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loreal ads banned

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Two ads featuring Julia Roberts and model Christy Turlington have been banned in Britain.

Britain’s advertising standards council banned two makeup ads on Wednesday, ruling the ads, which used digitally altered photographs, were misleading.

The Advertising Standards Authority found that the airbrushed images used by L’Oreal in magazine ad campaigns exaggerated the results women could expect from using the beauty products. This will come as a shock to anyone familiar with beauty/makeup ads.

“Pictures of flawless skin and super-slim bodies are all around, but they don’t reflect reality,” said Jo Swinson, a lawmaker who brought the complaint. “With one in four people feeling depressed about their body, it’s time to consider how these idealized images are distorting our idea of beauty.”

The company admitted the photos were retouched, but said they’re not misleading, according to the BBC. Maybelline officials agreed, saying they don’t “believe that the ad exaggerates the effect that can be achieved using this product.”

But the decision was seen as a step forward in an ongoing campaign to limit the retouching of photos in beauty-related ads in Britain.

“We really welcome this,” said Susan Ringwood, chief executive of Beat, which campaigns to combat eating disorders. “It highlights one of the main issues, that these hyper-perfect versions of beauty are undermining people’s confidence because they are beyond what’s achievable. It’s unrealistic in a way that’s really damaging to vulnerable young people and effects all of us.”