Keeping it Real

We all know that television commercials and glossy magazine ads are a form of creative marketing. By that I mean they embellish the truth - a lot. Commercials that promise long, lush, natural looking lashes are particularly amusing to me. You too can have the lashes of the stars if you purchase several pairs of mink false eyelashes, but realistically you're not going to turn average eyelashes into doe-eyes with mascara alone. Magazine ads that show models with flawless complexions and perfect bodies touting any number of products or services and eluding that you will get the same results are just a tad exaggerated. Actually not even the beautiful people are as perfect as they are portrayed with the wonders of photo and film editing creating unattainable perfection.

Now, admit it, you are compelled by some of these ads to try the products. I know I am and I'm thrilled when something does some of what it was advertised to do. Mostly I'm disappointed but I am also realistic. I know full well that I will never look like a 20 year old model telling me that if I use (insert product name) that I can have wrinkle-free, pore-less skin like hers. I didn't have skin like hers when I was twenty!

In partial defense for this mummery, selling products in a glutted market and hard financial times has to be very creative in order to first get our attention and second prompt us to buy. It's highly doubtful than anyone is going to use "real" women in ads to promote beauty products. I suppose it's just the nature of the beast. We want to be beautiful so they show us what our culture considers the epitome of beauty and encourage us to strive for that unrealistic portrayal.

In my humble opinion we are all beautiful in our own way. I think the old cliche about inner beauty being the most important is for the most part true. For without grace and beauty of the heart and soul of a person outward beauty is only a window dressing and nothing more.