They look real to me. They may be selling off older (2018) sets to make way for the new sets which will contain the new colours. Temu may have bought a job- lot cheaper than usual because of that. Companies sometimes do that when they change packaging too, or add barcodes. Have fun!
Yep, that's definitely a theory. The seller was actually a third-party using Temu as the distributor. Like marketplace sellers on Amazon. So... they could be old real stock with Lilac & Lavender in or good fakes of the old set with not so good versions of those two pencils. Interesting either way! 🥰
I disagree for 2 reasons. The set from Temu is thinner. Also a few color differences. BUT please wait till I check my 2 Prisma sets, bought 2 years apart, yet both have lilac and lavender. I will check those shades and electric and process blues. Since both came from Amazon, we shall see, and I will edit this comment
I will tell you that I have several different sets of Prismacolor over the years and ALL of them were different in some way. Some of them the barrels didn't match, the color of the lead didn't match with older sets, some had rubbed off text stamped on the pencils, some had terrible wood, lead not centered, etc. BUT all of them were legit Prismacolor pencils. I purchased all of my sets from reputable art stores. Prismacolor does not have good quality control. With that being said, I do think you have a legit set here.
Thanks for this info I just bought them but didn’t look up any vids before hand I saved a lot on them to!!! their originally 125$ on temu but I had a 28$ off coupon and had 27-28 in store credit on there and got them for only 71$! I’m excited for them to come it’s something I’ve wanted for a very long time now
The box is exactly right, even down to the barcode. The order of the pencils in their trays is wrong though, completely different to how they come from Prisma. I pulled out my own backup prismas, which are the most recently purchased from various sources.. some open stock some in small sets, and not a single one has a white primer. Additionally the wood is the same texture as your original set, and they are all sharpened to the "prisma point". Also none of them have that dye stain where the wood contacts the core. I went online and looked at photos of genuine prismas up close from Blick, Prismacolor, and user reviews on a couple of different sites.. and they all confirm these points. Combine all that with the difference in size and color and they are 100% fake. Pretty good fake though, they really paid attention to details.
The order wasn't that bad, the top trays got messed up in transport due to no packaging. With regard to the white undercoat, I thought the same, it was the red flag, the telltale sign, but over the last 24h I have seen (been shown) differently, so now I am even more confused. Note: I have contacted Prismacolor, there will be a follow-up video! 🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK Just swatched the whole set. One had a broken tip was missing about 2 cm of the color. And one of the pencils color led came completely out of the pencil. I had to put tape at the end of it to use it. Apart from that i loved the colors. Im yet to buy the original set of prisma colors as im only starting out.
Hi Lily, I think you have a true set of prismacolor. I looked at my pencils purchased from Dick Blick and the wood looks like the wood on your temu prismacolors., I noticed when I was watching the video that when you read the back of the box they were manufactured in 2019. That is why the Lilac and Lavender pencils are in the set.
They look so much alike and perform very nicely. Thanks for doing the test. I would not feel the need to buy the most expensive ones for quality purposes.
They look real to me. I just purchased a new 150 set off of U.S. Amazon, 2 weeks ago. Your box is identical to mine. After researching before I bought mine I noticed on my Amazon that the new set with the new colors were $36.00 more & the box graphics were different. I think you got a good deal. I did see a review on Temu & the girl said hers were fake & had swatched all of them to her 36 set of Prismacolor’s & the colors did look different in her pics. I have to say I have purchased 3 sets through the years & all of them were a little different. I don’t believe that they are great on Quality control, lol…
Since prisma moved to Mexico the quality has suffered. From my understanding watching!reading countless videos/reviews from a variety colorist n artist alike; they say the quality of lead, barrel/lead color match, quality of wood as well as the quality of the diameter of the core being consistent and straight, have all suffered due to change in manufacturing. I think it has a lot to do with cultural attitudes, IMO. Western society as a whole has historically been more uptight/perfectionist who are highly competitive at everything, always wanting to be the best...again generally, historically speaking. (Reason why German made, Swiss made, American made, etc...were known as best of best, at least prior to the globalization fiasco we have today. Japan and China were exception esp regarding their sword/pottery for a simple example). Other cultures are more laid back and not as ‘anal’. I think they probably have a much better balanced life than we from west who have valued work over family. Anyway, I think this might be why there’s so much more variability in each pencil. (Wasn’t trying to disparage anyone’s culture or say one is better than another, just pointing out my observation, not that it’s worth anything). Frankly, since they seen that difficult to determine, I’d keep them...just separate from what I knew were genuine. -Peace
I have three sets of prism colors bought over a span of 20 years. None of mine have a white coating under the paint. My boxes also have the info on the back written in English, Spanish and French as required to sell in North America.
Prismacolor pencils do not have the white under coating. Period. They never have. This is in my opinion, just a good dupe, with the barrel color difference, the different core colors, the consistency in barrel size difference and the white undercoating, they are just good fakes. That being said if they’re good enough you can’t tell, then does it really matter. I would have liked to see how they blend with each other and with the originals. Looking forward to your update on what prismacolor had to say when you reached out. 😊✌️🎨
with regard to the white undercoat, that's exactly what I thought, it was the red flag, the tell-take sign... but over the last 24h I have seen (been shown!) that this is not the case! More to come!
I have never seen a white undercoat on colored pencils until I tried Chinese-made colored pencils. Bought multiple sets of Prismacolor pencils over the year and never seen that white undercoat
OK. @ArtJourneyUK, I tested my set from perhaps 3-ish years ago, well before they announced the lavender/lilac changes. Now, when the NEW SHADES were first released, we all wondered WHEN they will be added to new sets. I knew they had some newer sets out with an extra white, and a blender pencil as temporary replacements for lavender and lilac. However, i dont think they made too many of those. All of a sudden, earlier this year, Amazon had a great sale (USA)and I fully expected to get the extra white pencil and a blender pencil, but NO. This set still had lilac and lavender, which tells me WHY the sale? To get rid of all,. before sets could be released with the new colors. SO, I just finished comparing both sets. #1 All colors matched perfectly...lilac, lavender, electric blue and true blue. #2 no white underlay on either set #3 both sets came with short points. #4. Colors compared were both very soft and waxy. 5. Barrel colors match. THE ONLY THING I cannot check is girth, but i am confident both my sets are legit. Yours are NOT. You have barrel color differences, girth differences, color differences, and white underlay. You CAN return, and I would if I were you. Your original set is not "complete", so you cannot compare all 150 colors. You don't know how many discrepancies you would have. I would return for a refund, use the refund to complete your set or save for a new and legit 150 set.
Also I am fully aware I can return, its the only reason I bought them. If they're real, amazing bargain, if not, I'll return. I won't have lost out either way. And as much as they look different, they behave the same way, they are soft and buttery... so fake or not they are nice pencils to use. Does that make them worth the £71 I paid? Maybe. Even if they're not made in the Prismacolor factory! Thanks for comparing your two sets. 🥰
I’m thinking they may be from the sets that had problems with the lead breaking a lot after prismacolor moved their manufacturing plant to Mexico. Many artists were in an uproar and even quit using them altogether because the breakages were so bad, you could go through an entire pencil just attempting to sharpen it. The 2018 date feels about right. Though I don’t know when it started exactly. If you enjoy them, keep them!❤
@@BoGilmore heat your oven to 200F SHUT IT OFF put your tray of pencils in and leave them in there till the oven cools ( I do over night) I also put a note on the oven controls so I don't turn it on before removing the pencils.
Hi, I just watched your video. I saw those yesterday on Temu and wondered about this. I appreciate you taking the time to do this video. I say, if the artist is happy, what difference does it make. After watching your video, I am going ahead and ordering this. They seem to be so close to the prisma color pencils we buy here that I don't think it's going to matter to me. Thanks again!!? 🥰
If they're copies, it's ripping off Prismacolor. My company is battling Temu non-stop, and we deal with customer complaints because some items have poor counterfiets, and they blame us.
I have been using prismacolors for well over 30 years and what I can tell you is that these are the old stock that they are trying to sell in order to bring the new color that's in because people are demanding them. A couple of years ago or more there were a batch of sets that went out where the manufacturing of them was not as good and I think that's what you gotten. They received so many complaints that they did get it corrected but it took them quite a while.
Ooo this is good info! So these could be New Old Stock, perhaps from a Chinese store that's using Temu to sell them. My only experience with Prismacolor is my 72 set and then some open stock pencils taking it up to 120ish and they've always had that really shallow cut point/tip. Has that ever changed throughout the years?
I remember that…when adult colouring really took off and their pencils ( Prisma) were in such high demand, they started making a slightly inferior product, that got a lot of complaints, and they went back to making them proper again. The only thing that really stands out for me as a difference with Temu, is the Temu ones have that white undercoating to the pencil itself. Thanks for doing this review of them. xo
@@jeaniethompson5623The white undercoat is what's causing a red flag for me too. So I've spent the afternoon watching Prisma pencils videos and watched a video by Gem at The Colour Cave where she compared her real Prismas with a fake set... and her real pink Prisma had a white undercoat too 🤔😵💫
I absolutely enjoyed this video. It was like watching myself when I'm suspicious of something, going through all the testing to make sure. There are some crazy counterfeits out there that are very close to the real deal. Can't wait for follow up
I know you've contacted the company, but Crystal's Coloring could probably give you some good info too. She's practically a Prisma historian. As for me, I have a ton of Prismas. I have a large set from 8-10 years ago, a small set from earlier this year, and a ton of new open stock from various stores, as well as pencils from all time periods at least as far back as Berol that I bought at different art resale shops. None of them have a white undercoat. It is the case that two pencils with the same name and number can change color slightly over time due to the availability of certain pigments. Crystal showed this with the Lavender pencil in one of her videos. I think your set is probably a good fake. Hope this helps, and I can't wait for your follow-up.
Yea I got a set from Amazon with white undercoating, that's a good sign for fakes. It's like all those Chinese pencils that's basically the same, they got the coating too.
I always test specific colours of a set to see if it’s quality or not. Light greens are usually hard to blend of layer without a stripy effect. If you try to make a gradient with dark green and light green the overlap is very abrupt with low quality pencils. When I tried to do this with the Pablo they layered perfectly and I could also blend them together. A mixed type of yellow is also very hard to get smooth a the paper. For example the colour ‘Honey’ by Arteza. I don’t know why but all kinds of reds usually do a good job íf you use the right paper. I own the portraitset from prisma and they do have the white edge on the barrel, but with Neenah Bristol Vellum or ‘Strathmore Drawing’ they blend excellent. So I wonder…if the printing on the barrel is better; if they don’t crumble as much; if they blend excellent on the right paper and they are cheaper (in Europe)…why would you buy the original ones? This set isn’t for sale anymore on Temu by the way. It says: ‘This product is discontinued’.
