How do you feel about mascara ads? Do you ever believe them?
Of all the kind of Photoshopping and the like that we find in advertising, mascara ads drive me insane! It’s one thing to smooth out the skin, but it’s quite enough to make it look like the mascara gives you ten-mile high lashes when it’s never, ever going to come close.
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They make me angry. I want to see a REAL product in use, not false lashes.
Me too!
agreed!!
Totally agree…in most of them you can even see that they are a strip of false lashes
I hate them! They always photoshop the models and apply false lashes and/or lash extensions. Then, they have the nerve to make the claims they do, knowing they’re misleading people! I always have such a hard time buying mascara, because when you can’t trust the ads, how do you know what to buy?! It’s insane! I’m so sick of the photoshop and lies in ads!
I think they’re pointless. I never even bother to look at mascara ads anymore, since I know I’d just end up getting pissed. To quote a comment I read here on Temptalia: “It’s like advertising a T-shirt but they put a jacket over the shirt on the promo image”. >:
Totally agree and well fine, say what you’re claiming is actually true (mile long lashes) at least put some product on the mascara wands! They’re not just clean and pristine looking they don’t have anything on them!
lol! I totally agree, this has bugged me forever. Glad I’m not the only one who thinks so. 😀
I saw a commercial the other day that mentions there is something NEW in the tube the cleans off the extra mascara from the brush to avoid clumping. As long as I have been wearing mascara 20 +++ years. Every tube i have EVER bought has this. From $2.99 to $12.99. It wouldnt be possible to use it without it. I unscrewed one, one time and the little “scraper” thing came off with the lid. It was one big “blob”.
Show us what the product REALLY does and we will start believing it and buying it. Consumers are NOT that stupid!
Lies! All lies! I think they’re a total waste of money/time/space bc they don’t actually show you what the product does at all. I feel bad for people that actually fall for the illusion that’s presented.
OH you mean they put on false lashes and then put mascara over the false lashes.
Mascara ads are so ridiculous! You’re not fooling anyone with those fake lashes and photoshopping, Mascara companies!
omg I’m so glad I’m not the only one that feels that way. And it’s not just the photoshopping either, because they have CLEARLY put on false eyelashes onto the model/celebrity and most times the ads will have a tiny disclaimer stating that this was done so. It just calls to the whole irony – how on earth are you selling us one product when you’re telling us you’re using another!? 😛
If they’d just show the actual product without egregious Photoshopping, I’d be fine, but most of the ads I see either you can’t see what the lashes look like or it’s obvious there are falsies involved. What’s the point?
I agree with you, Christine. I don’t see the point of even doing that! Why don’t they just take a model with very good lashes, apply their product using all the MU tricks they want (combing/2nd layer etc) and that’s it? The result should already be obvious enough then if the product is worth purchasing.
I don’t believe them and they actually make me laugh. Not only do they always use fake lashes anyway, I especially love where they show the mascara brush swiping over the lashes and they put special effects and stretch “digitally drawn” lashes all the way to the moon :))
What Mascara Ads Have Taught Me:
Just wear false lashes.
Love your comment!! I actually laughed out loud 🙂
Urgh, I hate them. It’s clearly visible those lashes are fake. And I wouldn’t even want them to look so dreadfully unnatural.
They are absurd and I find them hilarious.
In my mind the worst offender is definitely TARTE! Of course I actually like their mascara, but the advertising is ridiculous.
“Clinically proven to increase lash volume by 406%”
Clinically proven, HUH? Don’t bother telling me about the study. The fact that you used science words means that you’re for real.
“Clinically proven to increase the appearance of lash curl by 90.2%”
Okay, for serious, what does this even mean? How do you objectively measure the “appearance” of lash curl? Appearance is a dodgy word. Appearance according to whom?
“The Amazonian clay instinctively lengthens, conditions, repairs and replenishes dry and brittle lashes.”
What other instincts does my mascara have? Does it chase small animals? Is it territorial? Does it migrate south for the winter?
Of course I have only paid attention to all of this because I love tarte, especially the mascara, which in all seriousness I do recommend.
After all, it’s not ILLEGAL, not like Maybelline.
Hahahaha! Tarte exaggerates like that with a lot of their products… According to them Amazonian clay has some pretty magical properties!
