Beauty and Advertising

Some beauty advertisements make extraordinary claims...that's surely nothing new but there's "oh, yeah, riiiiight" extraordinary and then there's "what the?! you're kidding me?!" extraordinary. In our beauty obsessed culture, women (and men) will spend a lot of money, take risks and suffer untold indignities to improve their appearance. With each new product there's always the chance of a magic wand transformation - a product that will change our lives and elevate us to happiness. Are we really just buying illusions...wishes, hopes, promises?

Why have so many people seemingly become dissatisfied with their natural eye-colour in the last few years? Why do they want to process their hair, get their breasts enlarged or inject themselves with bottulism? It is, of course, a feature of dear old capitalism to create dissatisfaction and desire and then present us with 'solutions'. We are constantly bombarded with ads designed to persuade us to try this or that skin treatment, hair product, body shaper or cosmetic procedure. Some though, seem just a little too much; creepy, far-fetched or even dangerous...and yet, enticing. How about simple-to-use eyes drops that can temporarily change your eye color ?

After watching the Ira eye drop video, a few obvious questions came to mind. How could this work? Why doesn't the colour spill out over the the white part of the eye? Is it safe? According to the website, this product can change your eye color with "one drop".

Apparently a team of Japanese ophthalmologists came up with the drops after years after "years of research on the biochemical mechanisms of the human eye". Sounds amazing doesn't it?

Well it would be if it were true but it's a lie! Or more correctly, it's a kind of joke designed by Rock Group: Visual Branding & Advertising, a company that specialises in creating viral videos. It does prove though how easily we can persuaded of something, especially if we want to believe it. Drops could be manufactured and contain nothing but water but if marketed right, I suspect hoards people would try it, just once, to see if it worked. Not surprisingly, after the ad appeared there was a stack of inquiries on the internet from people wanting to find out more.

May cause increased brown pigmation in the coloured part of the eye which is LIKELY PERMANENT. Eyelid skin darkening may occur which MAY be reversible.

Excuse me...? I think I'll give that one a miss. The lash growing mascara is real...not a joke, although it would make a great satire. At least I think it's real. An article on scienceblog reported that the product was originally developed as a treatment for glaucoma but a side effect was the growth of long, luxurious eyelashes. The topical drug is marketed as an eyelash enhancer and sold without a prescription.

Before it was approved by the FDA there was controversy about the safety of the product, as it had been linked to optic nerve damage and possibly, blindess. However Allergen (the company that owns Latisse) specified that the product should only be used on upper lashes, never the lower and that seemed to satisfy the powers that be. Well that fills me with confidence...not.

Why does this remind me of Phantom of the Opera or worse..Hannibal Lecter? Is it my imagination or was Linda Evans wearing a mask in that introduction? Didn't she seem a just liittle too tight and taut....or was it the joker-like lips? I'm sure she used to have slender lips...hmmm.

Despite the fact the ad states that this mask "can be enjoyed in a variety of settings" (ha!), i would be wary of wearing this beauty product around small children and people who are easily spooked.

Never having used this product, I can't say for sure exactly what it does but I could make a pretty good guess and it might have something to do with wet T-shirts.

The strangest thing about this 'enhancer' is the packaging...it looks like it belongs in the toy section with the Barbies and rainbow ponies.

"Curioser and curioser" said Alice in Wonderland.

This one looks a little painful or at least uncomfortable. Designed to widen Asian eyes by lifting the upper lid, the blurb on the packaging promises the following:

Having natural double eyelids is easy! Just 5 minutes a day
No more double eyelids tape / stickers or double eyelids glue~
No more scary double eye surgery
This product can create or enhance double eyelid naturally by using it 5 minutes a day~
Tips: No mascara on eyelids before usage

And I do love this bit:

Please make sure no body around you during usage

Good advice! I think Rejuvenique should condsider putting that on their mask packaging.

What strange creatures we humans are and so subject to fads and fancies. For decades a tan was the thing to covet and scores of lily white caucasians suffered untold indignities, including lobster burns , blisters and freckles, not to mention risking cancerous growths, all in the name of trying for an olive glow to our ghostly bodies.

Now it seems, white is the way to go for Asian men? Whaaat? What's going on? Seems to me the marketers have dreamt up a new way for people to feel insecure and sold them a solution. Not white enough? Don't look enough like a Westerner?...hey, for 49.95 we've got a cream for that!

Just in case anyone doubts you're a natural blonde, there's a product for that too.

I'll leave the rest to your imagination but....hmmm..is that really necessary?