That's a great question! If they are "fakes" then they're better than the original! Also really interesting to hear about the white line on your portrait set, so many people adamant that Prismacolor never have a white undercoat 🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK to be honest, I think there’s also a bit of a hype going on. It would be a perfect publicity stunt, wouldn’t it? And Prisma is making lots of money off it ;-) And I ordered my set on Amazon, but I have no clue if they’re fake or not. They work! 😃 At the moment I’m testing twelve different brands of paper. On each paper I test blending, layering and ‘comfort’. This last one is particularly important to me, because of my chronic pain. And I’m testing 9 different brands of coloured pencils, from Arteza expert up to Caran d’Ache on EACH paper. I’ve found out that Strathmore Bristol vellum (300 series) is a crappy paper for my hands and for my eyes! The Prisma’s look dull, the Pablo’s are ‘okay’ but my hands were so sore. Even the Derwent Inktense (wet) look a bit ‘off’ on that paper. Really disappointed in that paper. There are loads of videos about testing pencils but very few about paper and which paper works best for which pencil. Some vloggers say that a Luminance works best on X-paper and Polychromos on Y-paper, but I’ve found out that it isn’t that black or white. And what about all the people who have chronic pain? There loads of people who color to relax and with pain its not that relaxing ;-) It’s not only about the blendability of a pencil. The thickness of the barrel is also important; if a barrel is thick (and round) you have to use more strength with your hand. A triangular-shaped pencil is very comfortable, but you have to have the right sharpener. 😭 If the paper is very structured it means that I Have to use a lot of forse to get the colour smooth. If the paper is too smooth a lot of pencils don’t give a fibrant colour… Gosh, it almost looks like science, doesn’t it? if I had my own channel I could make a video about it 😂 If you want the results and use it for one of your videos, let me know 🤣
Hi Lisa! I've just seen your great reply, because youtube only notifies me of new comments... but not replies! I agree with everything you wrote... and yes, it does sound like science, and I love pencil science! I'd love to hear more about your tests, please feel free to email me at artjourneyuk@gmail.com
@@ArtJourneyUK in the meantime I’ve added more paper to the test and graphite pencils. I know that it’s really ambitious 🫣😂 but I will email you my findings with pictures of course 😬
Ooh, a mystery. Honestly I'd say that the white undercoat, look of the wood and the difference in colours would make me err on the side of fake....but good fakes. But I am so far from an expert on prismacolors as I only have a handful of open stock. Really interested to see if you find any more info on them.
My initial thought was they were old stock containing lilac and lavender which are no longer in the prisma set, until the electric blue which was a different colour entirely. My prisma's don't have a white undercover and they don't sharpen them much at all. I know of ppl who bought the prisma's through Etsy and they had white pencil & a blender because you couldn't get lilac and lavender which was a disappointment because it was before they brought out amethyst and orchid. I think they are fake and they are most certainly thinner but the electric blue was a different colour with white underpaint said it all for me. Well done Lily, investigative journalism is you jam. ❤❤❤
It's interesting Claire because I really thought it would be easy to spot (or feel...) fake Prismas... but it wasn't which is why I was firmly undecided in this video... 🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK I guess it doesn't matter one way or another as long as ppl like the pencil &/or don't feel ripped off. However what about the ppl in the UK or Aussie who have never used a prisma because of availability & price. They won't know they were sold a sows ear instead of the real deal. If that set you got had a white pencil & a prisma blender (like that old stock on etsy) I may have fallen for it but you can't get lavender & lilac in a prisma 150 set anymore. I would send your video and an email to prismacolour. Also the dead give away in retrospect was the silver printing on the pencil, you could read it on the fakes, you can't do that on the real ones lol. Loved your video Lily xxx
Interesting! I think they might be real. I had an experience where a set of Prismas I purchased from a reputable seller was much scratchier than my older set. I contacted Prisma customer support, and they said that they were most likely a ‘bad batch’ and they sent me a new set which were fine.
I called customer service at Prismacolor. He said that the pencils with the good printing on the pencils are authentic. Then he verified from my barcode on the box, that it was authentic. My box has the lavender and lilac pencils. The date of the box is 2018. These pencils didn't retire until 2022. Then he told me that it was good that I have the older pencils because you can no longer get them and he's sending me the two new ones; the orchid and amethyst. Plus, I had a damaged pencil so he is also replacing that. I'm a happy camper.
The wood looks completely different and as for that tip - that's how you instantly recognise a new Prismacolor: the short tip. I err on the side of fake... Detective Lily 😉
Maybe you can call prisma color company and ask them if any of their authorized manufacturers create a pencil with a white underpainting? And ask about the diameter of the pencils? Maybe that can confirm if they are official or knock-offs.
I have contacted Prismacolor throughout the last week (I've had these pencils over 10 days now and contacted Prismacolor on the first day). They'll be a follow-up video with all the info.
I’ve just come home to a Temu delivery and the same set of pencils as you have in the video. Honestly? They are better than my very genuine and very terrible quality mix of a 75 set from Amazon and open stock. Honestly my genuine ones all have split barrels and off centre leads, and the Temu ones are very creamy with brilliant colour saturation. If they aren’t genuine honestly the price I paid was right for the number of pencils and quality. They are significantly better than artzea and castle pencils. Well worth a buy! Only downside is I don’t want to get rid of the box but using the box on the couch with a drawing board on my lap isn’t all that handy! .
I know right? They are lovely pencils and better build quality than 'real' Prismacolor Pencils. You should watch the follow-up video... very interesting! 🥰
What I am taking from this, is that real prismacolors are so badly made that you can’t tell the difference between them and possible fakes 😂. I bought a few open stock and they were dreadful, never bought any more.
Hehe to he fair, that's fairly accurate! Some the better, heritage pencil brands, like Derwent and Faber-Castell have reference pencils that every batch is matched to, so different colours for the same number just don't exist. If Prismacolor had that, then we'd all know better when colours were off. I think their manufacturing consistency might be non-existent! 🥰
😂 good point. When the "fake" is better quality then the original. I tried them, because so many artists on RUclips used them. And in Europe they are more expensive. They are buttery, but I will never buy them again. So much breakage, that some pencils are useless and have that wax bloom. I rather would buy the even more expensive luminance, which comes without breakage, or use faber Castel, which are not that buttery but better to layer. If there is no breakage and the pencils are usable, I would guess thats a fake.
I wonder if these were just enough ‘off quality’ to be rejected, or if they were part of a lot that fell and got a tiny bit damaged. They seem to be real, packaged for the Canadian market, but with the damaged box, my guess is that one of the big retailers rejected them, then a reseller recouped some of them.
@@iSheree Yes, that's true and I thought I'd be able to tell a fake immediately, but the core of these pencils is soft and smooshy too and they colour & blend exactly the same.
I think, it doesn't matter, if you have to look with a magnifying glass to see the most differences. Paint with them and if it feels good and you're ok with youre pictures, be happy.
I have also purchased Prismacolor Premier from TEMU . And Ibhave fake one I have compered them to the original Prismacolor and the colors are close but not the same, and few of them are completely different. But for this price I've kept them.
Lily I’d keep them . They’re probably older stock and a good deal for you ( and those living in the uk for sure ) I’m shocked at how much more costly they are for you in the UK! 😢( as here in Canada one can get them in subscribe and save for$ 168.00 CD . ) I bought a set last year on Boxing Day and only paid about 90.00😊 I meant to add thanks for the very comprehensive analysis! Happy colouring ! 🎨🙂
I only have a few prismacolor pencils and would love a full set but I am so afraid of ending up with a fake set as have read so many reviews on Amazon of suspected fake sets that it puts me off. Thank you for your review Lily it was very interesting. Have a lovely weekend 💖
You can wait until Amazon has another sale, then go to Michael’s, and they will beat the amazon listed price by 10% (they do have be sold by amazon no third party seller tho) I did that a couple years back before the big amazon sale last winter and got a set from Michael’s for 84$ at least this way you know you’re for sure getting a true set😊✌️🎨
I bought my set of Prismas when I was in college in 1991. They were the required pencils for a drawing class. It was a 24 pc set. I fell in love with them❤ But art was not major, it was a humanities class. My major was nursing. Of course I kept the pencils in hopes of one day returning to art for a relaxing hobby. I did just that. I started drawing again and then adult coloring books became big. I bought the 72 ct set, then the 124(?) set. Then 150 pc set came out. I drooled over them for a couple of yrs and one day Amazon had a sale on them for $80!!! IKR!!! So I jumped on them and bought a set. I can’t tell if yours are fake or not but if you like them and color easily with them. Then I say enjoy them and don’t buy from Temu again 😆 then you won’t have to worry about if they are fake or not.
It’s funny you should show this because I recently bought a box of 150 Prismacolor from Amazon for about the same price and they look very similar to yours except mine did not come with the lilac and lavender. Instead they came with blender and extra white. Just as yours, they had a difference in the wood quality. Some of the writing on mine was a little poorer than my old Prismacolor set. But, the pigment felt so similar to my originals. I too questioned myself whether they were genuine. I’m thinking that they are likely “seconds” - ones that did not make the grade to sell at a premium price but still good enough to package and sell off at low cost. I’m keeping mine cos I like the feel when I use them (I also don’t have to be precious about using them and I can get more fun and use out of them. ) Yay us!
They definitely look real to me. Think you are trying to convince "yourself" they are Fake. I have a box of Prismas I bought in USA. Another I bought on Amazon. Some are very similar others are smack on and some are way different colours. 🏴
I think they are probably legit. But not only could they be back stock from somebody that went out of business. Found in an old warehouse, blooper sets, rejects (like the difference in sizes, colors etc.) there's all kinds of possibilities, really. And if course could be fake, but they're really good ones. The colors look very rich and look to go on very smoothly. Looks to me like they volor wonderfully!
They do colour really nicely, certainly different to the fakes shown on other videos. In the follow-up video, I talk more about the differences and compare them to a real set of 150 pencils 🥰
I have a set of 150 I bought off Amazon in America (2020)and a set of 24 I bought from a craft store in America (2010). I sat and looked through my pencils as you did your video and none of mine have the white undercoating on the outside of the pencil. There is a difference how the old ones came sharpened compared to the new ones. All the cores and colors are the same. I always sharpen my pencils before swatching because there’s often times a thin wax coating on the tip of the core. Neither my old or new crumble like that. The printing on the barrel of the newer pencils are slightly more difficult to read. Thanks for your video.
You got me baffled on this one and this is the reason why I have held off buying prismacolour with them being so expensive to get here in the uk .. I don’t want to spend all that money to get fakes .. these are the only pencils I do not own yet want .. and I don’t know where to purchase from to get true genuine prismas. I would love a set of them to add to my collection if anyone knows where I can get genuine ones from please would you let me know I’m in the uk tysmfs .. really great upload 🥰
After filming this video I contacted Prismacolor Customer Service and was given some very interesting information. It's likely I'm going to do a follow-up to this video with that information. I'm just waiting for another reply to confirm things, so worth waiting for that! 🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK My bad, I could have sworn Jacksons did in the past. I'm 90% positive pencils4artists used to too but now they don't. I checked and colouredpencilshop does. I had no idea they were so hard to get in the UK these days. They are everywhere here in the US, even Walmart and Target sell smaller sets. For what it's worth I bought my last 150 set at Amazon, but DIRECTLY from amazon not a third party. An easy way to avoid Marketplace sellers is to click the "prime" button at the top left of the search page, it takes them all off. They were legit and in perfect condition. I find I do best with Amazon if I order something else at the same time so they have to put my pencils in a box.. a pencil case is a good choice since it provides extra padding. I've actually ordered many different pencil sets from them and never gotten a counterfeit. They have amazing sales sometimes. I love my Prismas but I wouldn't hurt myself to get them, especially if open stock wasn't readily available or very expensive.. you go through them very quickly due to their softness.
I think that any differences could just be down to different manufacturers and possibly a mixture of old and new stock in different countries. I think that they are probably real, but either way, if it is so hard to tell, then you still have a bargain 😊
Hi i bought these aswell and was iffy because my old prismacolor was bought in 2016 from Amazon uk. I bought some open stock a few months ago from cult pens and theyre stamped with Mexico and feel and look the same so i decided that theyre real and a bargain for £101 enjoy 😊
Ummmm very difficult I thought they were real until the electric blue colour being very different but if they are fake it’s a pretty good one for the price I would keep them very interesting video Lily thanks for sharing. Trusting Robbie is now recovered and well again.