Best comment ever!
You are so right! I work for an ad agency and it’s my job to fact-check this kind of thing. Good thing we don’t have any mascara companies as clients!
Best comment, ever. But, I really do love Tarte. Haha.
Very true! Whats really irritating is that they think we’er to dumb to notice that the model is obviously wearing false eyelashes. Hence ten-mile eyelashes (lol).T hey seriously just need to stop with that lie, its getting them no where.
I feel the same way! In some adds you can tell that they tried to photoshop away the fake eyelash band. No one uses mascara and magically gets 500 additional eyelashes. They are ridiculous.
They’re SO misleading! Never ever have my lashes resembled what’s on the ads.
I find them very false and that makes me angry. Not sure if it’s the case in the US but here in Canada, the “truth in advertising” requires that they have to declare if the ads were filmed using inserts, false lashes or computer enhancement. Well, on the tv ads, the info is there but it is so small and on the screen for such a short time that you can’t even make out what it says. I’d be far more likely to purchase a mascara if the advertising was “real” and showed the actual results a user could expect.
Three words- Zooey Deschanel, Really?
I still haven’t found a mascara that lives up to any commercial. I’ve researched top brands but you’re definitely right about no mascara living up to mile high lash ads. I have short lashes and I’d like to make them look longer without the bulk. I do like hypnose drama but its a lot of volume for day time where. Any suggestions for longer lean lashes for the day time look?
They’re not even mascara ads they are false eyelash ads
I agree with you Christine. When I was a young girl I ate up all those ads. Now, if you read the fine print on commercials now a days (which are usually best read with a magnifying glass, and are on for a millisecond) they say something like “false lashes added….”. The Mabeline ones are notorious for the false advertisement and making it look like the product will give you more volume, and length. They are always coming out with different mascaras, so their ads run all the time on television or in magazines. I have tons of their different mascaras, and the only difference that I see is how the brush that is incorporated makes the difference on how your lashes will wind up looking. Other than that their formulas are the same.
My sentiments exactly, Christine!
I think most makeup ads and commercials are pretty ridiculous in what how they showcase their makeup, but mascara ones are definitely the worst! I don’t know how they can get away with them!!
I abhor them. You can never tell how the mascara will perform because the models in the ads are so clearly wearing falsies. You have to search through reviews to find out what they actually do.
Oy! Those blasted mascara ads! Such false advertising! Recently, there are disclaimers in fine print that state ” models lashes have been enhanced”. Well, duh! But I’m glad that theses companies are starting to own up. I only read the ad copy and totally ignore the picture.
I gave up on mascara ages ago. A good liner can thicken the lash line, and i do not risk to lose anymore lashes
Mascara ads really irk me. What is the point if they don’t actually show what the mascara does?
I see now that Covergirl has a disclaimer at the bottom of most ads – that “lash enhancers” were applied before the mascara was applied.
They are misleading. Lashes are redrawed and you will never, ever look like the ad no mater how well you apply the mascara. I’ve recently saw fine print in one had “model wears insert” and the ad claimed the mascara was better than false lashes, pffff
I ignore them because they are obviously fake – I mean really, whose eyelashes are every so perfectly spaced and curved upward? Obviously they have been computer generated! If they haven’t been digitally altered (which is rare) then they use makeup tricks to make the lashes look fuller with the mascara, i.e. lining and/or filling in the lash line, etc. You don’t really see what the mascara does or does not do.
Exactly! It’s not the false lashes that make me crazy. That’s annoying, but it’s as expected as the photos of celebrities “au naturel” who are clearly wearing makeup, or the catalog models whose natural look took a pro MUA hours to create. What makes me see red is the way they draw the lashes on. Our lashes could look like that, too–if we were a drawing or a cartoon character. As you say, no real human has perfectly spaced, perfectly parallel lashes, not even someone wearing false lashes.
In Canadian magazine ads, they have to mention in the small print that false lashes were used for dramatization. I think it would be okay if others did that too, but honestly I would prefer if I could actually get some accurate information about the product from the advertisement, even if the reality of the product is not as good as the dramatization.
There’s a reason I own 50 lipsticks but only one old mascara–I HATEmascara ads. As a makeup addict, it’s the one product I loathe buying every single ad is a LIE with false eyelashes and extreme photoshop.
