Airbrush Game of Who’s Who

It was nice to see that Grazia Magazine finally fessed up this week to the awful airbrushing work done to Kate Middleton, really that was disgraceful, but as usual it got me thinking about airbrushing AGAIN!  We all know there is a lot of airbrushing work done to enhance the images of the faces and bodies we see in magazines and while I am loath, and a bit ashamed to say it, a lot of the time I just accept it.

But what I can’t accept is when someone has been photoshopped beyond recognition and into a different reality e.g. Kate Middleton with ‘kidneys removed’,  so just for fun I’ve put together a little group of 3 images all taken from 2011 editions of W Magazine, purely coincidental they all come from one source I might add, but I’m deeply disturbed!!

Can you guess who these lovely looking ladies are?  Click on the image to reveal their true identities.

Starlet No. 1 Airbrush Much??

Starlet No. 2 This one's a real humdinger!! BTW it's NOT Cheryl Cole

Starlet No. 3 hasn't looked like this in years!

Did you guess them all correctly?

 

What Next? Foetuses Wearing Lipstick?

Thylane Lene-Rose Blondeau Aged 10

Yet more advertising controversy!!   But no air brushing required this time as the models in question range from around the ages of 5 to 10 years old.

The controversy surrounds the images of Thylane Lene-Rose Blondeau (aged 10) that featured in Tom Ford Edited edition of French Vogue at the start of 2011.  The concept for the feature appears to be one of little girls playing dress up, but it gets well and truly lost behind the tonnes of expertly applied makeup, the well accessorized and coordinated outfits, and the overtly flirty poses of some of the young girls.  High class fodder for kiddy fiddlers!  Good grief!!

These images appeared in the December/January edition of Vogue Paris and raised some controversy at the time, so why is it back in the news again?   The cynical side of me thinks that it could be resurrected as Thylane Lene-Rose Blondeau’s mother or agent is probably trying to get the child an acting career or break her into America?  Just a thought!  There were other children also featured in the spread, although not posed in such a provocative way, but no one is talking about them.  The other images are more innocent but I still find it all a bit disgusting. 

 

Angelina Jolie Au Naturel? What A Bare Face Lie!

(click to enlarge)

Following on from the recent controversy of the Julia Roberts and Christy Turlington airbrushed campaigns.  I was reminded of an article I read in a magazine at the hair dressers back in June, that featured Angeline Jolie ‘wearing no makeup’ in the Louis Vuitton campaign shot in Cambodia.  Looking at the photo staring back at me and I completely dismissed it as pure madness, and thought the author was deluded to say the least, but reckoned that they were probably only reporting on a press release rather than offering their own opinion. So I put it to the back of my mind.  But I’ve read it again since in the Malay Mail and had to have a closer look for myself.

So off I went on the hunt for an ‘au naturel’ shot of Angelina.  I have got to say it’s really difficult to find a picture of Angelina without any makeup she’s usually sporting a large pair of sunglasses making it difficult to really see her face, she also does a really good line in natural looking makeup too, but I struggled to find a shot of her without makeup. There are very few images of Angelina looking rough, I guess that’s why she’s considered one of the most beautiful women in the world.  I had begun to think, ah now come on you’re just being a jealous mare, face it she’s just stunningly beautiful, and looks fantastic with out makeup on.  But just as I had almost resigned myself to the frustratingly annoying fact that it must be true she was wearing no makeup I came across the 10 minute video of the ‘LV journey’ featuring Angelina, at 9:01 there is footage of Angelina being shot for the LV campaign.   The video is also on the Louis Vuitton website.

So is she wearing makeup?  Yes! And yes it’s stunning and amazingly beautiful in a completely understated way.  Is it Au Naturel?  No!  Lets not forget that Au Naturel means nude or in a natural state.   I think it is complete nonsense to say that she’s not wearing makeup or to even say she’s au naturel.   She totally is wearing makeup, and anyone who says she is not, in my opinion is a bare faced liar – end of!  Now can we all get back to reality please?

By the way, she apparently also wore her own clothes (not sure why that seems to be news worthy but there you go!!) and that’s her own LV bag in the shot, ah poor Angelina, given she’s donating her fee to charity you’d think Louis would have thrown another handbag her way for her trouble!!

 

Get Your Free Wrinkle Reader!

I am a bit of a sucker for advertising especially if it’s giving me something for nothing.   Garnier have now come up with a ‘Wrinkle Reader’, and to test the ‘Wrinkle Reader’ they are also offering packs of 14 Garnier Ultra Lift samples when you register for the ultra lift challenge in Ireland or in the UK

So what’s a Wrinkle Reader?  It’s a bit like the colour chart dentists have to match your tooth colour, only this has images of crows feet

1. Match your crow’s feet wrinkles (if you have them) to the closest image and note it down.  Note that some of them are really quite deep looking, so if you’re only a young one this isn’t for you.
2. Apply UltraLift day everyday.
3. Take note of your progress on the chart.
4. Once you have finished charting your progress, you revert back to garnier with your results to be in with a chance to win a luxury pampering treatment (they don’t mention what it is) but there are five available to win every day.

Even if you just want to test out your current anti wrinkle/firming cream you can print off a free ‘Wrinkle Reader’ and chart its effectiveness.

I’ve just ordered my free samples and I’m looking forward to giving it a go, and will post my results here when I’m finished to let you know how I get on, wrinkles and all!!!

To get your free 14 day trial pack and ‘Wrinkle Reader’ go to Garnier Ultra Lift Challenge ROI or UK

 

Stop Lying To Me!! 95% of Women Agree*

Sorry Gals I’m on a rant!!  If you love being sold a vague pseudo scientific promise then look away, or if you love Vichy I’m sorry this blog will just annoy you, and I don’t want to do that my pretties!!  But I get so frustrated by vague advertising claims made by cosmetic companies that try to convince us, with veiled statements and pseudo science, that their product is the next best thing to the fountain of youth, a time machine, a fairy godmothers wand or anything else that can turn back time or grant wishes.

As someone who loves makeup and who has spent a very large portion of my professional career in Marketing, with a B.Sc. mgmt from Trinity College Dublin, I tend to over analyse adverts, particularly ones that are trying to sell me a product that hints at the fact that it might make me look younger!  Lets face it there’s a lot of non committal statements made in some cosmetic adverts and I think we owe it to ourselves to read the fine print and purchase a product when in command of all the facts.

I know we all so desperately want to look young, turn back the clock to a time when all it took to look radiant was a quick brush of blush and a slick of lip gloss, that now we are so eager to 100% believe the adverts we are bombarded with.   You know the adverts that say over 80% of women agreed that XYZ product made their skin feel and look better. 

 

Hey There Doll Face!

I don’t mind a bit of air brushing in a photograph if someone is trying to sell me perfume, a watch, a handbag or an album or whatever, I get it, people look better when airbrushed (even the most beautiful women in the world need airbrushing – apparantly!!) but, when it comes to promoting skin care products it really annoys me.  There I was curled up on the sofa with the June copy of Marie Claire on my lap and cup of tea in one hand, all settled in for a good old read, when  about 30 pages in I was struck by the images of a flawless plastized face looking back at me, telling me ‘I too can look like them if only I had their product’.  Creams and serums that promise reversal of the ageing process; as they put, their product ‘reawakens skin to reveal radiant looking skin, smoother feeling skin and younger looking skin.  That’s right YOUNGER looking skin!  Now to my mind if that were true, even half true, then cosmetic plastic surgery for beauty sake would be defunct.   No one would need plastic surgery nor would they put their bodies through the trauma of surgery if all it took to look younger was some cream slapped on twice daily, give me a break!