Poor old l'Oreal - hasn't been a good month, has it? First there was that pesky racism charge (to recap: l'Oreal was found guilty of racial discrimination after a fax was discovered specifying that only BBR - bleu, blanc and rouge, ie French, ie white - women need apply) and now it turns out that their mascara isn't QUITE as efficient as the adverts promised. And to anyone out there shouting, "Oi! It's an advert! Of course it's flipping faked! You didn't think Shane Richie ever really got those sheets that white, did you?" We say, you're missing the point - what about Penelope Cruz?
Penelope, for it is she, is the 'actress' in the adverts for l'Oreal's new mascara which she claims makes lashes 60% longer thanks to its "telescopic" qualities, a concept so novel and exciting she presumably forgot to mention the fake lashes stuck on her lid that might also have something to do with her sooty, belashed appearance.
Now, assuming l'Oreal isn't even more evil than it already seems and it didn't drug Penelope while it glued the fake lashes on her lids she knew damn well she was talking a load of codswallop. But maybe "telescopic" is Spanish for "gosh these fake lashes are just brilliant when your twenty quid mascara does pig all" (Spanish-speaking readers - feel free to let us know.) Oh, let's give the woman a break. I mean, it's not like she doesn't need the money or exposure, yeah? And anyway, she went out with Tom Cruise so she's well accustomed to faking it ba boom boom
