Don't Buy Into the Hype: My Top Five Cosmetic Advertising Pet Peeves

Last week I brought you my top 5 beauty essentials. Today, I'd like to share my top five cosmetic advertising pet peeves. This idea came to me while I was driving behind a super duper slow driver on Santa Monica Blvd. Seriously, the guy was going about 15 miles an hour in a 35 zone. In the left lane. I wanted to blast my horn at him, but I decided to be a good citizen and avoid any conflict. Fact is, I already road raged on a girl last week for blaring her horn at ME when I was trying to cross traffic at a blind intersection.

But, nevertheless, this brought me to pet peeves. People who can't drive are on the top of my list. A close second is people who don't clean up after their dog's poop. And right behind it, buying products that have lofty claims but fail to deliver.

Annoying isn't it? All the hard-earned money that I've spent on useless products thanks to the art of advertising.

You won't have to make the same mistake as I, since I'm willing to share my secrets for avoiding being duped by false advertisements.

1. Celebrities in commercials and ads hawking beauty products. One commercial that comes to mind is Charlize Theron for J'adore perfume. The gorgeous actress walks towards the camera while stripping off her dress, jewelry, and everything else until she is nude. Hmm...does this mean if I buy J'adore I will be sexy like her? If she or anyone else wears it, they will all become sex kittens while purring "J'adore... Dior". Right? I wonder if she actually uses J'adore. Okay I admit, I was smitten with her so I went to Sephora to try out a sample of it. Not really my kind of scent and, at $59 for the 1 oz bottle, not really wallet-friendly either.
   
   My solution: Don't fall for it, especially if it's over your budget. Opt for something a bit cheaper, but similar in smell. Or, wait for a gift with purchase deal. Sephora has one right now where you get a Lip and Eye Palette with a 3.4 oz purchase of J'adore.


2. Fad creams that don't deliver. When I was pregnant a while ago, I started getting stretch marks that I've never seen before. Huge, ugly, red marks that covered my hips. I was desperate for something to make them go away. Enter Mustela Stretch Marks Double Action. Uh-huh. What a name to sell you with. $39 for a 5 oz size, which is not cheap by any means. I rubbed that cream on like it was God's second gift to women. Did it work? Nope. Not one bit! Disappointed, I resolutely accepted my tiger marks. And it's true, stretch marks don't go away with creams. The only method that really works is laser.
   
   My solution: If it promises to deliver results that are unbelievable and do stuff no other cream can, it 99% of the time won't. For stretch marks, you're just gonna have to live with it. I heard cocoa butter helps, and there is one for $0.99 on Amazon right now. It helps moisturize the skin which helps prevent marks, but doesn't cure it.


3. Young models in ads for anti-aging creams. What the heck? First off, a model in their early 20s does not have wrinkles and knows nothing about aging. It's ridiculous to sell me a product that is meant for the older crowd while using a spring chicken to market it. Estee Lauder is a prime example with their ad for Hydra Bright.
   
   My solution: Just don't buy into it. Stay out of the sun, and use SPF 30 daily if you want to slow down the signs of aging. The sun is not your friend.


4. Ads that showcase too much skin. I'm not against sexiness by any means, but if an ad that is selling face foundation shows a model who is half naked, then I kinda wonder what they are really selling. Lancome's ad for Matte Finish shows a model who is topless, but covered up. I think the focus should be on her face since it is, after all, for the face. Sex sells and we know it. But there is a limit to everything.
   
   My solution: No need to buy expensive foundation or cover ups. I find that drugstore brands are just as good if not better. Plus, you save tons of cash, which you can use to go and buy yourself some clothes or lingerie to up your sex appeal.


5. Mascaras or lip gloss that claim to plump your lashes and lips. People with lush lashes and luscious lips are blessed. But for the rest of us, there are mascaras and glosses that claim to give us what we are missing out on. I have bought countless tubes of mascara after seeing commercials and ads for how they will elongate and make my lashes 1,000 times fuller. Did they work? Sadly for me and my wallet, no. Same goes for lip glosses. I found one by Too Faced that actually does increase lip fullness by 20%, but it's $19 for a mere 0.16 oz. It tingles like crazy when you first put it on, but no pain, no gain right?
   
   My solution: False eyelashes are the bomb. They last several applications and cost around $4-5 for a pair at your local drugstore. Make sure you don't get the super long ones, unless that's the look you are going for. As for plumping lips, I've heard eating spicy pepper will plump your lips, briefly. It's still cheaper than the $19 gloss. But in this case, I'll go with the $19 gloss. It's worth it.

Are there any misleading beauty products that you've bought because of some ad that you saw? I'd love to hear about it!