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L'Oreal Under Fire for Cheryl Cole's Hair Extensions in Ads

by Courtney Dunlop (Subscribe to Courtney Dunlop's posts)
Posted Nov 24th 2009 at 9:05PM  
57 Comments
Share


The smoke and mirrors surrounding the beauty industry are slowing chipping away.

Thanks to outrage over airbrushing nightmares and models exposing the ugly side of modeling, is it possible that unattainable beauty ideals are fading?

The latest semi-scandal involves a television ad in the UK for L'Oréal Elvive Full Restore 5 hair care line (not available in the US). The ad (watch it above) features singer Cheryl Cole praising the collection for making her chestnut locks "full of life, replenished with healthy shine."

There's just one problem. Cole is wearing hair extensions -- and people are angry about it. The London Times reports that Cole has been not-so-secretly sporting extensions for several years now and they are a part of her look, but that hasn't stopped viewers from expressing their outrage.

L'Oréal's stance is that they are within their legal rights -- a message quickly flashes on the screen to state "styled with some natural hair extensions." Did you catch it?

So here's the question: Is this false advertising? And are women being force fed unrealistic visions of beauty that ultimately make them feel worse about themselves?

The other side of the coin is this -- who really believes it? Do women who see the ad really believe it's Cole's natural hair or is everyone jaded enough to realize what's going on? By now we've seen enough weekly tabloid "Stars Without Makeup" exposé features to see that even A-listers look like crud when they're at the grocery store.

This isn't the first (or last) time beauty ads have come under fire. Rimmel got in truh-ble a few years ago for digitally enhancing Kate Moss' eyelashes for a mascara ad.

What's your take on using hair extensions in hair care ads? Leave a comment below and tell us.
Read All Comments
Filed under: Hair Care, Hair, News, Celebrity Hair
Tags: airbrushing, false advertising, FalseAdvertising, hair care tips, hair extensions, HairCareTips, HairExtensions, loreal
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READER COMMENTS

(56)Add A Comment

kkarlo4023, 11-28-2009, 8:10PM

3 stars vote downvote upReport
kkarlo4023

Someone believes these commercials??? Really???? Um, no one looks that good or has hair with that much volume or never has a pimple. Google stars without makeup and see what comes up. Most of the stars are barely recognizable.

Reply »

Bobbie Staley, 11-28-2009, 9:05PM

3 stars vote downvote upReport
Bobbie Staley

Very tired of all the hypocrites. Not everyone follows the life and syles of the rich and famous and therefore turn to ads to direct them in what appears to be products to enhance their beauty. SHAME on all these companies who exploit the innocence of these women who have until recently been exposed to the real enhancements of their products (extentions, digital enhancements, airbrushing and artifical lighting..etc.

Reply »

Gabrielle, 11-28-2009, 9:06PM

3 stars vote downvote upReport
Gabrielle

Please!!! L'Oreal has Linda Evangelista doing commercials for anti-aging products......I have read a couple articles where she said she has had botox injections, (watch her face NOT move in the commercials), micro-dermabrasion, and every other thing you can think of, done to her skin. And they are trying to use her to sell their product?? They need to get someone who actually uses their products!!!

Reply »

Tod, 11-28-2009, 9:12PM

Half a star vote downvote upReport
Tod

I don't care - she's still one of the most beautiful women on the planet!!

Reply »

the truth, 11-28-2009, 9:23PM

2.5 stars vote downvote upReport
the truth

this entire farce is just another commercial for the company. gee let's all sit around and give a care.

Reply »

dphlmbd, 11-28-2009, 9:37PM

3 stars vote downvote upReport
dphlmbd

Glad to see these controvercial ads. My friends have always said I should do a Suave commercial using my lovely long locks as they are shocked when I tell them I use Suave products only. They can airbrush my face all they want but no need to change my hair. Just a thought.

Reply »

Kelly, 11-28-2009, 9:41PM

3 stars vote downvote upReport
Kelly

I don't think it's false advertising at all. As an owner of human hair extensions, it's not just about putting hair on your head that's absolutely flawless 24 hours a day. You have to ukeep with them as well; shampooing, conditioning, etc. It is very possible that she could have used the products on both her hair AND her extension hair pieces, both being representation of the product's usage.

