Woman fined £1,000 for sale of lead-filled lipstick

Storm Cimadoro, of Trehafren, Newtown, bought Kylie Matte liquid lipstick and lip liner to sell online, however after a trading standards investigation, it was found to have lead content of 2,715 m5/kg.

Lead is prohibited in lipstick products, and the labelling of the product also failed to contain mandatory information.

Cimadoro, 23, appeared before Llandrindod Wells Magistrates Court, where she pleaded guilty to an offence under the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013.

She also pleaded guilty to two charges under the Trade Marks Act 1994 for offering to supply counterfeit Timberland boots and Ralph Lauren tracksuits.

Magistrates heard that an investigation was conducted by trading standards officers after they received information that Cimadoro was supplying suspected counterfeit items on Facebook.

Officers conducted a warrant and the defendant’s address and seized suspect goods.

Cimadoro was interviewed twice during the investigation and declined to name the supplier of the products, and officers had difficulty chasing the supply chain.

Magistrates were told that all make up has to undergo stringent safety tests and each product must have a technical file to ensure that it complies with current safety legislation. Make up is not permitted to contain any lead.

The amount of lead in the products exposes purchasers to serious safety risks, according to Powys County Council’s trading standards.

Magistrates fined Cimadoro £1,000 for the offences and ordered her to pay £1,000 costs plus a £100 victim surcharge.

Councillor Jonathan Wilkinson said the local authority will not tolerate activities of this kind. He said: “We support legitimate businesses and local tax payers by targeting illegal shadow economy activities such as product counterfeiting by individuals, who have little regard to the county’s traders and only seek to further de-stabilise our economy.”