Airbrushing: How Much is Too Much?

Growing up, I thought Christy Turlington was just about the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I still think so. Which is why I have a beauty bone to pick with L’Oreal.

Two recent ads for the cosmetic juggernaut’s Maybelline and Lancôme divisions are under the microscope in Britain for recent ads featuring Christy Turlington and Julia Roberts, respectively. The issue? Too much airbrushing.

British Liberal Democrat MP, Jo Swinson, referred the ads to the U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), because of the “excessive” airbrushing masquerading as makeup effects. Swinson told the Guardian, “Pictures of flawless skin and super-slim bodies are all around, but they don’t reflect reality. Excessive airbrushing and digital manipulation have become the norm.”

After reviewing the ads and Swinson’s recommendations, the ASA has since banned the ads in the U.K. The ASA’s chief executive, Guy Parker, spoke to the BBC about the ASA’s decision: “If advertisers go too far in using airbrushing and other post-production techniques to alter the appearance of models and it’s likely to mislead people, then that’s wrong and we’ll stop the ads.”

Local beauty expert and proprietor of Faces Beautiful in Westport, Gail Sagel, also weighed in on the issue of airbrushing. “I haven’t seen the ads in question,” she told me. “And ‘too much’ seems a little arbitrary. But I do think that when magazines or companies airbrush models to a point that they look so different or too totally perfect, that it throws people off a little bit. My feeling is that women should feel they can achieve beauty. If the look is unachievable, that’s just depressing. Beauty should be attainable. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

I have to agree with Gail; women should not be made to feel that beauty is out of reach, or that they need a team of experts airbrushers to make them presentable. Flawless skin acheived through computer technology isn't particularly impressive or memorable. Natural beauty, on the other hand, is something to be celebrated and worn with pride. And usually, it starts with a smile, not an airbrush.

What do you think of airbrushing in ads? Do you consider it false advertising, or just smart business? Does it perpetuate unachievable standards for women? Share your thoughts here.

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