Home Beauty

Photoshop fail: When airbrushed ads go too far

Lady Gaga

Only weeks after publicly criticising a magazine for overdoing it with Photoshop on her cover image, Lady Gaga is lauding overly airbrushed shots of her in starring in the latest Versace campaign.

With skin smoothed over to resemble plastic and not a line in sight, the retouchers have clearly gone to town on this campaign, and though Gaga doesn’t mind – she said she “adores” the shoot – some are labelling her a hypocrite for endorsing the overly airbrushed images.

These pictures of Lady Gaga aren’t the first to cause upset in the advertising world.

Lengthening eyelashes in mascara ads and smoothing over wrinkles in anti-aging cream endorsements has seen ads banned and the celebrities they star very upset.

Lady Gaga said on Twitter that she adored the shots, but recently slammed a magazine for airbrushing her image.

This illustration, part of a Roberto Cavalli campaign, stripped Beyonce of her famous curves.

Beyonce’s curves were also smoothed over in this H&M campaign. She was outraged.

Beyonce’s curves were also smoothed over in this H&M campaign. She was outraged.

This Lancome ad featuring a Photoshopped Julia Roberts was banned for being misleading.

Jennifer Lawrence said she was thankful for Photoshop and loved these overly airbrushed images in her Dior campaign.

Taylor Swift’s eyelashes were enhanced in this Covergirl ad, and also caused it to be pulled.

We don’t think Christy Turlington needs airbrushing but this campaign certainly did.

This ad featuring Rachel Weisz was banned in the UK for “misleadingly exaggerating” the effects of the product by altering her skin.

An ad for Dior mascara featuring Natalie Portman and “digitally lengthened” lashes was banned.

After pressure from an advertising regulatory body that claimed Maybelline went overboard with Photoshop, this ad was “permanently discontinued”.

Cosmetic brand Make Up For Ever championed this Photoshop-free campaign.

Related stories


Unwind and relax with your favourite magazine!

Huge savings plus FREE home delivery