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Editorial
by Elle of Quest for the Perfect Curl
It’s no secret that the natural hair product business is booming due to the increase in women choosing their natural hair over relaxers. Even several companies that traditionally catered to relaxed and straight hair have come out with lines for natural hair. Countless ads featuring big, coily, curly and kinky hair displayed on buses, billboards and online encourage naturals to try out a company’s products in hopes that their hair will yield the same results.
However, I often find myself looking at these ads slightly confused. Why? Because the hair shown is too perfect and natural hair isn’t perfect. Our hair is beautiful and frizzy at the same time. But time and time again, we are shown images that imply that we should never have a curl out of place. Take this ad below for African Pride’s new texture manageability system for example:
It could be her hair, but it looks an awful lot like a wig. The hair is super shiny and perfectly coiffed. There’s no frizz and not a single stray curl poking out.
And then there’s Lottabody’s new Coconut & Shea Oils line – this is an ad for their Moisturize Me Curl & Style Milk:
Is this supposed to be their example of a wash and go? To me, it looks like a flexi-rod set. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a flexi-rod set, but I find it interesting that this is their best example of curly hair.
There have also been accusations of companies using stock photo models or images taken from the internet to sell their natural hair products rather than models who have actually used the products. This gives consumers skewed expectations of their results. I recall the time Curls used my photo in a tip of the month on creating bantu knots with Cashmere Curls. Funny thing is, I never used that product. Some smaller indie companies that do not have marketing dollars also reuse stock photos and we’ve seen the same model on multiple sites. I understand not having the advertising money that big companies have, but they could reach out to customers for pictures using their products as examples.
But isn’t this all simply a common marketing strategy? It’s certainly not unheard of across the beauty industry (using false lashes in mascara commercials, photoshopping extreme shine in hair ads or using models with extensions, using celebrities as spokespeople for boxed hair dyes), but I do wish that companies would be a bit more sincere with their advertising.
Do you feel as if some natural hair ads are dishonest? Have you seen any suspect ads?
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Elle is the owner and editor of Quest for the Perfect Curl, a collaborative YouTube channel and blog dedicated to promoting healthy hair through research and the sharing of information. A former product junkie, Elle promotes the importance of product ingredients, knowing your hair properties, and your climate when choosing what products to use on your natural hair. She also frequently explores healthy hair care practices and methods to achieve the “perfect curl,” which to her is big, healthy hair.
48 Responses
Welcome to the world of white and non black women. You have arrived! This is something that we’ve been dealing with for ages! So glad you ladies understand our concerns now.
As a brand owner of a small indie haircare company, it was important to me to only show models who have my products in their hair. I also wanted to display how all textures of hair look in their natural state and not trying to make a 4C texture look like 3A because I want women to love their hair as it grows no matter what. Being able to represent the different textures also shows how great the products work for everyone.
I think it’s CRAAAAZY that the black community is so fixed on hair. Jeez… it really can’t be that difficult to take care of your natural hair. A wig is a wig. Nothing real about it.
this post is actually pretty hilarious, especially since I know the first model personally and used to go to school with her in Marietta, Georgia. She’s even prettier in person and, yes, that is all her hair. So I doubt the ads are fostering some vindictive campaign to make natural hair look better than it actually does.
The last I checked our hair can (and does) look this awesome…ijs
I can’t speak on the second model or the validity of her texture. But I’m sure those who watched America’s Next Top Model will recognize Alasia Ballard and have no problems looking her up.
smh.. it’s crazy when you can Google old friends
So true!
To be clear, I am a naturalista. I have only blow-dried and flat ironed my hair once this summer. But even when I don’t put heat to my hair, it never looks how it’s portrayed on those boxes. I am only commenting on this topic because I know for a fact that the model on the Africa’s Pride box is definitely NOT wearing a wig. I am an avid watcher of ANTM (America’s Next Top Model), and anyone who is an enthusiast of the show like I am knows that the young lady in question is Alasia from cycle 14. She made it all the way to the top 6. And anyone who knows that also knows that Alasia has a naturally beautiful head of hair. Her hair has been every texture from kinky to curly to coily to straight. So to say that her hair is a wig is totally false…
Yes, I remembered her as soon as I saw that photo. Glad to see she’s till modeling.
It’s not really that surprising is it? Go to McDonalds. . . .the actual burger that you get is a disappointment compared to the picture shown in the advertisement right?
Yep. Every hair ad is this way no matter the target.
Honestly I don’t pay much attention to these ads so I hadn’t really noticed. There are not enough ads in the world to make me put overpriced vaseline in my hair. I makemy purchases on reviews I read or watch on forums and yt. I can make my hair look perfectly withno frizz whatsoever but I mess it up on purpose because it looks like a wig.
Ok so actually the model from the first picture I was on America’s next top model and if you watch the show you can see that her hair type was wavy and shiny and more curly than kinky….so.I don’t doubt for a second that the is her hair …it’s just probably done using product and styling …..I get the point of the article but there are also many nAtural products with models who have the type of hair your describing and you shouldn’t b bad mouthing other products who use a different look especially without having done your research .I thought you actually knew for a fAct that these women were wearing wigs…
I have to say, the first picture is exactly what my wash and go looks like. No flyaways, perfectly formed ringlets. People always assume I use a curling iron, but all I need is a comb through in the shower with conditioner and my ringlets look like I painstakingly curled my hair with a 1/4 inch barrel iron. Nobody believes the perfection of my natural curls, not even my own mother, not even other 3 type girls.
