I like really crisp and clear photos where the makeup/skincare is in focus; light editing but not to the point where we’ve lost a sense of skin texture. I tend to gravitate toward higher contrast photography or avant garde makeup.
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I agree Christine, pictures must be crisp and clear…..also I appreciate it when brands show the effect on different skin colors and ages…..what shade looks good on one skin tone might be a miss on another. Same goes with ages…….And in reverse, one thing that really bugs me is when brands show before and after shots where the after has obvious better lighting, added makeup and possible photoshop….All in all I love beautiful photography with true colors that make me dream!
Penny, I do believe that you literally covered every single thing that was thinking about for this question. I almost never read other reader’s answers before writing my own, but for some inexplicable reason I did so today!
And yes, there really is ageism in almost all the beauty brands along with those who only show one or maybe two skin depths, oftentimes with the supposed “dark” skin depth being a mere dark tan! Those are two of my biggest gripes.
Yes to all you said.
Love this!
Remember Illamasqua’s Sephora-era campaign photos? Whatever they were doing. The Toxic Nature collection in particular comes to mind. You can clearly see the products actually in use (although it helped that the products themselves were rather distinguishable! who knows what’s what with a basic neutral eyeshadow palette?), and it was still wonderfully creative.
For a more recent example, I think Natasha Demona did well showcasing the Yucca palette. You can actually recreate the looks on yourself with the products in the collection!
As for what not to do…another ~decade-old campaign comes to mind. I forget which MAC collection it was, but the promo looks were *very* colorful (might have been spots of, supposedly, new eyeshadow shades on the model’s face) and then they released behind-the-scenes photos of the artists using…Mehron or Ben Nye, IIRC. (I’m going to have to browse the archives to find out, or else this will stay on my mind for weeks.) Seems like an easily avoidable snafu! Makes one wonder what the hell they’re actually using for the photos “of” the Connect In Colour palettes 😂
AHA! It was Colour Craft from 2009, and the offending interloper was a Ben Nye Lumière palette.
https://www.temptalia.com/mac-colour-craft-collection-backstage-at-the-photoshoot/
1). I like a clear concept where model clothing and hair match the campaign. Like, if it’s space themed, I want packaging that reflects that, space background for the shoot, cosmic clothes or jewelry. I can find a similar color or formula in a different brand, but I will buy a concept if I like it. MAC and Kiko Milano had fun campaigns. 2). I like when the ads show you different achievable looks done with an eyeshadow palette. ABH Cosmos Palette showed great ways to use it. UD’s eye looks are good but difficult to replicate
For a compelling visual campaign, I really like the swatches of the product shown on differing skintones that are true and realistic, not photoshopped or highly edited.
For foundations, I absolutely need accurate descriptions of the foundation – including the undertones.
Similarly for lipsticks and blushes – a variety of pics that depict what they look like on a range of skintones too. For people, like myself, who often order online, sight unseen, this is important.
PS Christine, my Friday’s Finds and Check In hasn’t appeared on my feed this week.
I pay so little attention to the makeup ads and their visuals since most of them are just not realistic representations of the products themselves or how they would look on “mere mortals”. What would catch my eye are ads and visuals that would use women over 40 and present them realistically (a while back, Helen Mirren was in one, possible for L’Oreal or Olay, but she was so airbrushed that it was laughable and I mean no slight to Dame Helen at all). Show women – whether 20, 40 or 60 – with their real skin, real features….
For me, not photoshopped pictures. In the day of internet buying, it is impossible to buy a foundation because brands never provide true arm watches but photoshopped ones.