Imitations? Not so Innocent!

You need new shoes. Preferably a pair of fashionable Uggs, like Kate Moss. But those cost nearly €200. And while you’re at the mall, you try on the new Donna Karan fragrance. It smells lovely, but a small bottle costs you like €40. And you’re almost broke. But guess what, you log onto Ebay and find the boots and the perfume for just €30! You know that for that price, it has to be fake. But you just shrug and think ‘why should I care?’

Let me tell you why you should care. First of all your money probably goes to some kind of mafia, who will use it to invest in other shifty businesses. And second, fake goods could cause you serious health problems.

Do you know what fake perfume is really made of? No flower petals or tea extracts. The main ingredient is often antifreeze. It contains a lot of bacteria, and even traces of urine. Are you really sure you want to spray some of that behind your ears? Inevitably, some of it gets absorbed by your skin…

Ok, so let’s say you just buy the boots. It is generally known that imitations don’t provide your feet with the support they need. But fake Ugg boots are the worst, according to specialists, ‘they are crippling a generation of young women, literally breaking their feet.’ And if even that doesn’t convince you, don’t fool yourself by thinking nobody will see the difference. Trust me, a fake is easy to recognize, so don’t be surprised if people make fun of you.

But it’s not just teenage girls who buy fake handbags and shoes. More and more people buy medication from the internet. According to the World Health Organisation, more then 50% of those medicines are fake. And not just that, very often they are even poisonous. 21% of the Europeans said to have bought medicines that normally require subscription by the internet, good for about 10,5 billion euros. The top 3 includes pills to lose weight, pills to stop smoking and painkillers.

It’s your life; you do with it what you want. But I will not risk my life with fake products – I can’t afford Uggs but I don’t buy fake ones. And it’s true, things like medicines and perfume are extremely cheap on internet… but God knows, you might be spraying rat poison behind your ears.

If you are dying to buy real designer items for little money, save up for a trip to Paris. Just 25 minutes out of the city centre, you find La Vallée, an outlet. From Aigle to Armani, From Kenzo to Jimmy Choo, go bargain hunting! And for a perfect stay, rent the best apartments in Paris.

Tags: fake bags, fakes, imitation designer clothes, imitations