People Are Freaking Over Lime Crime's Superfoils

The hits keep coming for Lime Crime. While the brand doesn't have the most flawless past (Lime Crime's history of controversy started back in 2008), recently things have been pretty quiet — up until this week, when customers started reporting alleged brown spots on the brand's new Superfoil shadows. From there, threads on Reddit and accounts on Instagram have collected growing reports of similar experiences, with customers speculating over whether the brown flecks are rust, mold, or completely benign.

For its part, the brand has responded directly to Instagram comments addressing the issue with a few explanations. Most recently, Lime Crime commented on Instagram that the "pigment bubbles" are unsightly but harmless, and the Superfoils went through "extensive microbiology testing" to comply with FDA regulations before going to market. They also say that a third-party laboratory, Micro Quality Labs, "performed independent contamination testing and cleared Superfoils for cosmetic use."

UPDATE: In a statement sent to Bustle via email "the brand said, "We have discovered that Lime Crime Superfoils have been affected by something called 'glycerin dew' — which, in our case, is drops of glycerin + water binding with the pigments in the formula and forming tinted bubbles along the edges of the pans. Our manufacturer officially attests that these glycerin bubbles do not contain any harmful contaminants, and none of our tests have revealed any evidence of rust or mold in the formula. Additionally, a third-party laboratory also performed an independent contamination test and confirms that Superfoils meet all FDA requirements for safe cosmetic use." In a post on the Lime Crime website they announced that they are reformulating the Superfoils, stating, We acknowledge that some of our customers were upset by the unsightly glycerin dew. Our customers' happiness is a top priority for us — and so is our product presentation. For these reasons, we will be reformulating Superfoils and they will be temporarily unavailable."

As cosmetic watchdog account Beauty.Investigator posted, some customers were allegedly first told by Lime Crime consumer representatives that the bubbles were due to water in the Superfoils formula. The product is branded as "Liquid Foil" and intended to be "activated" with water, but according to the product description, there isn't any water in the formula.

Lime Crime also allegedly told consumers that according to the brand's manufacturer, glycerin in the formula creates concentrated pigment bubbles, which then cause discoloration. There is abundant speculation on Reddit that the discoloration, which has allegedly appeared both on the product and around the edges, could be either mold or rust, neither of which are safe for use on eyes.

Commenters have reported that their complaints have allegedly been deleted from the brand's Instagram, while some have posted images of a reddish-brown substance allegedly on the product's pan. One commenter claims to have proven the presence of rust with a chemical reaction.

"[Lime Crime] constantly states they are 'completely safe and harmless,' and are now saying they are making a new batch (a.k.a. reformulating) and are issuing refunds," A.C., who runs Beauty.Investigator, tells Bustle in an email. On the consumer's side, A.C. says, "I'd like to see them recall the Superfoils and cancel all of the orders and issue a statement."

Some have speculated that the tin pans led to the discoloration issues.

The news is causing more people to take a look at the brand's social media accounts before buying.

Others have published their alleged experiences with the products.

Some customers are wary of the Superfoils altogether.

Either way, fans of the brand seem to be eagerly awaiting potential updates.

Lime Crime's full statement is below:

"What’s happening:

We have discovered that Lime Crime Superfoils have been affected by something called "glycerin dew" - which, in our case, is drops of glycerin + water binding with the pigments in the formula and forming tinted bubbles along the edges of the pans. Our manufacturer officially attests that these glycerin bubbles do not contain any harmful contaminants, and none of our tests have revealed any evidence of rust or mold in the formula. Additionally, a third-party laboratory also performed an independent contamination test and confirms that Superfoils meet all FDA requirements for safe cosmetic use.

What customers should do if they do, or don’t, see something suspicious:

The required-by-law testing, plus all the additional testing we’ve done, has not revealed any rust, mold or safety issues in Superfoils eyeshadow. While these glycerin bubbles are certainly unsightly, they aren’t harmful and do not affect the performance of the formula at all. Some customers noticed light-colored spots on the edge of the pans. Our pans are tin-coated, and tin does not rust. However, highly concentrated pigments can stain the porous surface of the tin. This is normal and should not be confused with rusting. The brownish glue on the under-side of the tin also isn't rust. All this said, our customers' happiness and confidence is a top priority for us. As always, if a customer is unhappy with their product for any reason, we will gladly take it back.

How we are proceeding:

While the Superfoils have passed all required-by-law safety tests, and several others too, we acknowledge that some of our customers are upset by the unsightly glycerin dew. Our customers’ happiness is a top priority for us — and so is our product presentation. For these reasons, we will be taking Superfoils off the market temporarily while we reformulate. If any of our customers are unhappy with their product for any reason, we will happily take a return."

Image: Lime Crime