Fashion Blogs

6 Times Commercials Got Our Beauty Routines Totally Wrong

It’s an old saying that art imitates life, and in the case of commercials, this is maybe, likely,somewhat true. But while many commercials try to seem relatable to people watching, all too often, they miss the mark on “reality” — maybe it’s because it’s hard to make someone buy stuff if they already think their life is awesome? [Insert flying money emoji].

Commercials for beauty products are perhaps the biggest and, in many cases, most hilarious forms of using “perfection” (whatever that means) as a means to sell you sh-t you probably don’t need. Here are some glorious examples:

That Splash, Tho

You know the one — the effortless splash of water that we see all the time in commercials about face wash and makeup remover. For something that’s supposed to cleanse your face of makeup — that is to say, remove it — the model always seems to have a flawlessly made-up face after the aforementioned splash.

It is a sorcery for which I have no explanation, because as an eye-makeup enthusiast myself, I know that if you splash yourself in the eyes like this, you will flood them with an ominous dark sludge that develops into rivers of mascara all over your cheeks. TL;DR: It’s not gonna be a good time.

Hairless Legs That Must Be … Rid Of Hair?

Shout-out to Sara Boboltz of The Huffington Post for pointing this out in a recent article, because seriously, WTF? How is it that every leg in every shaving commercial ever is totally hairless, even before the person uses a razor on it? It’s an unrealistic, and TBH, unimpressive tactic.

Personally, I’d be more impressed by a razor that shaves a leg that, you know, actually has hair on it — which is, by the way, what it’s supposed to do.

Magically Un-clumpy Mascara

I would love to see a commercial where the model is actually using the mascara they’re advertising — or at the very least, a mascara. Because most of the time, it’s pretty obvious they’re just wearing false eyelashes.

The Hair Flip

Shampoo/Conditioner/Hair Dye/Hair care-anything commercials are notorious for this. I’m sorry, I’ve never used a shampoo that magically transformed my hair into a helicopter of heavenly locks that look EXACTLY THE SAME after I’ve vigorously whipped my hair around.

The Face That Shows Neither Age Nor Pores

Ever notice that the people in commercials for “anti-aging cremes” (a whole other grab bag of f–kery) are always, like, young? It is some Dorian Grey-level realness.

And if pores are so undesirable, I would love to hear the scientific alternative. I’m not a doctor, butI’m pretty sure that if we didn’t have pores, we’d be giant balls of toxic waste, stumbling through life with ageless baby faces.

Acne-Fighting Stuff Is Only For People Who Don’t Have Acne, Apparently?

Ever notice that the people in acne commercials never have acne, or have like, one pimple? I don’t get it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