It is interesting. I thought it would be really easy to spot (...or feel!) Fake Prismacolor Pencils but... I guess not! Robbie is 100% better, back to running around like a mad thing 🥰
I’m a big fan of CSI colour pencil and this is a particularly intriguing episode. But I’d say fake. Never seen a Prisma with that white undercoat and the way they’re sharpened just looks wrong. What’s their return process like? I think Kori would be able to tell if they’re the real deal.
Hahaha! The way they're sharpened is definitely a big red flag as well as the white undercoat. I just didn't expect fakes to perform so well! Free returns, so no issue sending them back 🥰
I just looked at my Prismacolor Premiers and they do not have the white undercoat and they are sharpened really short. I also just bought a set of Prismacolor Verithin pencils and they were not sharpened at all! But they still don't have the white undercoat. That doesn't seem to be something that Prismacolor does.
The Temu brand was sharpened with a dull sharpener, and the wood is different. Maybe they are factory seconds. I am wondering why one label says they are made in Mexico while the other says they are made in the USA.
Thank you for the video. They are back in stock so I just bought them, priced £120 and I paid just under 80 with a voucher. I have a 75 set from Amazon which I was very disappointed in as after a month or so they are all split and breaking. Furious really. I’ve added some open stock CD luminance which I love but too pricey for amateur art. I’m hoping these are better than the original ones I have as I love the colour range but honestly the prisms color pencils themselves are trash. It’s just the range of colours and softness I like but boy are they terrible quality
Yeah I agree. Quality wise these are better than "real" Prismacolor pencils. I hope you get a similar batch as mine as its a different seller that has them this time. Good luck!
I have some definite fakes. The colours on the outside are completely different to my "normal" prismacolour, but the leads are very similar to the real ones. They feel different as well. The lilac and lavender will still be in older sets.
@ArtJourneyUK I think it could be an old set. My fakes are no where near the outside colour of the originals. Your set is similar if not the same outer colour. Old bargain I think 🤔
Hi! I really enjoyed your video! I just found you tonight. 😊 From what I understood you say, at least part of their manufacturing took place in Mexico. We lived in Mexico for 3-1/2 years, and another 13-1/2 years stateside, very near to Mexico. In fact, our home was only 12 miles from the border. While living in Mexico, I learned a bit about her people, and about some of the business practices you might find there. I believe that consistency in quality of a product is what your issue may boil down to. in our experience, there really isn’t any such thing as quality control in Mexico…or at least it’s extremely rare. I’d have to believe that your set could possibly be a true Prismacolor, but was unfortunate enough to have been manufactured in Mexico. We encountered so many things like this in our years in Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley. Discrepancies found in your new pencils may not be Prismacolor’s fault, other than them trusting whoever handles quality control for them. I hope this helps. Blessings to you! Jacqui
Sorry didn’t read update but I believe these are real, in fact I think that the fake versus real Prismacolor started from people who were unlucky to have one pencil with split wood or slightly off writing. Sarah Renae Clark did a really in depth dive into this which would be worth watching. She even goes into the history of Prismacolor etc. She makes some good points and is worth watching if you haven’t seen her as she is a knowledgeable colour pencil artist. I think that there are slight manufacturing faults or people may be getting older sets. Either way I don’t think there really are fake Prismacolors out there, I’ve yet to see enough proof to support the claim. BTW Brutfuner Square have a buttery feeling like Prismacolor, they are nothing like the scratchy round ones.
Have you had any lead breakages? Yep got one of those neighbours too who brings out a huge PA system into the garden!!!! As soon as you opened them my first thought was the tips looked different
As far as the pencils go…. I dont know either. They are at the least a really great fake. Being a “fake”, they shouldn’t cost even what you paid. This might be nuts but what if you compared all 150 or whatever real set you have. The quality of the wood looked sus. Yet the seemed to color well. Haha. I dont know either.
Over here £71 is an amazing price for 150 Prismacolor Premier Pencils, the set on amazon is £198. But £71 for something churned out the Brutfuner factory... definitely not an amazing price 😆 I really thought it would be easier to tell a fake by the feel... and it's not as easy as I thought as they're either great fakes or real! 😵💫🤯
Is it weird to reference another RUclipsr? Sarah Renae Clark did an investigative video into fake Prismacolors. What stands out for me is that she did get to see a fake set, and the white undercoat was the big difference. It's irritating to feel like you've been tricked, but even if they are fake, they're pretty darn good, right? If you can't tell the difference when using them I'd say you got a great deal either way.
No, not weird at all Maria. I watched Sarah's video when I was waiting for mine to arrive and it actually put my mind to rest because Pamela, Lindsay and Jennifer all said fake prisma pencils weren't a thing 😆. The other thing was the 72 set of fakes Sarah showed were much harder, not buttery, and the ones I have are not, they're soft like Prismas. Then today I've watched a video by Gem from the The Colour Cave where she compared her real Prismas with a suspected fake set... and the real pink pencil she showed had the white undercoat! 🤔😵💫
Thank you for this video. If they are real, they are an incredible bargain. But it seems studying the comments there seem to be conflicting views of whether they are either good fakes, or older stock of the real McCoy before sets were changed. But by all accounts, sound like they are indeed nice pencils to use...and if that's the case, it probably won't matter to me if they are 'official' or not, if they are soft core and blend and layer nicely anyway. Thank you for a good honest review.
Hi Mike! Thank you for your balanced comment! Indeed there was so much "are they, aren't they?" I made a follow-up video comparing them to another 150 set and also contacted Prismcolor multiple times! P.S. I kept them. They are nice pencils whoever makes them!
@@ArtJourneyUK Thank you, I've just been watching your follow up video. Intriguing, but most definately these pencils are well worth a punt regardless of who makes them! I appreciate your videos and have subscribed for more 🙂
Hi, I’ve commented so often before on this video. BUT I finally pulled the case with my Prismacolors and Karismacolors. ALL the Karismacolors have the white undercoat, I purchased them from Amazon Japan so they came from the source. NONE of my Prismacolors have the white undercoat. To prove my Prismacolors are the original, my neon orange, PC1036 has a split straight down the schaft from head to toe. That’s definitely an original…lol 😂😂😂
I think these are sadly fake, the white undercoat and the wood texture for me are a no. I have an older set, and a newer set, and I’ve never seen white undercoat. But if you like them, and they don’t feel too different does it matter at this price? Prismas are so over priced here, it was worth trying them. X Enjoy them either way, x 👍🏻
Hey Wendy...definitely not a sadly for me. I've either got cheap Prismacolors or a great set of smooshy dupes!. I also thought the same about the white undercoat but in the last 24h have seen differently, leaves me even more confuddled! But as like you say... I've still got a nice set of pencils 🥰
Hola! You made me a bit curious about taking a peek at my 150 set Prismas that I purchased from Amazon years ago and i too don't see a white undercoat in them... any of them. I sharpened one from each color family and no white trim...
With regard to the white undercoat, I thought the same, it was the red flag, the telltale sign, but over the last 24h I have seen (been shown) differently, so now I am even more confused! 🥰
They pretty darn close, except for the electric blue 😅 I'd keep them. They'd work for me & you can say you got a cheap set of prismas 😉 ty for sharing. I've been leary about Temu. Things from China are usually so cheaply made products & don't last very long before they break. 🤷♀️
I can return them. They have a decent return policy, which is why I bought them. If they're good, happy days! If they're fake... back they go. I just didn't expect to be so on the fence! 🥰
UPDATE: There's been so many comments it's hard for me to respond to them all so I wanted to pin an update here:- 1. I have reached out to Prismacolor Customer Service and will be doing a follow-up video - the video is here: ruclips.net/video/lSCHeE78fGE/видео.htmlsi=RIe172vjLh-PDV39 2. I paid £71.40 (approx $90 USD) which is a cheap price in the UK for Prismacolor Premier Pencils 3. I can return them to Temu for a full refund if I want... but they are decent Pencils. 4. I *have* seen Sarah Renee Clark's video, I watched it while I was waiting for mine to arrive , however these pencils are not hard and scratchy like Sarah showed, they are soft and buttery and similar to Prismacolor soft (as shown in the video) 5. Fake or real, they are nice pencils to use... and it's my money that's on the line here. Thanks everyone for watching and debating nicely in the comments 🥰
Interesting video thank you but I would vote that they are fakes. I saw that Temu had fake Johanna Basford books so sadly I think that increases the chances that the pencils are fake as well and the white undercoat and all of the other differences seem to confirm that.
With regard to the white undercoat, I thought the same, it was the red flag, the telltale sign, but over the last 24h I have seen (been shown) differently, so now I am even more confused 🥰
@@RachelHendersonColouring If they are Real Prismacolor Pencils they were an amazing deal, if they are fake, they are decent smooshy Pencils for less than 50p a pencil. They work like a Prisma so... I'm happy enough. If I wasn't, I'd return them for a refund. It's all good 🥰
Hi Lily. just checked temu can't find them anywhere so i reckon no longer available. downside is they have a back to school sale on with so many wonderful things, so had to close the tab pronto before i bought anything LOL. Anyway have seen some review vids from the us that noticed a white underlayer. I have got a set that cost me and i wasn't impressed, maybe i got a dupe set? enjoy your prismas and keep on slurping.
@@ArtJourneyUK @ArtJourneyUK Hope you get satisfactory answer with that. I think that the p's have built up such a legendary status that everyone wants them, i resisted getting them for along time and only when i saw the 72 set for a ridiculous price on ebay did i succumbed. when i eventually got them i wasn't really impressed. When i began colouring i joined pamelas passion for pencils group, and every video mentioned the p's within the first minute. Yet i got kicked out the group for commenting once how the faber castells polychromos were on a deal at a UK website. Yet other group members were from the US were allowed to glorify the aforementioned premier brand. I guess what i'm trying to say is stick with what you like and try not to get influenced by others, present company excepted as i always find yours honest and impartial. Whoops didnt mean to vent like this sorry and have a good day. Keep on slurping.😰🤯.
It seems like every set of prismacolor pencils you get, there is something that is just a tad different. Mexico’s quality control at its best. So these could be the real thing. That white undercoating and type of wood is a concern though. Regardless, they seem to color wonderfully and are quite soft like Prismacolor so I think it’s still a great deal as they certainly seem like wonderful pencils. Are you keeping them or returning them?
*"Detective Lily is on the case again! Will she solve the mindboggling mystery of the phony pencils?"* This would be much easier if Prismacolor had semidecent quality control and transparent communication. They could be pencils rejected by quality control for colour differences etc and sold to China, but they just as well could be very good dupes. Ironically the better printing makes me think that they are fake. I can say that the box is genuine, it's identical to my box. I'm just wondering why a company would spend a lot of time and ressources to fake something else so well, instead of just making their own product.
I think they are real. But besides that, if you aren't sure then they must be so close that you can't tell the difference. And if that's the case and they are fake, then good on them for coming up with a pencil so similiar that a person that knows her prismas well, can't even tell. Regardless, you've got a very nice set of pencils at a really good price. Yay!
the wood is nastier in temu. the finish of outer colour coat on pencil is different, and the issue of lead colour difference? I'd say Temu is fake, but I wonder does prismacolor sell manufacturing licenses? I also would like to see you attempt to blend the different brands , like how does red and green blend one to the next, in the different brands and also how many layers of colour can you lay down in the different brands before you can't lay any more down and are just dealing with a waxy impenetrable finish. This was an interesting video and for me the question is how does the temu supposed prismacolour perform in comparison with any other similarly priced colour pencil?
