Case study

Intellectual Property: SafeGlam

From personal experience to SafeGlam: Why business graduate Giorgia Flora Aloi chose to launch a platform to educate consumers about counterfeit goods.

Giorgia Flora Aloi is a business graduate, who recently completed her Master鈥檚 in Applied Imagination at Central Saint Martin鈥檚. During this time, she investigated the growing issue of counterfeit beauty products sold on social media platforms. For her final project, Giorgia developed 鈥� an online learning platform which educates consumers on the dangers of counterfeit cosmetics and how to identify them.

Giorgia鈥檚 inspiration came from a personal experience. She and her sister both unknowingly purchased a foundation from Kiko Milano from a social media marketplace. Upon opening the product, Giorgia immediately recognised it was fake due to the product being overly oily and carrying a strong smell. Following this, Giorgia鈥檚 mother suffered an allergic reaction after applying to her skin. This experience sparked her interest in counterfeit cosmetics, particularly the harmful and unregulated ingredients often found in these products.

Finding support for SafeGlam

Determined to move forward with SafeGlam, Giorgia realised she needed credible insights to:

  1. Understand the broader impact of counterfeit beauty products.
  2. Ensure the platform鈥檚 content was accurate, reliable, and impactful.

During her research, Giorgia discovered the Intellectual Property Office鈥檚 (IPO) , which focused on counterfeit beauty and hygiene products. After reaching out to the IPO鈥檚 Enforcement team, Giorgia was guided to valuable research and resources that strengthened the evidence behind her project. Credible information from trusted sources, such as government departments, gave her platform the authority and reliability needed to connect with users effectively.

The impact of SafeGlam

With the support of verified insights, Giorgia created a clear, engaging and impactful platform that raises awareness of counterfeit beauty products. SafeGlam contributes to a fundamental objective of the IPO Counter-Infringement Strategy. This is to educate consumers about the risks of fakes and how to spot them, to prevent the spread of dangerous counterfeit goods.

The IPO recognises that supporting initiatives like SafeGlam helps strengthen critical messages to reach new audiences. Giorgia鈥檚 peer-to-peer approach effectively connects with younger consumers, making education on counterfeit products more relatable and effective.

What鈥檚 next for Giorgia and SafeGlam?

鈥淪afeGlam is stepping into the future with a clear mission: educate, empower and protect beauty enthusiasts around the world. Through podcasts, educational videos and partnerships we鈥檙e building a stronger, more informed community. This paves the way for a safer, smarter and more transparent beauty world鈥�- Giorgia Flora Aloi

Take Action

Visit today to learn about the dangers of counterfeit beauty products and explore the IPO website for information on the effect of counterfeit goods.

Updates to this page

Published 11 February 2025