Make Up For Ever, the product you may have seen placed in Britney Spears’ music video for “Hold It Against Me” and in Sephora stores everwhere has launched an ad campaign they tout as the first unretouched makeup ad.
The makeup line markets itself as “HD” friendly makeup. (On-camera personalities have been seeking out foundation that doesn’t cake up in even the smallest of wrinkles since the damned high-def camera came out, and this is designed to combat that pesky side effect.)
The ads are getting attention because of just how scrutinized they have become. Sure, they wisely used a young-ish model, who isn’t going to have much to worry about in the skin imperfection department – but they also went with someone who doesn’t look too perfect. The light hits her arm in a funky way that would ordinarily be washed out with the stroke of an artist’s mouse. And under her eyes there isn’t the usual blur of emptiness so typical of makeup ads that bear the likeness of women twice her age touting the latest age-defying serum.
The company took possible accusations of fraud to heart – they even had the photos certified by a notary.