I did compare the pencils in 4 different colouring books with other cheap Chinese sets to see how they performed, maybe you didn't watch that far into the video? 🥰
I think they are real, I actually think they may be slightly better lol, I got my very first set last week from us amazon, and they still had the lavender and lilac in them.
Very interesting video and it’s hard to say. It is questionable regarding the electric blue being a different color. A couple of years ago my local art shop told me that Prisma color Premier had changed owners and after that the pencils were different. People were complaining of breakages and the pencils seeming not to be the same. So 🤷♀️. Maybe write to Prima and ask hey what’s up?🤣
Yeah, about eight or nine years ago, prisma colour which had been made and owned in the US got bought by a Mexican company and then now made in Mexico when they went there. The pencils went downhill. The legs are often of Centre which makes them break a lot more regularly and the wood. They use is no longer top-quality so sometimes they break apart or crack when being sharpened.
So my next question is... what are they actually, and how much do they cost without the fake Prisma skin on? They are pretty nice pencils. White labeling is so frustrating. I've been trying to figure out what the Brutfuner Macarons are ever since I got them.. they are obviously white labeled because they are completely different from the rest of the Bruts, and I'd love a full color set.
@@andrewmandywilsontatham49 Thanks, but no unfortunately. They have a thicker core, and a completely different style of casing. The 520 aren't even capped.
You saw me compare them to Brutfuner, Arteza and Arrtx pencils in the video, these are nothing like those three pencils. These are much softer and creamier, just like Prismacolors.
I just looked up on the internet regarding Prismacolors. There's quite a bit of info. It's quite late here ,so I just scanned some of it. They originated in New York and moved to Mexico in 2010. They retire both lilac and lavender a few years ago.
Even at Temu's price i can't afford them, will save have save up. I Do have set of 48 Junior/ Scholar Prisma no idea if any worse, or the same. Keep on with these Awesome Videos You help so much. Take care x
@@ArtJourneyUKI Really Like Them Lily, I Think There Creamy An Smooth. Sounds Like A Bar Of Chocolate 😂 1 Day I May Be Able To Get Them. Best Not Hold My Breath. 😅 I Hope You An Your Family Are Well? Your Mam Looked Like She Was Loving Colouring. Xx
The first set of Prismacolors that I bought in 1975 were made in the USA. All of them stamped with USA and were not sharpened at all. The second and third sets were stamped Mexico. Like some of the other comments I think that the quality control is not as good now as it once was when these pencils were produced in the USA. I think you probably have a legitimate box of Prismacolor Pencils.
If you have lavender and lilac in that box, you have an OLD BOX OF PRISMACOLORS! They got rid of lavender and lilac this year because they couldn’t get access to the pigments for them. they stopped making lilac and lavender awhile ago! You have a box of gold! some artists would kill for an old school lavender or lilac!
I honestly thought they was fake ones too when I seen them on Temu but after watching your video I think there just odder stock pencils that have the discontinued pencils in so there trying to get rid of the stock they have left of them. I’d say Temu got a bunch for a really good price. But that’s just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions lol 😂
Definitely if you're in the US you can get them cheaper (and have no ambiguity). I'm in the UK and paid £72 which is almost 2/3rds cheaper that we can get them on Amazon
Yep, that's exaxtly what I thought... until I watched a video yesterday afternoon. Now I'm just waiting to hear back from Prismacolor themselves (again!) and I'll do a follow-up video 🥰
There are obvious differences between the 2, but to be honest l, if i go by just the video, the temu pencils actually seem like a pretty good product (have to use them myself to get the feel and performance)
I purchased these too and came to the conclusion that they were fake, so returned them. I have the genuine 150 set and there were just too many inconsistencies with colour, and size of the barrels, plus the white undercoat. I thought they were the same as Arrtx, as the lemon yellow has the same lime green tint to it, which the genuine prismacolor doesn’t have.
Looking at these swatches is not the true test. Will the color of the fake ones hold true over the years? Will they fade? Which will turn brassy in color. After all, you need to know how well they will hold up. I suggest placing these swatches in a low temp oven and baking them to simulate aging or some other similar method of calculating quality.
I only use my pencils in colouring books, so their blending is important but their lightfastness is irrelevant to me. If I was doing artwork to be displayed, I wouldn’t use Prismacolor Pencils; I’d use Caran d’Ache Luminance or Derwent Lightfast as they have much better lightfastness. Thanks for watching 🥰
Know I’m late to comment but bought 4 open stock Prismacolors at Hobby Lobby a few days ago and have yet to sharpen them. Two have the stubby point and two had that bit longer point.
Prismacolor have really gone down in quality from years ago. I have SO many that break less than halfway through the pencil and I sharpen it and they just keep breaking. I’ve given up on them.
It would be interesting to know how many broken cores you come across in this set, verses any other set, seeing that there was no bubble wrap protection.
I think your temu are real. I have a fake set and there is no doubt. The cores are much thinner, the colours are very different, and much, much harder.
Thank you for this! I have a few sets, one from amazon that I suspect (no mexico stamp) but I'm really concerned about your set having the white undercoating and how they are sharpened. The white undercoating is a feature of fake FB Polychromos so I wonder if that is the case also with counterfeit prisma.
How they turn when you use a pencil sharpener?does the wood break easily? It looks like a good fakes for me, but because of the wood, and the white inner coat. Anyway they look good on paper.
No, just when the sun is out lol! To be fair they are lovely neighbours and they did used to have a party in the garden every weekend, but now their son has moved out, it's less often. It usually starts with an early afternoon barbecue, the wine starts flowing, the music starts and then finally ends at 2am! Life is short, they like to party! It's just a bit annoying because my craftroom/office/filming room is at the back of the house too!
@@ArtJourneyUK It Is Throwing It Down Here Has Been Most The Week. I Haven't Done As Much Colouring As Wanted This Week, MS Relapse 😢 Trimble Neuralgia Geez Its Crap 😢😢 Xx
Just curious, don't each pencil company make their colors in batches? Just like paints, each batch can be alittle different? Even the wood used can be a bit different. In my open stock pencils the woods are different, and you can really tell when you sharpen them. I buy open stock i have four of the color ginger root ,there is a slight color difference in them. They were bought at different times. In this day and age, where manufacturers (in all types of things from foods to non foods)are using cheaper ingredients and raising their prices, their supplier's are going cheap. Even if they didnt, the quality of the base ingredients just are not the same as two years ago , 10 years ago, or 15 years ago. As for the print on the pencil, in my open stock some are printed clearer than others. I have some printed in black, some in gold, some in silver. So unless hobby lobby and michaels bought some "fake " pencils or there is a wide quality difference in prismcolor.
They look real to me. They may be selling off older (2018) sets to make way for the new sets which will contain the new colours. Temu may have bought a job- lot cheaper than usual because of that. Companies sometimes do that when they change packaging too, or add barcodes. Have fun!
Yep, that's definitely a theory. The seller was actually a third-party using Temu as the distributor. Like marketplace sellers on Amazon. So... they could be old real stock with Lilac & Lavender in or good fakes of the old set with not so good versions of those two pencils. Interesting either way! 🥰
I disagree for 2 reasons. The set from Temu is thinner. Also a few color differences. BUT please wait till I check my 2 Prisma sets, bought 2 years apart, yet both have lilac and lavender. I will check those shades and electric and process blues. Since both came from Amazon, we shall see, and I will edit this comment
@@BarbBColorReader ...look forward to your update!
@@BarbBColorReaderYes please update us with what you find!
I wrote a separate comment, look for it
I will tell you that I have several different sets of Prismacolor over the years and ALL of them were different in some way. Some of them the barrels didn't match, the color of the lead didn't match with older sets, some had rubbed off text stamped on the pencils, some had terrible wood, lead not centered, etc. BUT all of them were legit Prismacolor pencils. I purchased all of my sets from reputable art stores. Prismacolor does not have good quality control. With that being said, I do think you have a legit set here.
I agree!
Thanks for the info. I'm really wanting a set.
Thanks for this info I just bought them but didn’t look up any vids before hand I saved a lot on them to!!! their originally 125$ on temu but I had a 28$ off coupon and had 27-28 in store credit on there and got them for only 71$! I’m excited for them to come it’s something I’ve wanted for a very long time now
The box is exactly right, even down to the barcode. The order of the pencils in their trays is wrong though, completely different to how they come from Prisma. I pulled out my own backup prismas, which are the most recently purchased from various sources.. some open stock some in small sets, and not a single one has a white primer. Additionally the wood is the same texture as your original set, and they are all sharpened to the "prisma point". Also none of them have that dye stain where the wood contacts the core. I went online and looked at photos of genuine prismas up close from Blick, Prismacolor, and user reviews on a couple of different sites.. and they all confirm these points. Combine all that with the difference in size and color and they are 100% fake. Pretty good fake though, they really paid attention to details.
The order wasn't that bad, the top trays got messed up in transport due to no packaging.
With regard to the white undercoat, I thought the same, it was the red flag, the telltale sign, but over the last 24h I have seen (been shown) differently, so now I am even more confused.
Note: I have contacted Prismacolor, there will be a follow-up video! 🥰
I brought this exact set from temu, getting it today. Cant wait. They look legit to me. Thanks for your review.
Enjoy!
@@ArtJourneyUK Just swatched the whole set. One had a broken tip was missing about 2 cm of the color. And one of the pencils color led came completely out of the pencil. I had to put tape at the end of it to use it. Apart from that i loved the colors. Im yet to buy the original set of prisma colors as im only starting out.
Hi Lily, I think you have a true set of prismacolor. I looked at my pencils purchased from Dick Blick and the wood looks like the wood on your temu prismacolors., I noticed when I was watching the video that when you read the back of the box they were manufactured in 2019. That is why the Lilac and Lavender pencils are in the set.
Yes Elise, they definitely could be old stock from a store that decided to sell them via Temu. If they're not, they're good fakes! 🥰
They look so much alike and perform very nicely. Thanks for doing the test. I would not feel the need to buy the most expensive ones for quality purposes.
They look real to me. I just purchased a new 150 set off of
U.S. Amazon, 2 weeks ago. Your box is identical to mine. After researching before I bought mine I noticed on my Amazon that the new set with the new colors were $36.00 more & the box graphics were different. I think you got a good deal. I did see a review on Temu & the girl said hers were fake & had swatched all of them to her 36 set of Prismacolor’s & the colors did look different in her pics. I have to say I have purchased 3 sets through the years & all of them were a little different. I don’t believe that they are great on Quality control, lol…
That's great info Susan and I think you're right about a lack of quality control. Real or not, it's harder to tell than I thought it would be. 🥰
Since prisma moved to Mexico the quality has suffered. From my understanding watching!reading countless videos/reviews from a variety colorist n artist alike; they say the quality of lead, barrel/lead color match, quality of wood as well as the quality of the diameter of the core being consistent and straight, have all suffered due to change in manufacturing. I think it has a lot to do with cultural attitudes, IMO. Western society as a whole has historically been more uptight/perfectionist who are highly competitive at everything, always wanting to be the best...again generally, historically speaking. (Reason why German made, Swiss made, American made, etc...were known as best of best, at least prior to the globalization fiasco we have today. Japan and China were exception esp regarding their sword/pottery for a simple example). Other cultures are more laid back and not as ‘anal’. I think they probably have a much better balanced life than we from west who have valued work over family. Anyway, I think this might be why there’s so much more variability in each pencil. (Wasn’t trying to disparage anyone’s culture or say one is better than another, just pointing out my observation, not that it’s worth anything).
Frankly, since they seen that difficult to determine, I’d keep them...just separate from what I knew were genuine. -Peace
I have three sets of prism colors bought over a span of 20 years. None of mine have a white coating under the paint. My boxes also have the info on the back written in English, Spanish and French as required to sell in North America.
