Beauty Infomercials: Buyer Beware!

In the past, the only women who used "as seen on TV" beauty products were those in an older age demographic who aspired to look like Suzanne Somers. Today, that is not the case. Jessica Simpson, Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson - all infomercial spokeswomen for acne system ProActiv. Alyssa Milano of Charmed fame promotes Sheer Cover, a mineral foundation. With these Hollywood starlets putting in face time in infomercials, more and more younger women are buying their beauty products over a 1-800 number rather than Sephora. Even the much hyped beauty and skin care power house Philosophy sells special kits and packages on QVC. But beware ladies - not only do a lot of these products fail to live up to their miraculous descriptions, they also have billing systems that aren't always full disclosed in the ads or by the customer service representatives.

Sell, Sell, Sell!

Beauty infomercials are very different from the glossy make-up and skin care ads you see in Cosmopolitan or Vogue. In magazine ads for products like MAC or Clinique, the strategy used is to depict stunning models in glamorous situations, as to sell an image of wealth and success that relates directly to the product. Infomercials, however, rarely use this technique. Instead, they tug at your heart strings. "Real people" are often shown as having their lives turned around by using the product in question. Little Linda was mocked in school for her acne, until ProActiv saved her from a life of no prom dates and social alienation. Heather wouldn't go to bed until her husband was already asleep, until Sheer Cover gave her a way to hide her rosacea and a ticket to many passionate nights with dear ole' hubby.