14 DAY TRIAL // When Julia Roberts, one of the most uniquely beautiful women in Hollywood, was named the new face of Lancome for a contract estimated at $20 million, not many were surprised by the announcement. What they may not have expected, though, was the amount of retouching Roberts got for the just-unveiled ad, as the Daily Mail puts it.
Even when she’s not styled to the maximum or dressed up to the nines, Julia is still a very beautiful woman, so Lancome choosing her as the face for the latest campaign was actually a very smart thing to do. Not only would products from the cosmetics giant be a bigger hit with women because of how relatable Julia was, but they would do so without losing that special luxury touch they had about them, it was said. Because of this, retouching Julia’s face to this extent may prove detrimental to the company.
“It comes as no surprise that Julia Roberts, famed for her natural beauty, was chosen as the face of cosmetics giant Lancôme. But despite her trademark smile and clear complexion, it’s hard to believe the 42-year-old hasn’t benefited from a little digital enhancement for the new cosmetics campaign. The Pretty Woman star is barely recognizable as she advertises the brand’s Definicils mascara, her brown wavy locks dyed blonde for the occasion, looking 15 years younger,” the Mail writes, even including a side-by-side comparison of Julia in her daily life and Julia as photographed for Lancome.
“Julia, Lancome’s first global ambassador for the full line of products, has reportedly signed a deal worth $20 million. So it’s likely the company are willing to go to any lengths to ensure their products are flying off the shelves. The romcom queen has been busy promoting new film Eat, Pray, Love based on the bestselling novel by Elizabeth Gilbert,” the British publication further writes. As it turns out, it is not the only one to note that Roberts looks drastically altered in the ad, with voices on the blogosphere saying this (the ad) is taking Photoshop to new highs (or lows, depending on how one looks at this).
Julia Roberts’ Lancome ad is not the only instance in recent weeks that has gotten the media rallying against excessive altering of images. A short while ago, the first poster for Angelina Jolie’s upcoming film, the action spy flick “Salt,” was released and, to the amazement of many, the woman on it barely bore a resemblance to the Jolie fans knew and loved.