Prismacolor pencils do not have the white under coating. Period. They never have. This is in my opinion, just a good dupe, with the barrel color difference, the different core colors, the consistency in barrel size difference and the white undercoating, they are just good fakes. That being said if they’re good enough you can’t tell, then does it really matter. I would have liked to see how they blend with each other and with the originals. Looking forward to your update on what prismacolor had to say when you reached out.
😊✌️🎨
with regard to the white undercoat, that's exactly what I thought, it was the red flag, the tell-take sign... but over the last 24h I have seen (been shown!) that this is not the case! More to come!
I just checked, and mine don't have the white undercoat either.
I have never seen a white undercoat on colored pencils until I tried Chinese-made colored pencils. Bought multiple sets of Prismacolor pencils over the year and never seen that white undercoat
@@EspeoniaManga you need to watch the follow-up video! 🥰
😊@@EspeoniaManga
OK. @ArtJourneyUK, I tested my set from perhaps 3-ish years ago, well before they announced the lavender/lilac changes. Now, when the NEW SHADES were first released, we all wondered WHEN they will be added to new sets. I knew they had some newer sets out with an extra white, and a blender pencil as temporary replacements for lavender and lilac. However, i dont think they made too many of those. All of a sudden, earlier this year, Amazon had a great sale (USA)and I fully expected to get the extra white pencil and a blender pencil, but NO. This set still had lilac and lavender, which tells me WHY the sale? To get rid of all,. before sets could be released with the new colors. SO, I just finished comparing both sets. #1 All colors matched perfectly...lilac, lavender, electric blue and true blue. #2 no white underlay on either set #3 both sets came with short points. #4. Colors compared were both very soft and waxy. 5. Barrel colors match. THE ONLY THING I cannot check is girth, but i am confident both my sets are legit. Yours are NOT. You have barrel color differences, girth differences, color differences, and white underlay. You CAN return, and I would if I were you. Your original set is not "complete", so you cannot compare all 150 colors. You don't know how many discrepancies you would have. I would return for a refund, use the refund to complete your set or save for a new and legit 150 set.
Don't worry Barbara, there's more to come on this story as I have been speaking to Prismacolor 🥰
Also I am fully aware I can return, its the only reason I bought them. If they're real, amazing bargain, if not, I'll return. I won't have lost out either way.
And as much as they look different, they behave the same way, they are soft and buttery... so fake or not they are nice pencils to use. Does that make them worth the £71 I paid? Maybe. Even if they're not made in the Prismacolor factory!
Thanks for comparing your two sets. 🥰
I’m thinking they may be from the sets that had problems with the lead breaking a lot after prismacolor moved their manufacturing plant to Mexico. Many artists were in an uproar and even quit using them altogether because the breakages were so bad, you could go through an entire pencil just attempting to sharpen it. The 2018 date feels about right. Though I don’t know when it started exactly.
If you enjoy them, keep them!❤
I also think that. The core seems a little bit off-center just like the ones you uses to see a few years ago
I put all my pencils in my oven to melt the cores and have absolutely no breakage, I did have some breakage before doing this.
@@JCcreates927cool idea!
@@JCcreates927Can you please tell me more about the process of "cooking" your pencils to help core breakage?
@@BoGilmore heat your oven to 200F SHUT IT OFF put your tray of pencils in and leave them in there till the oven cools ( I do over night) I also put a note on the oven controls so I don't turn it on before removing the pencils.
Hi, I just watched your video. I saw those yesterday on Temu and wondered about this. I appreciate you taking the time to do this video. I say, if the artist is happy, what difference does it make. After watching your video, I am going ahead and ordering this. They seem to be so close to the prisma color pencils we buy here that I don't think it's going to matter to me. Thanks again!!? 🥰
The ones I got definitely seemed just as soft and nice to use. Enjoy! 🥰
If they're copies, it's ripping off Prismacolor. My company is battling Temu non-stop, and we deal with customer complaints because some items have poor counterfiets, and they blame us.
I have been using prismacolors for well over 30 years and what I can tell you is that these are the old stock that they are trying to sell in order to bring the new color that's in because people are demanding them. A couple of years ago or more there were a batch of sets that went out where the manufacturing of them was not as good and I think that's what you gotten. They received so many complaints that they did get it corrected but it took them quite a while.
Ooo this is good info! So these could be New Old Stock, perhaps from a Chinese store that's using Temu to sell them.
My only experience with Prismacolor is my 72 set and then some open stock pencils taking it up to 120ish and they've always had that really shallow cut point/tip. Has that ever changed throughout the years?
I remember that…when adult colouring really took off and their pencils ( Prisma) were in such high demand, they started making a slightly inferior product, that got a lot of complaints, and they went back to making them proper again. The only thing that really stands out for me as a difference with Temu, is the Temu ones have that white undercoating to the pencil itself. Thanks for doing this review of them. xo
@@jeaniethompson5623The white undercoat is what's causing a red flag for me too. So I've spent the afternoon watching Prisma pencils videos and watched a video by Gem at The Colour Cave where she compared her real Prismas with a fake set... and her real pink Prisma had a white undercoat too 🤔😵💫
That’s weird….. 🤔 Even if they do turn out to be fake, they are “ darn good fakes”, and a good deal. xo
@@jeaniethompson5623 that's my thinking!
I absolutely enjoyed this video. It was like watching myself when I'm suspicious of something, going through all the testing to make sure. There are some crazy counterfeits out there that are very close to the real deal. Can't wait for follow up
I thought it would be so easy to know if they're fake or not! 🥰
Yeah not anymore., it's so difficult sometimes to tell. You did a great job tough!
I know you've contacted the company, but Crystal's Coloring could probably give you some good info too. She's practically a Prisma historian. As for me, I have a ton of Prismas. I have a large set from 8-10 years ago, a small set from earlier this year, and a ton of new open stock from various stores, as well as pencils from all time periods at least as far back as Berol that I bought at different art resale shops. None of them have a white undercoat. It is the case that two pencils with the same name and number can change color slightly over time due to the availability of certain pigments. Crystal showed this with the Lavender pencil in one of her videos. I think your set is probably a good fake. Hope this helps, and I can't wait for your follow-up.
Thanks 🥰
Yea I got a set from Amazon with white undercoating, that's a good sign for fakes. It's like all those Chinese pencils that's basically the same, they got the coating too.
They look good to me. If you buy knitting yarn over time the shade will be slightly different from batch to batch. I'd buy them.
Thanks Janis 🥰
I always test specific colours of a set to see if it’s quality or not. Light greens are usually hard to blend of layer without a stripy effect. If you try to make a gradient with dark green and light green the overlap is very abrupt with low quality pencils. When I tried to do this with the Pablo they layered perfectly and I could also blend them together.
A mixed type of yellow is also very hard to get smooth a the paper. For example the colour ‘Honey’ by Arteza.
I don’t know why but all kinds of reds usually do a good job íf you use the right paper.
I own the portraitset from prisma and they do have the white edge on the barrel, but with Neenah Bristol Vellum or ‘Strathmore Drawing’ they blend excellent.
So I wonder…if the printing on the barrel is better; if they don’t crumble as much; if they blend excellent on the right paper and they are cheaper (in Europe)…why would you buy the original ones?
This set isn’t for sale anymore on Temu by the way. It says: ‘This product is discontinued’.
That's a great question! If they are "fakes" then they're better than the original!
Also really interesting to hear about the white line on your portrait set, so many people adamant that Prismacolor never have a white undercoat 🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK to be honest, I think there’s also a bit of a hype going on. It would be a perfect publicity stunt, wouldn’t it? And Prisma is making lots of money off it ;-)
And I ordered my set on Amazon, but I have no clue if they’re fake or not. They work! 😃
At the moment I’m testing twelve different brands of paper. On each paper I test blending, layering and ‘comfort’. This last one is particularly important to me, because of my chronic pain. And I’m testing 9 different brands of coloured pencils, from Arteza expert up to Caran d’Ache on EACH paper.
I’ve found out that Strathmore Bristol vellum (300 series) is a crappy paper for my hands and for my eyes! The Prisma’s look dull, the Pablo’s are ‘okay’ but my hands were so sore. Even the Derwent Inktense (wet) look a bit ‘off’ on that paper. Really disappointed in that paper.
There are loads of videos about testing pencils but very few about paper and which paper works best for which pencil.
Some vloggers say that a Luminance works best on X-paper and Polychromos on Y-paper, but I’ve found out that it isn’t that black or white.
And what about all the people who have chronic pain? There loads of people who color to relax and with pain its not that relaxing ;-)
It’s not only about the blendability of a pencil. The thickness of the barrel is also important; if a barrel is thick (and round) you have to use more strength with your hand. A triangular-shaped pencil is very comfortable, but you have to have the right sharpener. 😭
If the paper is very structured it means that I Have to use a lot of forse to get the colour smooth. If the paper is too smooth a lot of pencils don’t give a fibrant colour…
Gosh, it almost looks like science, doesn’t it? if I had my own channel I could make a video about it 😂
If you want the results and use it for one of your videos, let me know 🤣
Hi Lisa! I've just seen your great reply, because youtube only notifies me of new comments... but not replies! I agree with everything you wrote... and yes, it does sound like science, and I love pencil science! I'd love to hear more about your tests, please feel free to email me at artjourneyuk@gmail.com
@@ArtJourneyUK in the meantime I’ve added more paper to the test and graphite pencils. I know that it’s really ambitious 🫣😂 but I will email you my findings with pictures of course 😬
Ooh, a mystery. Honestly I'd say that the white undercoat, look of the wood and the difference in colours would make me err on the side of fake....but good fakes. But I am so far from an expert on prismacolors as I only have a handful of open stock. Really interested to see if you find any more info on them.
It's funny Abi, as I when I ordered them I thought if they were fakes I'd be able to tell easily. But then.. I couldn't! So I'm still undecided! 🥰
My initial thought was they were old stock containing lilac and lavender which are no longer in the prisma set, until the electric blue which was a different colour entirely. My prisma's don't have a white undercover and they don't sharpen them much at all. I know of ppl who bought the prisma's through Etsy and they had white pencil & a blender because you couldn't get lilac and lavender which was a disappointment because it was before they brought out amethyst and orchid. I think they are fake and they are most certainly thinner but the electric blue was a different colour with white underpaint said it all for me. Well done Lily, investigative journalism is you jam. ❤❤❤
It's interesting Claire because I really thought it would be easy to spot (or feel...) fake Prismas... but it wasn't which is why I was firmly undecided in this video... 🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK I guess it doesn't matter one way or another as long as ppl like the pencil &/or don't feel ripped off. However what about the ppl in the UK or Aussie who have never used a prisma because of availability & price. They won't know they were sold a sows ear instead of the real deal. If that set you got had a white pencil & a prisma blender (like that old stock on etsy) I may have fallen for it but you can't get lavender & lilac in a prisma 150 set anymore. I would send your video and an email to prismacolour. Also the dead give away in retrospect was the silver printing on the pencil, you could read it on the fakes, you can't do that on the real ones lol. Loved your video Lily xxx
Why did they get rid of those pretty colors did they replace them with new colors I’m glad I have plenty I love those colors
It’s hard cause the colors should not look different
@@dianabarnessarlo6387 because they were unable to get the raw pigments for those two colours anymore
Thanks for this. I’ve just bought a 120 set of Brutfuner pencils for £17. Temu again. This has convinced me that I have a bargain!
Brutfuners are great pencils, excellent value for money. Enjoy your bargain 🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK Thank you.
