January 15, 2018

Makeup News Brief: Makeup Free, Men are Buying More Makeup, and CVS Bans Photoshop

There’s a lot to discuss in today’s makeup news brief including the fact that men are wearing more makeup than ever before! According to the media, 2018 may very well be the year when men start paying a lot more attention to their grooming habits and in some habits they already are. Getting the average Joe to use concealer or even think of makeup as “manly” has proven a hard task for brands but with proper marketing they are seeing more and more of an uptick in male demographic sales of concealer, tinted moisturizer, and more. Millennial males have taken to watching popular youTubers like Patrick Starrr and James Charles as well. And studies have shown that men are feeling increasing pressure to look their best. Hmm! Now they know how we feel!

In other news the Talk Cast is back to showing their makeup-free face on live TV for millions of viewers to gawk at. Being comfortable in your own skin can be hard for a lot of people and I think it shows some major courage to go on national TV and do it. Julie Chen, Eve, Sharon Osbourne, and the rest of the View decided to make the leap again and go completely bare faced on their latest show with Eve discussing how she felt quite uncomfortable and naked without her makeup. Are you comfortable without makeup? Or does it make you cringe to step outside with nothing on your face?

Do share!

Thanks to Wendy this morning for this interesting makeup news about CVS banning photo manipulation for store beauty brands while placing alerts about them in stores. As makeup lovers we’re all quite in the know about photoshop and its ability to make anyone look flawless. And I’m sure we’ve all been victim at some time in our life of purchasing an item in the hopes we’d look as amazing as the model does in the marketing. CVS cares a little more than most about this topic as they will be banning photo manipulation of store-brand makeup marketing and displays. They will also require beauty brands that sell products in their aisles to commit to creating upfront marketing and untouched photos by 2010 or at least have a label placed on images stating it was retouched.

Some of the biggest beauty brands sold at CVS Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, L’Oreal, Maybelline and CoverGirl and CVS will be placing an icon with a “digitally modified” warning message don’t comply new standard by 2020.

I dunno about you but I’m a real woman and I’d like to see some REAL marketing for skincare, makeup, and other beauty items. Try to obtaining the level of beauty in marketing is an unattainable goal that our younger boys and girls shouldn’t have to deal with!

Any makeup news you have to share?

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Susan

    Not news, but my biggest pet peeve when it comes to photo manipulation is mascara ads. You simply cannot tell what the actual mascara does or looks like because the photos are so manipulated, plus the models are usually wearing false lashes too.

    • Isabella Muse

      yeah mine too! mascara always looks amazing in marketing and a big old fail in real life! CG was one of the first brands that was called out on this. I remember several years ago when they started having to put a disclosure on all their marketing because it was essential false advertising promising people 50000 times larger lashes and length!

    • Jane

      They always say now that “model is wearing lash inserts” but it doesn’t really help clear it up.

      I’m glad they’re not going to use such heavy handed alteration. Even though I know logically that they’ve changed it, I believe it every dang time. #gullible

  • TropicalChrome

    I’m generally comfortable with or without makeup – it depends what I feel like that day, or where I’m going, or what I’m doing. I like makeup, I have lots, but it’s there for me, not vice versa.

    Yay for CVS – I actually like the untouched picture so much better. My eye keeps going to it preferentially because she looks more real. We all know that most makeup photos are photoshopped within an inch of their lives, but there’s nothing like an explicit label to drive the point home.

  • Carol

    The mascara thing was also the first thing that came to my mind too. I’m so sick of seeing “Lash inserts used” in every damn ad for a new mascara. It’s BS. How are we supposed to see if a mascara works or not? Oh I guess we buy it and then when it doesn’t look like the ad we’re supposed to trash it or return it? This makes no sense. Why can’t a company come forward and be honest in their ads? It’s all very off-putting.

  • wendy

    Lancome has been sued many times due to the fake lash thing. I’m really happy to see CVS taking this stand.

  • Ryou

    I just wish marketing for men isn’t same old oppressive beauty standards wrapped in toxic masculinity! Sigh.

    And yeah, generally I’m comfortable stepping outside without make-up. There was a period where I wasn’t, but I’ve thought about this a lot, and I think it’s silly that women + femmefolk are often made to feel like we have to apologize for how our faces and bodies naturally look.

    I refuse to place my worth solely on how “pretty” (read: attractive to straight men) I am. Beauty shouldn’t be the rent I pay to occupy the space I take in the world, you know?

    Don’t get me wrong, I think make-up is fun and I don’t plan to stop wearing them anytime soon. But I don’t enjoy how gendered it is, or how wearing make-up (and heels, and really performing femininity in general) is often treated as a social obligation instead of a thing someone does as a form of personal expression.

    • Isabella Muse

      personally, I wish that I didn’t feel like they marketing for men is just because it’s some trend or hype. To me brands like Covergirl and Maybelline feel like they are jumping on the bandwagon to market to men because it’s some sort of social media trend that they’ll ditch later on. I sure hope that isn’t the case because in reality men where makeup and should be taken seriously about that and not just because some brand thinks its a good trend!

      • Ryou

        Yes exactly! There’s no need to put a single shade of Touche Eclat in a different colored packaging and slap the label “pour homme” onto it. The original packaging doesn’t even look stereotypically girly TBH.

        Especially when it’s being discontinued already and they’re desperate to get rid of it so they’re marking it down.

        • Isabella Muse

          It just feels insincere. Like they want to cash in on some trend. hello!? Boys wear makeup get with the program! You’re right. Touche Eclat is very gender neutral already!

  • kjh

    The cvs thing is BIG big. The most astounding thing to me is the power CVS has to make the brands comply or face a ‘digitally modified’ message. That is major clout, and is also trailblazing. Who knew they had it in ’em? Kudos to CVS.

  • Tippy6

    Manipulation of images used in the marketing of cosmetics has been going on forever and a day. I remember when I was in my teens and pining for the eyelashes like the model in a Maybelline Ultra Lash mascara ad and first learning how they get the lashes of that model in the ad so perfect. It was revealed that the typical mascara application for an ad shoot took anywhere from an hour to almost two as the model would have her eyelashes perfectly separated with a straight pin after every coating of mascara so as to appear absolutely perfect in the photo. This was years before the digital age and was a real eye-opener for me. Breck hair ads used to drive my crazy as well. The models in the ads had hair that was absolutely perfect and, as a youngster, I was so covetous of that hair. Ahhh, the human condition and I do agree that it has escalated and become much worse.

  • genevieve

    I think it is about time we saw people look the way they look without the photoshop effect. Be comfortable about what you look like is my motto.