I’ve had a bone to pick with mascara ads for a very long time especially due to the fact that 90% of them are wearing false lashes! Total bs.
Totally agree, they make me angry. I went on a rant about it just a few weeks ago when I saw an ad that didn’t even seem to have mascara on the fake lashes. I wanted to see the photo credits listing the false lashes used so I could buy those instead of whatever mascara supposedly created that effect.
I get irrationally angry about mascara ads. It’s silly, really, but it is the most blatant false advertising. They’re obviously wearing fake lashes in almost every photo, and in almost every close-up shot in commercials. YARGH! Just show me what it REALLY does! I’m still going to buy some! Probably more likely to buy some if you tell me the truth in the ad.
Most of them are ridiculous. I find it much more accurate to look at reviews on blogs, Makeupalley, and even Sephora.com if there are pictures.
If the cosmetic companies did an ad, actually using the product on real lashes I would be way more likely to give the mascara a try… the ones now are absolutely ridiculous.
Mascara ads are completely useless. I pick mascaras based on reviews from reliable sites or from trying samples.
I find them annoying, especially the one for “Falsies” mascara claiming they make your lashes look fake, but they aren’t! And yet, the models are wearing false lashes. Either that or it’s digitally animated closeups.
There is no reality in mascara ads. They’re misleading and…I dunno, yucky for being misleading.
They’re no different than any other sort of product advertising. Clothing designers use models who are 6′ tall, 100 lbs, yet the average woman is 5’4, 140 lbs; obviously, the clothes will look different on the average woman. We all know that the models don’t represent the average woman, and we know how we compare to the women used, yet we buy the clothes & magazines, anyway. The same holds true for skincare & foundation ads.
I’ve used enough mascara that I know what to expect; I also know that no product will fully eradicate my pores, and that at 5’3″, with an hourglass figure, I know I’m not going to wear things in the same way as the models.
At the end of the day, we have to take responsibility as consumers, and use our God-given common sense.
Make up ads in general tend to frustrate me.
Use of false lashes, photoshop to make products that are powdery appear smooth and the like, color alteration, use of products other than the one being modeled that make the product look very different (like using lipliner in a lipstick ad that makes the lipstick color look very different from how it looks in the tube).
I just use ads to notify me that a product exists. I would never by something based on liking it in promotional images because of the reasons I mentioned earlier.
Mascara adds are all really false eyelash ads. Totally useless.
at the bottom of the page, it always says: “lash inserts were used.” and then I always say: where’s the ad for those inserts?! I’d buy those in a second!
HAHAHAHA… AMAZING COMMENT!
It’s pretty obvious they use Photoshop & Fake Lashes it drives me insane! I don’t believe them haha!
i hate mascara ads! they use false lashes and even fine print it! MY LASHES ARE NEVERRR GOING TO LOOK LIKE THAT. no one’s are.
I bet the false lash manufacturers would make mega money if the ads actually listed what falsies they used.
ABSOLUTELY my favorite question, ever asked on here. Christine… you said it ALL! Are you kidding? Is it a cartoon? Give us something even just CLOSE to what it looks like in person!
never believe them after seeing ‘model is filmed or photographed with lash inserts’ why don’t you just tell us the brand of lashes you used?
I ignore them entirely because the claims are fake fake fake!!! The only mascara products I have are the ones that comes with a gift with purchase.
Cosmetics and skincare commercials are obnoxious! I just think that it is pointless and a waste of time. I guess if everyone could walk around with retouched makeup then the commercials would serve a purpose, but, until Photoshop can be projected onto my face, it is just a ridiculous commercial.
How could I trust ANY skincare ad? With Botox, Restylane, peels and a plethora of other procedural “fixes” what proof would I have that results came from the advertised products? Not to mention photoshop and lighting.
I ignore mascara ads. If I happen to see something new I’ll go online and read as many real reviews as possible before purchasing.
Hate ’em! I want to see what the mascara is actually going to do for my lashes, not what fake lashes and Photoshop can do for them! I have seen very few ads that show the actual results–seeing actual results would make me more likely to purchase a brand.