Interesting! I think they might be real. I had an experience where a set of Prismas I purchased from a reputable seller was much scratchier than my older set. I contacted Prisma customer support, and they said that they were most likely a ‘bad batch’ and they sent me a new set which were fine.
Ooo nice customer service! I'm waiting to hear back from Prismacolor CS 🥰
I called customer service at Prismacolor. He said that the pencils with the good printing on the pencils are authentic. Then he verified from my barcode on the box, that it was authentic. My box has the lavender and lilac pencils. The date of the box is 2018. These pencils didn't retire until 2022. Then he told me that it was good that I have the older pencils because you can no longer get them and he's sending me the two new ones; the orchid and amethyst. Plus, I had a damaged pencil so he is also replacing that. I'm a happy camper.
Fab!
The wood looks completely different and as for that tip - that's how you instantly recognise a new Prismacolor: the short tip. I err on the side of fake...
Detective Lily 😉
I love that Prismacolor short tip... I even bought the T'gaal sharpener yo replicate it (setting 1!) 😆
Maybe you can call prisma color company and ask them if any of their authorized manufacturers create a pencil with a white underpainting? And ask about the diameter of the pencils? Maybe that can confirm if they are official or knock-offs.
I have contacted Prismacolor throughout the last week (I've had these pencils over 10 days now and contacted Prismacolor on the first day). They'll be a follow-up video with all the info.
I’ve just come home to a Temu delivery and the same set of pencils as you have in the video. Honestly? They are better than my very genuine and very terrible quality mix of a 75 set from Amazon and open stock. Honestly my genuine ones all have split barrels and off centre leads, and the Temu ones are very creamy with brilliant colour saturation. If they aren’t genuine honestly the price I paid was right for the number of pencils and quality. They are significantly better than artzea and castle pencils. Well worth a buy! Only downside is I don’t want to get rid of the box but using the box on the couch with a drawing board on my lap isn’t all that handy! .
I know right? They are lovely pencils and better build quality than 'real' Prismacolor Pencils. You should watch the follow-up video... very interesting! 🥰
What I am taking from this, is that real prismacolors are so badly made that you can’t tell the difference between them and possible fakes 😂. I bought a few open stock and they were dreadful, never bought any more.
Hehe to he fair, that's fairly accurate! Some the better, heritage pencil brands, like Derwent and Faber-Castell have reference pencils that every batch is matched to, so different colours for the same number just don't exist. If Prismacolor had that, then we'd all know better when colours were off. I think their manufacturing consistency might be non-existent! 🥰
😂 good point. When the "fake" is better quality then the original. I tried them, because so many artists on RUclips used them. And in Europe they are more expensive. They are buttery, but I will never buy them again. So much breakage, that some pencils are useless and have that wax bloom. I rather would buy the even more expensive luminance, which comes without breakage, or use faber Castel, which are not that buttery but better to layer. If there is no breakage and the pencils are usable, I would guess thats a fake.
I wonder if these were just enough ‘off quality’ to be rejected, or if they were part of a lot that fell and got a tiny bit damaged. They seem to be real, packaged for the Canadian market, but with the damaged box, my guess is that one of the big retailers rejected them, then a reseller recouped some of them.
You can tell by the lead of the pencil. Prismas are so soft and creamy and smoosh together so well. I cant get that with any other pencil brand.
@@iSheree Yes, that's true and I thought I'd be able to tell a fake immediately, but the core of these pencils is soft and smooshy too and they colour & blend exactly the same.
I think, it doesn't matter, if you have to look with a magnifying glass to see the most differences. Paint with them and if it feels good and you're ok with youre pictures, be happy.
True!
I have also purchased Prismacolor Premier from TEMU . And Ibhave fake one I have compered them to the original Prismacolor and the colors are close but not the same, and few of them are completely different. But for this price I've kept them.
They're nice pencils to use, soft and smooshy, even if they're not real! Enjoy yours! 🥰
Lily I’d keep them . They’re probably older stock and a good deal for you ( and those living in the uk for sure )
I’m shocked at how much more costly they are for you in the UK! 😢( as here in Canada one can get them in subscribe and save for$ 168.00 CD . )
I bought a set last year on Boxing Day and only paid about 90.00😊 I meant to add thanks for the very comprehensive analysis! Happy colouring ! 🎨🙂
Thank you 🥰
I only have a few prismacolor pencils and would love a full set but I am so afraid of ending up with a fake set as have read so many reviews on Amazon of suspected fake sets that it puts me off.
Thank you for your review Lily it was very interesting.
Have a lovely weekend 💖
I know the feeling! I bought my tin of 72 years ago and have only topped up with open stock since. Have a lovely weekend too Karen 🥰
You can wait until Amazon has another sale, then go to Michael’s, and they will beat the amazon listed price by 10% (they do have be sold by amazon no third party seller tho) I did that a couple years back before the big amazon sale last winter and got a set from Michael’s for 84$ at least this way you know you’re for sure getting a true set😊✌️🎨
@@That1HippieChick The air fare for me to fly over to America to go to Michaels will cost an awful lot more than I'll save. I'm in the UK!😅
Either way you have a cracking set of pencils at a bargain price 🤔
I bought my set of Prismas when I was in college in 1991. They were the required pencils for a drawing class. It was a 24 pc set. I fell in love with them❤ But art was not major, it was a humanities class. My major was nursing. Of course I kept the pencils in hopes of one day returning to art for a relaxing hobby. I did just that. I started drawing again and then adult coloring books became big. I bought the 72 ct set, then the 124(?) set. Then 150 pc set came out. I drooled over them for a couple of yrs and one day Amazon had a sale on them for $80!!! IKR!!! So I jumped on them and bought a set. I can’t tell if yours are fake or not but if you like them and color easily with them. Then I say enjoy them and don’t buy from Temu again 😆 then you won’t have to worry about if they are fake or not.
Here in the UK, from Amazon, the set is £198, so at £72 from Temu are so much cheaper!
I’m not sure why Amazon had them on sale so low. But when I saw that price I was on it!!!
It’s funny you should show this because I recently bought a box of 150 Prismacolor from Amazon for about the same price and they look very similar to yours except mine did not come with the lilac and lavender. Instead they came with blender and extra white. Just as yours, they had a difference in the wood quality. Some of the writing on mine was a little poorer than my old Prismacolor set. But, the pigment felt so similar to my originals. I too questioned myself whether they were genuine. I’m thinking that they are likely “seconds” - ones that did not make the grade to sell at a premium price but still good enough to package and sell off at low cost. I’m keeping mine cos I like the feel when I use them (I also don’t have to be precious about using them and I can get more fun and use out of them. ) Yay us!
That's a great way to look at it! Yay! 🥰
They definitely look real to me. Think you are trying to convince "yourself" they are Fake.
I have a box of Prismas I bought in USA. Another I bought on Amazon. Some are very similar others are smack on and some are way different colours.
🏴
I think they are probably legit. But not only could they be back stock from somebody that went out of business. Found in an old warehouse, blooper sets, rejects (like the difference in sizes, colors etc.) there's all kinds of possibilities, really. And if course could be fake, but they're really good ones. The colors look very rich and look to go on very smoothly. Looks to me like they volor wonderfully!
They do colour really nicely, certainly different to the fakes shown on other videos. In the follow-up video, I talk more about the differences and compare them to a real set of 150 pencils 🥰
I have a set of 150 I bought off Amazon in America (2020)and a set of 24 I bought from a craft store in America (2010). I sat and looked through my pencils as you did your video and none of mine have the white undercoating on the outside of the pencil. There is a difference how the old ones came sharpened compared to the new ones. All the cores and colors are the same. I always sharpen my pencils before swatching because there’s often times a thin wax coating on the tip of the core. Neither my old or new crumble like that. The printing on the barrel of the newer pencils are slightly more difficult to read. Thanks for your video.
You got me baffled on this one and this is the reason why I have held off buying prismacolour with them being so expensive to get here in the uk .. I don’t want to spend all that money to get fakes .. these are the only pencils I do not own yet want .. and I don’t know where to purchase from to get true genuine prismas. I would love a set of them to add to my collection if anyone knows where I can get genuine ones from please would you let me know I’m in the uk tysmfs .. really great upload 🥰
After filming this video I contacted Prismacolor Customer Service and was given some very interesting information. It's likely I'm going to do a follow-up to this video with that information. I'm just waiting for another reply to confirm things, so worth waiting for that! 🥰
Any legitimate art supply.. Jacksons, Ken Bromely, etc. Just stay away from sketchy online marketplaces.
@@waymire01 Neither Jacksons or Ken Bromley sell Prismacolor Pencils.
@@ArtJourneyUK My bad, I could have sworn Jacksons did in the past. I'm 90% positive pencils4artists used to too but now they don't. I checked and colouredpencilshop does. I had no idea they were so hard to get in the UK these days. They are everywhere here in the US, even Walmart and Target sell smaller sets. For what it's worth I bought my last 150 set at Amazon, but DIRECTLY from amazon not a third party. An easy way to avoid Marketplace sellers is to click the "prime" button at the top left of the search page, it takes them all off. They were legit and in perfect condition. I find I do best with Amazon if I order something else at the same time so they have to put my pencils in a box.. a pencil case is a good choice since it provides extra padding. I've actually ordered many different pencil sets from them and never gotten a counterfeit. They have amazing sales sometimes. I love my Prismas but I wouldn't hurt myself to get them, especially if open stock wasn't readily available or very expensive.. you go through them very quickly due to their softness.
@@ArtJourneyUK where can I purchase these from so I know I will get genuine ones lovely 🥰
I wanted to say that I bought that exact set at an art store a week ago for the sale price of 99 usd. Looks legit to me. Loved the video
Its really hard to tell as they are not obvious fakes like have been shown in other videos. Enjoy yours! 🥰
I think that any differences could just be down to different manufacturers and possibly a mixture of old and new stock in different countries. I think that they are probably real, but either way, if it is so hard to tell, then you still have a bargain 😊
Quality control is ify on prismacolor, for the price you paid and how similar they are, I'd keep them, they seem like nice pencils xx
This is true Vickster... if they are fake, they're good ones because it wasn't easy to tell the difference!
Hi i bought these aswell and was iffy because my old prismacolor was bought in 2016 from Amazon uk. I bought some open stock a few months ago from cult pens and theyre stamped with Mexico and feel and look the same so i decided that theyre real and a bargain for £101 enjoy 😊
They perform well. So they are either an amazing bargain or a good dupe! Enjoy them! 🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK exactly I'm pleased I got them as mine were running low and there's no way I'd pay £200 for them 😃
If they are legit, even if theyre old stock theyre still great! I have Prismas that are decades old and they work just as well as my newer ones. 😊
Ummmm very difficult I thought they were real until the electric blue colour being very different but if they are fake it’s a pretty good one for the price I would keep them very interesting video Lily thanks for sharing. Trusting Robbie is now recovered and well again.
It is interesting. I thought it would be really easy to spot (...or feel!) Fake Prismacolor Pencils but... I guess not! Robbie is 100% better, back to running around like a mad thing 🥰
I’m a big fan of CSI colour pencil and this is a particularly intriguing episode. But I’d say fake. Never seen a Prisma with that white undercoat and the way they’re sharpened just looks wrong. What’s their return process like?
I think Kori would be able to tell if they’re the real deal.
Hahaha! The way they're sharpened is definitely a big red flag as well as the white undercoat. I just didn't expect fakes to perform so well! Free returns, so no issue sending them back 🥰
I just looked at my Prismacolor Premiers and they do not have the white undercoat and they are sharpened really short. I also just bought a set of Prismacolor Verithin pencils and they were not sharpened at all! But they still don't have the white undercoat. That doesn't seem to be something that Prismacolor does.
