide Brush" DOESN'T go on every color. In fact, only a handful of them actually have the seal. They are to indicate that this particular color is using Prowide Brush whereas others are using standard brush. If you see a seller showing off all his/her stock with the seal on every single color, they are FAKE.

In conclusion: 

A bottle of real OPI will pass all the tests above and gives you the true quality and fullness of the color you after. Ask seller questions and ask them to provide extra photos before you bid or buy. Grab yourself a real bargain, not a rip off!