Honestly and unreservedly, I will tell you: they infuriate me. It should be against the law. Ha! And the celebrities who are paid to misrepresent! (Awwwww….I love Pink. :}) The companies know we are not idiots. It’s called subliminal programming. Nice ads get into people’s minds and when we’re scouring the shelves and it comes time to make a purchase, sometimes a glossy ad with a celeb pushes us to make an irrational choice. Thank heavens for makeup review sites. And you, Christine!
They are my least favorite part of anything beauty. You can actually SEE the false lashes or the way the lashes have been digitally drawn. I still don’t know why it is not considered false advertising. It’s a complete scam.
This: HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
But seriously, I’m waiting for the day those eyelashes will be so large they will join in the centre. Mono-lash.
They make me angry. I feel lied to and treated like a ignorant consumer. I KNOW those aren’t real lashes and putting it in teeny tiny print on the bottom of the ad doesn’t make it any better or okay to use in a MASCARA AD!!
Show me what the product really does, not a fantasy. I’m so sick of this excessive luxury and fantasy world of photoshopping to the extreme, sky high heels that NO ONE can walk in, fake lashes to sell mascara, etc etc. you get the picture. Give me REAL. I know what my lashes look like. And I’m really not going to expect your mascara to make my lashes look like a pair of Sweeties so give it up.
Rant Over.
agreed- hate them! only once did i see a disclaimer at the bottom of the ad stating something to the nature of the fact that the model’s lashes had been enhanced. i think there’s a lancome ad out right now where the model does not appear to be wearing false lashes – so sad but since we are so used to seeing enhanced ads the ad looks horrible!
Mascara ads? More like false eyelash ads.
I don´t mind them even though many are very obviously fake, with false lashes and photoshop. However a few do try to live up to their promise, like Helena Rubinstein las queen feline extravaganza.Compared to the advertisement I can say my eyelashes look a good 80% of what the advertisement of this mascara promises. They look fuller, longer and in a way feline lol. Of course they don´t look like false lashes, but they do look much better, longer, fuller and prettier. I really love this mascara, and the ad doesn´t bother me because it´s close to the real life effect. But some are so fake with huge fake eyelashes, that they make me laugh 😀 .
Oh, I pay attention. If the ad’s unbelievably ridiculous, I make a mental note to never purchase that mascara. Often decide to never get one from that brand.
I’ll be torn if Maybelline ever pisses me off with an ad…they’re pretty much the only brand I use.
And I have thick, dark, curly hair…so I can actually get to that “fake lashes” look with some mascara. The fact that brands consistently resort to faking it instead of making a good mascara and finding a good model is pretty sad.
There is not even a point to it when it is such a far stretch from reality. I remember seeing the Lancome ads for the Hypnose Doll Eyes… these women looked like anime characters with severely exaggerated lashes. Let’s be honest, the product is not going to deliver this look!
I’d rather see an ad that has a “before” picture with bare lashes, then two comparison photos (one with one coat, one with two coats) for a realistic representation of the product!
yes, Mascara ads are horrible.
They’re awful. I haven’t seen one yet that doesn’t look like falsies.
Mascara ads have bothered me ever since I was a kid. I can see how the way they do it is more attractive than using real, actual lashes, instead of computer graphics. Real, actual lashes up close with mascara on them look crusty and gross. But yeah… mascara ads don’t really show you the product, they show you the packaging.
Sorry that one sentence doesn’t make sense. I blame sleep deprivation 😉
What I meant to say was, I understand why they use CGI lashes in an ad because real lashes (up close) look gross.
It really aggravates me when the models just swipe the wand (with no mascara whatsoever on it) over their incredibly fake false eyelashes. This is the case with most mascara ads on the television, and you can’t see at all what the mascara does. It’s idiotic, I don’t know how those ads make mascaras sell.
Their marketing strategy completely fails on me. In fact, it has the exact opposite of their desired response.
If I see an ad that clearly features false lashes (and we CAN tell; they aren’t fooling nearly as many people as they think), I am actually significantly less likely to try the product. Whereas, if I am shown an accurate representation of it on an “average” person (i.e. in an independent beauty blog), I am much more likely to purchase it and see if it works better/worse/the same for me.
Yeah, I really don’t like when they use fake lashes. You should be advertising the fake lashes instead of the mascara then. Most commercials don’t even use the mascara. It really annoys me. I just go on makeupalley to read the reviews lol.