@@monicajorgensen4774 I thought the same, but have been told (and shown!) differently recently. 🥰
I been using the large eye makeup sets for colouring books.look excellent
When you first colored with them I noted that the one from Temu did fill better although it may have felt different. Interesting.
The Temu brand was sharpened with a dull sharpener, and the wood is different. Maybe they are factory seconds. I am wondering why one label says they are made in Mexico while the other says they are made in the USA.
A conundrum indeed! I cover more about these in the follow-up video. 🥰
Thank you for the video. They are back in stock so I just bought them, priced £120 and I paid just under 80 with a voucher. I have a 75 set from Amazon which I was very disappointed in as after a month or so they are all split and breaking. Furious really. I’ve added some open stock CD luminance which I love but too pricey for amateur art. I’m hoping these are better than the original ones I have as I love the colour range but honestly the prisms color pencils themselves are trash. It’s just the range of colours and softness I like but boy are they terrible quality
Yeah I agree. Quality wise these are better than "real" Prismacolor pencils. I hope you get a similar batch as mine as its a different seller that has them this time. Good luck!
I have some definite fakes. The colours on the outside are completely different to my "normal" prismacolour, but the leads are very similar to the real ones. They feel different as well. The lilac and lavender will still be in older sets.
So what's your thinking Claire? Bargain older set or decent fake?
@ArtJourneyUK I think it could be an old set. My fakes are no where near the outside colour of the originals. Your set is similar if not the same outer colour. Old bargain I think 🤔
@@clairewilcox3197 Thanks for your input, I'm still fully undecided because they colour like a Prisma! 🫣😵💫
Yours look a lot like the proper ones where mine are nothing like them. If they ate fake, they're flippin good ones 😆
Hi!
I really enjoyed your video! I just found you tonight. 😊
From what I understood you say, at least part of their manufacturing took place in Mexico.
We lived in Mexico for 3-1/2 years, and another 13-1/2 years stateside, very near to Mexico. In fact, our home was only 12 miles from the border.
While living in Mexico, I learned a bit about her people, and about some of the business practices you might find there.
I believe that consistency in quality of a product is what your issue may boil down to.
in our experience, there really isn’t any such thing as quality control in Mexico…or at least it’s extremely rare.
I’d have to believe that your set could possibly be a true Prismacolor, but was unfortunate enough to have been manufactured in Mexico.
We encountered so many things like this in our years in Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley.
Discrepancies found in your new pencils may not be Prismacolor’s fault, other than them trusting whoever handles quality control for them.
I hope this helps.
Blessings to you!
Jacqui
Thanks for the information Jacqui! 🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK you're more than welcome. ❤️
Sorry didn’t read update but I believe these are real, in fact I think that the fake versus real Prismacolor started from people who were unlucky to have one pencil with split wood or slightly off writing. Sarah Renae Clark did a really in depth dive into this which would be worth watching. She even goes into the history of Prismacolor etc. She makes some good points and is worth watching if you haven’t seen her as she is a knowledgeable colour pencil artist. I think that there are slight manufacturing faults or people may be getting older sets. Either way I don’t think there really are fake Prismacolors out there, I’ve yet to see enough proof to support the claim.
BTW Brutfuner Square have a buttery feeling like Prismacolor, they are nothing like the scratchy round ones.
My round Brutfuners are soft and buttery, exactly like the square ones! I'll include the squares in the follow-up video too!
Agreed, Sarah knows her stuff for sure! She’s my idol haha
My Brutfuner round set of 260 are super smooth! I love them!
I'm colouring with my prismas right now and they have no white line between the colour on the outside of the pencil and the wood. I think they're fake
Yep. My original Prismas don't have the white undercoat either... but you know what does... 🫢
Have you had any lead breakages? Yep got one of those neighbours too who brings out a huge PA system into the garden!!!! As soon as you opened them my first thought was the tips looked different
No... interestingly, I haven't. 🤔
Yeah, glad it's raining this weekend, might get some videos filmed 😆
As far as the pencils go…. I dont know either. They are at the least a really great fake. Being a “fake”, they shouldn’t cost even what you paid.
This might be nuts but what if you compared all 150 or whatever real set you have.
The quality of the wood looked sus. Yet the seemed to color well. Haha. I dont know either.
Over here £71 is an amazing price for 150 Prismacolor Premier Pencils, the set on amazon is £198.
But £71 for something churned out the Brutfuner factory... definitely not an amazing price 😆
I really thought it would be easier to tell a fake by the feel... and it's not as easy as I thought as they're either great fakes or real! 😵💫🤯
Is it weird to reference another RUclipsr? Sarah Renae Clark did an investigative video into fake Prismacolors. What stands out for me is that she did get to see a fake set, and the white undercoat was the big difference. It's irritating to feel like you've been tricked, but even if they are fake, they're pretty darn good, right? If you can't tell the difference when using them I'd say you got a great deal either way.
No, not weird at all Maria. I watched Sarah's video when I was waiting for mine to arrive and it actually put my mind to rest because Pamela, Lindsay and Jennifer all said fake prisma pencils weren't a thing 😆. The other thing was the 72 set of fakes Sarah showed were much harder, not buttery, and the ones I have are not, they're soft like Prismas.
Then today I've watched a video by Gem from the The Colour Cave where she compared her real Prismas with a suspected fake set... and the real pink pencil she showed had the white undercoat! 🤔😵💫
Thank you for this video. If they are real, they are an incredible bargain. But it seems studying the comments there seem to be conflicting views of whether they are either good fakes, or older stock of the real McCoy before sets were changed. But by all accounts, sound like they are indeed nice pencils to use...and if that's the case, it probably won't matter to me if they are 'official' or not, if they are soft core and blend and layer nicely anyway. Thank you for a good honest review.
Hi Mike! Thank you for your balanced comment! Indeed there was so much "are they, aren't they?" I made a follow-up video comparing them to another 150 set and also contacted Prismcolor multiple times!
P.S. I kept them. They are nice pencils whoever makes them!
@@ArtJourneyUK Thank you, I've just been watching your follow up video. Intriguing, but most definately these pencils are well worth a punt regardless of who makes them! I appreciate your videos and have subscribed for more 🙂
Hi, I’ve commented so often before on this video. BUT I finally pulled the case with my Prismacolors and Karismacolors. ALL the Karismacolors have the white undercoat, I purchased them from Amazon Japan so they came from the source. NONE of my Prismacolors have the white undercoat. To prove my Prismacolors are the original, my neon orange, PC1036 has a split straight down the schaft from head to toe. That’s definitely an original…lol 😂😂😂
I think these are sadly fake, the white undercoat and the wood texture for me are a no. I have an older set, and a newer set, and I’ve never seen white undercoat. But if you like them, and they don’t feel too different does it matter at this price? Prismas are so over priced here, it was worth trying them. X Enjoy them either way, x 👍🏻
Hey Wendy...definitely not a sadly for me. I've either got cheap Prismacolors or a great set of smooshy dupes!. I also thought the same about the white undercoat but in the last 24h have seen differently, leaves me even more confuddled!
But as like you say... I've still got a nice set of pencils 🥰
Hola! You made me a bit curious about taking a peek at my 150 set Prismas that I purchased from Amazon years ago and i too don't see a white undercoat in them... any of them. I sharpened one from each color family and no white trim...
With regard to the white undercoat, I thought the same, it was the red flag, the telltale sign, but over the last 24h I have seen (been shown) differently, so now I am even more confused! 🥰
They pretty darn close, except for the electric blue 😅 I'd keep them. They'd work for me & you can say you got a cheap set of prismas 😉 ty for sharing. I've been leary about Temu. Things from China are usually so cheaply made products & don't last very long before they break. 🤷♀️
They are darn close indeed! The different shade of lilac is interesting... like they really couldn't get that shade right 🥰
After watching you test these pencils I think you have a bloody good buy xx
I’m leery about the Temu Prismas. I’d return them if you can. Very interesting video though. It’s very hard to be sure one way or the other.
I can return them. They have a decent return policy, which is why I bought them. If they're good, happy days! If they're fake... back they go. I just didn't expect to be so on the fence! 🥰
UPDATE: There's been so many comments it's hard for me to respond to them all so I wanted to pin an update here:-
1. I have reached out to Prismacolor Customer Service and will be doing a follow-up video - the video is here: ruclips.net/video/lSCHeE78fGE/видео.htmlsi=RIe172vjLh-PDV39
2. I paid £71.40 (approx $90 USD) which is a cheap price in the UK for Prismacolor Premier Pencils
3. I can return them to Temu for a full refund if I want... but they are decent Pencils.
4. I *have* seen Sarah Renee Clark's video, I watched it while I was waiting for mine to arrive , however these pencils are not hard and scratchy like Sarah showed, they are soft and buttery and similar to Prismacolor soft (as shown in the video)
5. Fake or real, they are nice pencils to use... and it's my money that's on the line here.
Thanks everyone for watching and debating nicely in the comments 🥰
I hope you update us to what prisma said
They are fake, I've ones from Amazon and the white coating is a big hint + the colors don't match
@@stormydk interesting...
The white undercoat doesn't seem like a good sign at all. That's what would worry me
@@lottiewhatever yeah, that seemed like a red flag to me too 🤔
I have these pencils and they look real to me.
Interesting video thank you but I would vote that they are fakes. I saw that Temu had fake Johanna Basford books so sadly I think that increases the chances that the pencils are fake as well and the white undercoat and all of the other differences seem to confirm that.
With regard to the white undercoat, I thought the same, it was the red flag, the telltale sign, but over the last 24h I have seen (been shown) differently, so now I am even more confused 🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK I hope that you feel you got good value for money, at the end of the day that is what is important x
@@RachelHendersonColouring If they are Real Prismacolor Pencils they were an amazing deal, if they are fake, they are decent smooshy Pencils for less than 50p a pencil. They work like a Prisma so... I'm happy enough. If I wasn't, I'd return them for a refund. It's all good 🥰
Hi Lily. just checked temu can't find them anywhere so i reckon no longer available. downside is they have a back to school sale on with so many wonderful things, so had to close the tab pronto before i bought anything LOL. Anyway have seen some review vids from the us that noticed a white underlayer. I have got a set that cost me and i wasn't impressed, maybe i got a dupe set? enjoy your prismas and keep on slurping.
Hmm interesting. I waiting to hear back from Prismacolor Customer Service so that will be interesting to hear what they say 🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK @ArtJourneyUK Hope you get satisfactory answer with that. I think that the p's have built up such a legendary status that everyone wants them, i resisted getting them for along time and only when i saw the 72 set for a ridiculous price on ebay did i succumbed. when i eventually got them i wasn't really impressed.
When i began colouring i joined pamelas passion for pencils group, and every video mentioned the p's within the first minute. Yet i got kicked out the group for commenting once how the faber castells polychromos were on a deal at a UK website. Yet other group members were from the US were allowed to glorify the aforementioned premier brand.
I guess what i'm trying to say is stick with what you like and try not to get influenced by others, present company excepted as i always find yours honest and impartial. Whoops didnt mean to vent like this sorry and have a good day. Keep on slurping.😰🤯.
Darn, Prismacolors are not a huge bargain on Temu for me. At Temu they are $108 USD and on Amazon $110 USD.
Yeah that's what makes me wonder if they're real... just another outlet like Amazon for you US gals 🥰
It seems like every set of prismacolor pencils you get, there is something that is just a tad different. Mexico’s quality control at its best. So these could be the real thing. That white undercoating and type of wood is a concern though. Regardless, they seem to color wonderfully and are quite soft like Prismacolor so I think it’s still a great deal as they certainly seem like wonderful pencils. Are you keeping them or returning them?
