GlitterSniffer Cosmetics Recall and the FDA Investigation

On March 23, 2011 the FDA released its enforcement report detailing the information provided to the agency regarding the recall by GlitterSniffer Cosmetics. As previously posted, there were concerns regarding that information, including questions about the letter notifications reportedly sent on or around February 7, 2011 to GS customers, the amount of recalled product that had been distributed, and the mascara that was also not approved that was not included in the recall. I contacted the FDA Office of the Ombudsman on April 20, 2011 to address these concerns and received a reply that the issue would be escalated.

On May 3, 2011 a poster to the Facebook page asked if anyone had been visited by the FDA regarding GlitterSniffer Cosmetics. The poster had a home visit from an FDA agent who was investigating the recall. Here is her story:

Yesterday a representative from the FDA showed up on my doorstep to interview me concerning the GS recall. I've never filed any complaints with any agencies, the only thing I ever did was contact Lela when word of the recall broke out. I was shown a badge and plus I got a card and contact number. He specifically stated he needed to interview me "concerning products I received from Glittersniffer Cosmetics".

He gave me a list of all the product that had been recalled and a photo of what the packaging looks like.

This is what he asked me:
How many items did I purchase from GS. 
How many items were included in the recall.
When did notification of the recall go out.
Did I know of any side effects due to use of the makeup, did I have any reactions.
Did I or anybody I know distribute ANY GS makeup.
My answers
I had close to 50 items
10 were part of the recall
I never received an email or message from GS, it was posted on the website and FB page. I learned about the recall probably the last week of November/first week of December.
I heard of people having reactions but I never had any.
I never distributed any GS makeup, and I got rid of any makeup that I owned that was a part of the recall.

He said they were interviewing people that were local to FDA offices concerning the recall. From what he could tell me they were following up and making sure people had been notified.

Below are photos of the business card and documents left with the poster. As has always been my practice I have removed personally identifying information from the business card as it identifies the agent by name along with contact information. It was a decision I struggled with but as he has not given me specific permission to release this information publicly I feel it best to err on the side of caution. I will state that research indicates he is indeed a Consumer Safety Officer with the FDA in California.

Detail from the packaging document

On May 4, 2011 a second GS customer was visited by the same FDA agent. Her story, edited to remove PII:

Basically he knocked on the door and said he had some questions about the glittersniffer recall. He showed me a recall letter and asked if I got one, I said no. I told him I seen it posted on her website though He asked how many I owned, I said around 230 GASP, he asked if I still had them, I said no. Some were dumped and some were sent to someone else. He asked if I had any reactions, I explained to him the blurred vision I experienced while using GS but wasnt sure if it was the makeup or migranes. He said he was there just to gather information about if GS followed the recall protocol. I told him the list of recalled pigments (the pinks) were not all that should be on there. ALL of them should be on there as she packed and made pigment in unsanitary conditions. He also said I should email him any information and gave me his direct number and email address. He also said they are randomly checking people and their information. redacted took a picture of me and him talking LOL. So I do plan to email him with any and all info that GS is still operating etc. His main concern was IF I had received the recall letter. I told him I never got one in the mail and am pretty sure did not get it through email either.

The Agent and the GS Customer

 

The second poster has offered to forward any information anyone may have to the agent. In my haste to publish I did not get her permission to release her contact information or name. If you have information germane to the GS situation that you would like forwarded to the FDA you may contact me at glittersniffercomplaints@gmail.com. Should I get permission to release her contact information I will update.

It's unknown at this point if this was a followup to the escalation I filed or if this is a routine followup by the FDA. The focus does seem to be on the handling of the recall by GS, specifically the letter that was supposed to have been sent to customers on or around February 7, 2011. 

There has been no indication that GlitterSnifferGlitterSniffer Cosmetics has been contacted again by the FDA.  We know that GS had to provide contact information for all of their past and current customers and it seems that this information is being used by the FDA to contact customers located near field offices about the recall notification. A complete list of FDA field offices may be located here.

I will continue to follow up as more information becomes available. Thank you to the two posters for sharing.

5/5/11 ETA: Completed the second to last paragraph, which disappeared in between my writing the post and publishing it.  My apologies for not catching this prior to publishing.