*Update: Makeup Geek is now sold on Beauty Bay
For the past few years the beauty world (mostly the overseas part) has been in uproar over Makeup Geek Eyeshadows boasting quality similar, if not better than, MAC eyeshadows at a cheaper price point you can't really go wrong, right?
Being that I'm from the UK, Makeup Geek eyeshadows are a little harder to get your hands on over here as I don't think they have any UK stockists (i.e Morphe on Beauty Bay and so on) so you have to order from the US site and get them imported over, which is what I did! I currently own 8 Makeup Geek shadows, so not a whole load but, enough for now, which are pictured below.
As you can see, my MAC shadow and MUG Creme Brulee are well loved, I do love a bronze eye and they were two of my first colours that really suited together. Hence why they've hit pan!
The top six shadows are not new to my collection, the MAC one I bought a few years ago and the MUG ones my boyfriend bought me for Christmas two years ago and I thought it was high time I purchased some more!
If you'd like to read my full review and swatches of my other five MUG shadows click here to go to that blog post!
So two years ago when Huw bought these shadows for me, I didn't know anything about Customs/Handling & VAT on imported items, I didn't know that it had nothing to do with Makeup Geek and that they couldn't control it and I didn't understand why I had been charged after already paying shipping, so I got kinda pissed off and freaked out and started being a little keyboard warrior via twitter, what an idiot. Had I simply Googled (good old Google) I would've found out that it's Royal Mail/UK VAT charges that had cost me the extra £12 or whatever.
This time however I DIDN'T get charged VAT or anything, the shadows came straight to my door and all I paid was for the eyeshadows and the shipping. The eyeshadows are $6 each, and I got three so that's $18, and shipping (First Class USPS - got here in 11 days) was $8.99 so in total $26.99 or in GBP that is, all together, £17.79. Last time I ordered I got five shadows (they were $5.99 each then) and shipping was $6.99 so I spent $37 or £25 and I got charged £12 VAT/Handling charges when the parcel got to the UK.
On the Direct Gov website it says any goods, that aren't a gift/present, which are over the value of £15 will be charged at customs which I think is 20% VAT (Valued added tax) but they also slap a £8(ish) Royal Mail handling charge on there so be careful! To claim the goods are a gift the sender has to declare this in the goods certificate or something, it's complicated so you can't just say to Royal Mail "but mate it was totally a present" They'll be like "Yeah ok, pull the other one." I did try and figure a way of getting out of paying these charges last time but there wasn't a way, it was a legal requirement before they handed over my goods, unfortunately.
So I've figured the secret is order three shadows at a time and then I wont be hit with unexpected charges, hurrah! I could chance four but I'm scared so three will do, haha!
Like I stated before, shipping took 11 days, last time I ordered from MUG, in December 2013, it took two and a half weeks but that was two years ago so I'm guessing they've stepped their game up over at Makeup Geek HQ or USPS has stepped it up, either way, shout out to you, Marlena&Co!
I'll have a full review and swatches of the three colours I bought this time round pretty soon, but for now I just wanted to get this up in case people from the (mainland) UK like me wanted to place an order but were unsure of VAT/Handling charges!
Thanks for reading guys!
Love Alicia x
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I haven't heard of this brand before but these sound fab :) x
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