That's very true Lisa. I've kept them, they colour good and if they are fake, I'll never get them again 😆
*"Detective Lily is on the case again! Will she solve the mindboggling mystery of the phony pencils?"*
This would be much easier if Prismacolor had semidecent quality control and transparent communication. They could be pencils rejected by quality control for colour differences etc and sold to China, but they just as well could be very good dupes. Ironically the better printing makes me think that they are fake. I can say that the box is genuine, it's identical to my box. I'm just wondering why a company would spend a lot of time and ressources to fake something else so well, instead of just making their own product.
Indeed.. that is an interesting question Holmes 🤔
Try sharpening them, and check the wood for any splits and full length separation signs too.
I did sharpen 3 in the video (just cut out the annoying sharpener noise!) Split wise, they look OK. But I'm going to do a follow-up video too 🥰
❤@@ArtJourneyUK
I think they are real. But besides that, if you aren't sure then they must be so close that you can't tell the difference. And if that's the case and they are fake, then good on them for coming up with a pencil so similiar that a person that knows her prismas well, can't even tell. Regardless, you've got a very nice set of pencils at a really good price. Yay!
That's exactly what I think too Shelley. Whoever made them, made good pencils! 🥰
the wood is nastier in temu. the finish of outer colour coat on pencil is different, and the issue of lead colour difference? I'd say Temu is fake, but I wonder does prismacolor sell manufacturing licenses? I also would like to see you attempt to blend the different brands , like how does red and green blend one to the next, in the different brands and also how many layers of colour can you lay down in the different brands before you can't lay any more down and are just dealing with a waxy impenetrable finish. This was an interesting video and for me the question is how does the temu supposed prismacolour perform in comparison with any other similarly priced colour pencil?
I did compare the pencils in 4 different colouring books with other cheap Chinese sets to see how they performed, maybe you didn't watch that far into the video? 🥰
I think they are real, I actually think they may be slightly better lol, I got my very first set last week from us amazon, and they still had the lavender and lilac in them.
Do they look similar to the ones in this video? 🤔
@@ArtJourneyUK mine look like your original ones, arseways printing, but no white underpaint.
Very interesting video and it’s hard to say. It is questionable regarding the electric blue being a different color. A couple of years ago my local art shop told me that Prisma color Premier had changed owners and after that the pencils were different. People were complaining of breakages and the pencils seeming not to be the same. So 🤷♀️. Maybe write to Prima and ask hey what’s up?🤣
Yes both the Electric Blue and the lilac were different. I have written to Prisma Customer Service... so there might be a part 2 video 🫣🥰
Yeah, about eight or nine years ago, prisma colour which had been made and owned in the US got bought by a Mexican company and then now made in Mexico when they went there. The pencils went downhill. The legs are often of Centre which makes them break a lot more regularly and the wood. They use is no longer top-quality so sometimes they break apart or crack when being sharpened.
So my next question is... what are they actually, and how much do they cost without the fake Prisma skin on? They are pretty nice pencils. White labeling is so frustrating. I've been trying to figure out what the Brutfuner Macarons are ever since I got them.. they are obviously white labeled because they are completely different from the rest of the Bruts, and I'd love a full color set.
Brut Macs, I think they might be the same as the 520 set in the floral boxes? Check with someone who has that set. Rene said they were the same.
@@andrewmandywilsontatham49 Thanks, but no unfortunately. They have a thicker core, and a completely different style of casing. The 520 aren't even capped.
You saw me compare them to Brutfuner, Arteza and Arrtx pencils in the video, these are nothing like those three pencils. These are much softer and creamier, just like Prismacolors.
150 pencils for £71, about 50p for a soft creamy pencil? More buttery than Arrtx... for similar price. Fake or real they're nice pencils. 🥰
I just looked up on the internet regarding Prismacolors. There's quite a bit of info. It's quite late here ,so I just scanned some of it. They originated in New York and moved to Mexico in 2010. They retire both lilac and lavender a few years ago.
Also, I just remembered that I had a set of 36 that I bought about 10 years ago. They're very thin and marked Mexico.
The Lavender and Lilac colours were retired last year, they were replaced with new colours (Orchid and Amethyst) in May 2023. 🥰
Just ordered Prismacolor 150 set from Blick Art Materials for $ 139 usd. Hoping to get real Prismacolor set.
You 100% will from Blicks.
Fantastic review! Could I ask what the measuring tool you used is called. New Subscriber xx
I call it a girth-o-meter...lol... but it's real name is a Micrometer (or digital caliper). Thanks for subbing! 🥰
Even at Temu's price i can't afford them, will save have save up. I Do have set of 48 Junior/ Scholar Prisma no idea if any worse, or the same.
Keep on with these Awesome Videos
You help so much.
Take care x
I've heard the Scholars are pretty similar, but not tried them myself. How do you find them?
@@ArtJourneyUK
I saw a video on here, there on Amazon at The Minute xx
@@ArtJourneyUKI Really Like Them Lily, I Think There Creamy An Smooth. Sounds Like A Bar Of Chocolate 😂
1 Day I May Be Able To Get Them.
Best Not Hold My Breath. 😅
I Hope You An Your Family Are Well? Your Mam Looked Like She Was Loving Colouring. Xx
The first set of Prismacolors that I bought in 1975 were made in the USA. All of them stamped with USA and were not sharpened at all. The second and third sets were stamped Mexico. Like some of the other comments I think that the quality control is not as good now as it once was when these pencils were produced in the USA. I think you probably have a legitimate box of Prismacolor Pencils.
Thanks Jody 🥰
If you have lavender and lilac in that box, you have an OLD BOX OF PRISMACOLORS! They got rid of lavender and lilac this year because they couldn’t get access to the pigments for them. they stopped making lilac and lavender awhile ago!
You have a box of gold! some artists would kill for an old school lavender or lilac!
...or I have a box of fake pencils with a fake lavender and lilac! 😄
I would keep then even if they are fake.. These pencils looks like the real deal!
They're certainly soft enough and nice to use! 🥰
I honestly thought they was fake ones too when I seen them on Temu but after watching your video I think there just odder stock pencils that have the discontinued pencils in so there trying to get rid of the stock they have left of them. I’d say Temu got a bunch for a really good price. But that’s just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions lol 😂
Hehe thanks Leighann. There have certainly been a lot of opinions posted! All valid too. 🥰
I looked this set up on Temu & compared it to the same set elsewhere. I actually found it a couple other places for a few dollars less than Temu.
Definitely if you're in the US you can get them cheaper (and have no ambiguity). I'm in the UK and paid £72 which is almost 2/3rds cheaper that we can get them on Amazon
I have old and new prismacolors, from art stores, real don’t have the white paint ring and they are always sharpened to that stub point.
Yep, that's exaxtly what I thought... until I watched a video yesterday afternoon. Now I'm just waiting to hear back from Prismacolor themselves (again!) and I'll do a follow-up video 🥰
There are obvious differences between the 2, but to be honest l, if i go by just the video, the temu pencils actually seem like a pretty good product (have to use them myself to get the feel and performance)
I purchased these too and came to the conclusion that they were fake, so returned them. I have the genuine 150 set and there were just too many inconsistencies with colour, and size of the barrels, plus the white undercoat. I thought they were the same as Arrtx, as the lemon yellow has the same lime green tint to it, which the genuine prismacolor doesn’t have.
Agreed!
Looking at these swatches is not the true test. Will the color of the fake ones hold true over the years? Will they fade? Which will turn brassy in color. After all, you need to know how well they will hold up. I suggest placing these swatches in a low temp oven and baking them to simulate aging or some other similar method of calculating quality.
I only use my pencils in colouring books, so their blending is important but their lightfastness is irrelevant to me. If I was doing artwork to be displayed, I wouldn’t use Prismacolor Pencils; I’d use Caran d’Ache Luminance or Derwent Lightfast as they have much better lightfastness. Thanks for watching 🥰
Know I’m late to comment but bought 4 open stock Prismacolors at Hobby Lobby a few days ago and have yet to sharpen them. Two have the stubby point and two had that bit longer point.
That's interesting, thanks! Definitely adds to the confusion 😆
I agree they are a older set, if you act can’t tell yourself then fake or not you got your moneys worth
Hi Lily, the wood used looks different to me. Regards Peter
Yep it does Peter, but the wood could easily change between years of manufacture... and even batches. 🥰
This is a perenial problem apparently for me I don't want to see you duped. Regards Peter@@ArtJourneyUK
@@peterlittle6651 aww thanks Peter. I'll not have lost out either, if they're fake they'll be returned. 🥰
Or prismacolor is really cutting back on their product..... down sizing big time.
THANKS A MILLION FOR SHARING THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION!
Prismacolor have really gone down in quality from years ago. I have SO many that break less than halfway through the pencil and I sharpen it and they just keep breaking. I’ve given up on them.
Yes, I agree. At least the Temu ones seem to be better built quality!
It would be interesting to know how many broken cores you come across in this set, verses any other set, seeing that there was no bubble wrap protection.
So far (and I’ve had them about 6 weeks now) I’ve not had any broken cores.
I think your temu are real. I have a fake set and there is no doubt. The cores are much thinner, the colours are very different, and much, much harder.
Yes, that's the thing that strikes me. The thick cores and the softness really makes them feel like Prismas! 🥰
Thank you for this! I have a few sets, one from amazon that I suspect (no mexico stamp) but I'm really concerned about your set having the white undercoating and how they are sharpened. The white undercoating is a feature of fake FB Polychromos so I wonder if that is the case also with counterfeit prisma.
@robinnichols1894 .. ahh I made a follow-up video to this one, where I discuss the white undercoat in detail!
How they turn when you use a pencil sharpener?does the wood break easily? It looks like a good fakes for me, but because of the wood, and the white inner coat. Anyway they look good on paper.
They sharpened well. No splintering of the wood and no core breakages. 🥰
JUST LIKE YARN HAS DIFFERENT DYE LOTS, SO DO PENCILS AS THE COLORS ARE CREATED IN A FACTORY.
Not quite the same, pencils are made to an exact recipe of pigments and each lot compared to a reference pencil. 🥰
Do You Have Put Up With The Noise All The Time? Loving This Video.
No, just when the sun is out lol! To be fair they are lovely neighbours and they did used to have a party in the garden every weekend, but now their son has moved out, it's less often. It usually starts with an early afternoon barbecue, the wine starts flowing, the music starts and then finally ends at 2am! Life is short, they like to party! It's just a bit annoying because my craftroom/office/filming room is at the back of the house too!
@@ArtJourneyUK It Is Throwing It Down Here Has Been Most The Week.
I Haven't Done As Much Colouring As Wanted This Week, MS Relapse 😢 Trimble Neuralgia Geez Its Crap 😢😢
Xx
Just curious, don't each pencil company make their colors in batches? Just like paints, each batch can be alittle different?
Even the wood used can be a bit different. In my open stock pencils the woods are different, and you can really tell when you sharpen them.
I buy open stock i have four of the color ginger root ,there is a slight color difference in them. They were bought at different times.
In this day and age, where manufacturers (in all types of things from foods to non foods)are using cheaper ingredients and raising their prices, their supplier's are going cheap.
Even if they didnt, the quality of the base ingredients just are not the same as two years ago , 10 years ago, or 15 years ago.
As for the print on the pencil, in my open stock some are printed clearer than others. I have some printed in black, some in gold, some in silver.
So unless hobby lobby and michaels bought some "fake " pencils or there is a wide quality difference in prismcolor.
Great info! Thanks 🥰