December 18, 2009...7:24 AM

Twiggy, out of fashion. (Glossed Over.)

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Glossed Over: Taking a closer look at what advertisements are really selling.

Airbrushed Twiggy.

Normal Twiggy.

Quick props to Salon’s Broadsheet for an incisive analysis of the UK’s decision to ban this heavily-airbrushed Olay eye cream ad, but not to regulate heavy photo retouching more generally.

Having worked at fashion magazines (where before/after Photoshop exercises such as this litter photo department walls), I always sort of assume that everyone knows that the pictures you see in such places are all faked up. That is not the case. Last week, we hopped on sephora.com to check out their latest “Express Service” makeup lesson offerings, and the class contemplated this:

I’m no expert, but I’m willing to bet good money that every one of those photos has undergone the Photoshop magic, to ensure the light hits the Perfect Pout just right, to remove any trace of redness from the Smoky Eye, and to smooth out the planes on the High-Definition Makeup model’s face. But Miss Jenny didn’t see it. “Look how flawless that foundation is!” she exclaimed.

Now Miss Jenny is an expert. She knows makeup and knows what it can and can’t do. And of course, she knows about Photoshop and it’s ability to shave away pounds and under-eye circles. But I think there’s something sort of primal about the fact that when we look at a beautiful photo, seeing is believing — and we really, really want to believe.

So it pretty much sucks that beauty advertisers seem so happy to take full advantage of that fact.

[Photos: Salon, BBC, and Sephora]

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Filed under Glossed Over., Makeup, products, week 7

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