Reply »

Jen, 11-30-2009, 3:31PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Jen

I completely agree with this comment- Hair extensions need to be taken care of just the same as your own hair-they ARE hair you know. This product could have very well been used on both...in fact, they could have been pointing out that she had the extensions to show "hey look what a good job it does on hair that doesnt even come out of YOUR head" or something to that extent. And if the product does work well on both, that is a GOOD thing.

That doesnt mean these type of ads dont exaggerate beauty in general, because they do, but that is what makes them ads. Calm down people.

»

sara, 11-30-2009, 5:42PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
sara

you actually believe that she would wear extensions all the time, and not only use them for that ad?? i mean, c'mon! you think she is going to take her sweet time, and waste it on shampooing with L'oreal for weeks, to get that hair? we all know that the best products out there, as far as moiturizing goes, are the salon ones...

»

HaircareSnob, 11-30-2009, 10:10AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
HaircareSnob

Most of what you see is a glorified wig (oh, a wig does not sound as glamorous as extensions, does it?) Have a good look at her hairline and tell me if that is her real hair. Some hair extensions? What a joke!

»

Jessica, 11-28-2009, 9:57PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Jessica

boo hoo. if you had the time and actually knew how to style hair YES your hair could look good, too.

Reply »

beryl, 11-30-2009, 3:49PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
beryl

THE THING THAT MAKES ME IS THE FACT THAT WE KNOW THAT THESE CELEBS GET AIRBRUSHED, BOTOXED AND EVERYTHING ELSE YET WE COMPLAIN WHENEVER WE HEAR OR SEE THAT THEY USE A PRODUCT AND YET SOMEHOW THEY FANTASIC RESULTS. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE PEOPLE!!!! JUST BE HAPPY ABOUT WHO U ARE AND STOP RELYING ON BEAUTY PRODUCTS TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER.

Reply »

mondongito, 11-29-2009, 12:10AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
mondongito

wow, really? Who cares, I mean what exactly is the argument? They are not hiding the fact the she is wearing extensions.

Reply »

Jemz, 11-29-2009, 12:13AM

2.5 stars vote downvote upReport
Jemz

That's like having Beyonce model for these commercials. So fake. Maybe i'm just jealous. But I'm black and i don't and afraid will never have shiny beautiful hair as they advertise. NOOOO i'm not calling my fro ugly... But you should get the point.

Reply »

mezl, 11-29-2009, 2:00AM

2.5 stars vote downvote upReport
mezl

ads for hair products or make up or what ever, should show the person WITH OUT ANY MAKE UP or with their hair UN WASHED. they should apply the make up DURING THE AD, or WASH THEIR HAIR DURING THE AD. then we'll see how well this over priced GARBAGE really works.......

Reply »

Beverly, 11-29-2009, 2:44AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Beverly

When photographers shoot food ads, they're allowed to "doctor" any product shot, except for the product being advertised. They have to leave that one alone. That should hold for people and hair.
I'm not going to brag about my beautiful locks, dphlmbd, but I agree. Suave is the best I have used. And it's inexpensive.

Reply »

taine, 11-29-2009, 5:00AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
taine

I would probably look that good to if I had professional stylist doing my hair to for a commercial or any add in that case. Its silly for people to believe that its just her naturial hair and she ha dno help with it at all, we should all have hair stylist doing our hair so we could look that good.

Reply »

Marcus, 11-29-2009, 5:25AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Marcus

I'm going to play devil's advocate on this one. First off, it said that she was wearing EXTENSIONS. So how much of the hair is really hers? Are the extensions for length (to make her hair longer) or volume (to make her hair fuller)? If the extensions are primarily for length, then it's no big deal as the product being advertised is one for giving your hair body and volume, something that can be achieved even with short hair. Now, if the extensions are for the purposes of giving her hair volume THEN I would say it's false advertising.

Reply »

Patsy, 11-30-2009, 6:39AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Patsy

They are not the only ones who stretch the truth, cover girl and most of the cosmetic companies when advertising their mascara do the same thing, they show women wearing false eyelashes and most women think that if they use their product their eye lashes will look the same and the anti wrinkle creams they air brush most of the older actresses or they use women in their 20's, so naturally they will look good.
So why take it so seriously they all do it!

Reply »

cindyallthetime, 11-30-2009, 6:47AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
cindyallthetime

People who do commercials are called ACTORS. They are not necessarily users of the product they are selling, they get PAID to say they are. I bet all the people who got mad about this commercial watch wrestling and think its real too LMAO

Reply »

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