This ad perplexes me. Beautiful is a synonym of pretty, yet
this ad saying that “pretty” only encompasses a woman’s outer appearance, but
beauty describes the good things that the woman does. The small text above the
woman’s face tells us that she is a volunteer firefighter and a “force of
beauty.” What does this have to do with makeup? Makeup won’t help her fight
fires. It seems like the ad is trying to be deep and meaningful, and it is probably
supposed to defy the usual makeup ads that understandably are about outer
beauty. But the message is unclear. Also, no makeup ad can really be talking
about the importance of inner beauty, because makeup by definition sends the
message that inner beauty alone isn’t good enough. Buying the bare minerals
powder foundation will not change the person wearing it, and certainly won’t
change the world.
Another interesting part of this ad reads “visit any Bare
Escentuals boutique for a complimentary make-under.” This reminds me of the “get
noticed for your skin, not your makeup” ad in a previous post. When I imagine a
“complimentary make-under,” I picture a bunch of Bare Escentuals makeover
ladies washing makeup off a woman’s face for free. Once any makeup goes on
someone’s face, she is getting a makeover. Even if the makeup promises a “natural
look and no-makeup feel,” it is still makeup.
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