Thanks to a discerning consumer who complained about a mascara ad featuring Penelope Cruz wearing fake eyelashes, Loreal has been ordered to add a disclaimer to all commercials for mascara that include falsies:

L’Oréal has been condemned for producing “misleading” mascara adverts featuring Penelope Cruz.

The TV and magazine adverts boasted that women could have up to 60 per cent longer eyelashes with its Telescopic mascara.

The Hollywood star’s voice promised: “Lashes that could reach for the stars.”

But a sharp-eyed viewer suspected the actress was wearing false lashes to exaggerate the length of eyelid hair produced by the product.

She protested to the Advertising Standards Authority, who upheld her complaint.

It found the TV commercial misleading and said the magazine advert failed to be accurate and true. During the investigation, the French company admitted that the star had been wearing individual false lashes.

The ASA has ordered L’Oréal to add a disclaimer to future adverts whenever models are shown wearing false lashes.

[The Daily Mail]

I have a lot of problems finding good mascara, and have often been annoyed at the obvious use of fake lashes in those ads. Good for that woman for doing something about it! Maybe the cosmetic companies will think twice about using fake lashes in their ads from now on.

Is it just me or are most drug store mascaras crap? Whenever I try a new brand, like Maybelline Define-A-Lash with the nifty silicone brush, they results are usually clumpy and/or too sparse. I get my hopes up occasionally and try a new mascara and am always disappointed. I usually find a brand and stick to it for years. Right now I’m using Max Factor 2,000 Calorie, which is more expensive in Europe so I buy it online at Drugstore.com and have a year’s supply shipped to my parent’s house in the states. I also used to like Loreal’s Lash Out. Here’s a good list from Fab Sugar of the best drug store mascaras.