That being said, I know this is very rare because of the reaction I get from any and every race, and thats what commercials are about: advertising the rare, often unattainable attributes in a way that makes it seem accessible to the masses.
Do I think those are wigs? Well…No, because my hair looks just like that with almost 0 effort, but Yes because its still a commercial.
I agree Elle! It’s similar to cosmetic company’s advertising mascara using models wearing false eyelashes. Except in this case I believe that Companies selling and advertising Natural Hair products are sending a very wrong and mixed message. The message is that it should not look too natural, be too kinky and never be out of place. Those companies do not appeal to me for those reasons.
Gugu Tshuma made a point “the model shown in the orange box is form America’s Next Top Model and she definitely has super long, healthy hair. Everyone was actually shocked she was hiding such great hair under a wig.” The fact is she has worn WIGS before perhaps for photo shoots in the past so why wouldn’t she wear one for this one advertisement too? None of this surprises me (and obviously no one else). Everyone made great points about the chemicals in the products and THAT is what we SHOULD focus on most.
Everyone makes great points. Yes Elle, it is a shame that they don’t market honestly. And as you pointed out, the beauty industry has been using falsies to enhance pictures and product outcomes for years. However, the big names have marketing teams and they are following trends and what we deem beautiful. A curl isn’t out of place because when ever we see a natural’s picture of her hair, we smash her (the majority of viewers/black people in general) if she does have a hair out of place. Or if it is not a perfect fro. My pics with my perfect every curl in place wig, I get so many likes! And even on the streets, I fool naturals with beautiful long 4C hair who say that my hair is awesome, like their hair isn’t!? Pictures of my 4C hair, in very cute styles, and on the street: No compliments, no likes. And Blue Ivy?! How can so many people say mean things about a baby because she has 4C hair? Is Beyonce supposed to put a texture manageability system in her hair so that people will think her baby is beautiful with perfect soft curls that fall instead of stand up?! As a community, we have to change what we deem beautiful.
I definitely think some may be wigs etc but the model shown in the orange box is form America’s Next Top Model and she definitely has super long, healthy hair. Everyone was actually shocked she was hiding such great hair under a wig.
I’m not surprised about the rest though, like someone said before, why expect them to be different? It’s all about getting people to buy
I’ve thought this all along with natural hair ads. Why expect them to be different? It’s done in EVERY kind of ad that features visuals : mascara, white women’s hair products, hair dye, fast foods, clothing, diet ads,fitness workouts, etc. Ever notice that magazine photos of plus sized clothes show the clothes on smaller women? They seldom if ever show the same kind of very heavy women you see on the streets. The natural hair ads want us all to believe that every kinky head of hair can use their products & wind up looking like Tracy Ellis Ross. NOT ! We black women have a myriad of hair textures with minds of their own. I have yet to get my fine 4ab hair to do even a decent twist out but Kinky Curly works wonders. Anyhow, here’s an article on the tricks of the ad trade
http://mentalfloss.com/article/30195/11-ways-advertisers-make-food-look-delicious
I agree, ads generally are more art than photography. What isn’t completely fake to begin with, such as mascara ads featuring models wearing fake lashes, is often heavily airbrushed, as can be seen in 99% of skin cream ads. False advertising is the norm, so buyers must always beware. Don’t fall for the hype. I stopped subscribing the women’s magazines several years ago so I wouldn’t be bombarded with all the photoshopped images in ads and articles.
Color me unsurprised.
We all know about marketing gimmicks. One cannot be surprised. If you believe the models on these printed & televised ads then….
I agree with Mango. I’m more upset by the amount of potentially harmful, toxic and/or poor quality ingredients that are found in the products marketed for Black hair than the wig wearing models in advertisements.
It’s no secret that a LOT of what you see in ads for most products are made through enhancements to the models or photo shopping.
But i have to admit that recently in the last few months with the amount of “natural” products that I’m seeing in the beauty supply stores, Target, Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, etc. it has been bothering me that a LOT of the ads have been full of women who are obviously wearing wigs or weaves. To me this is a problem because it sets unrealistic expectations for new naturals who have not gotten to know their own hair yet. They don’t know yet what their hair can and CANNOT do in its natural state or the manipulation it can take for certain textures to achieve the styles shown above.
I do equate the wig/weave models in natural hair product advertisements to the false eye lashes worn in mascara commercials/magazine ads. I think that’s the perfect example. But there are small disclaimer messages in the mascara ads letting people know about the false eyelashes. I wish the “natural” hair care ads had the same disclaimers.
There is a youtuber NaturallyQuinn she is a model she has a hair journey video and she shows the hair ads she has done and says some of the are weave and wigs
In all honesty – I’m not too bothered. I’m more concerned with the companies that appeal to natural hair market and use harmful ingredients e.g. laden their products with stuff that’s neither good for our hair or our bodies. Let me reiterate – I’m so tired of these old crusty companies popping out their ‘new’ toxic forms of ‘curly custard’ and expecting us to feel appreciated that they remembered us so we should feel obliged to buy it. Honestly, I don’t care if such products will give me the most beautiful head of coils/curls I’d ever have in my life – if its full of __ I’m not buying it.
And before you say it – yes chemicals are in many products (like makeup, nail polish etc.) but personally I feel that companies which ‘cater’ to black women seem to have a field day with the amount of crap they pump in our products – don’t believe me – try and find a product in the black beauty supply store that doesn’t have DMDM, silicones, parabens, mineral oils, sls, propylene glycol etc. – with the amount of products that are in the store (literally hundreds) you’ll find it very hard & that is saying something. Although we have variety usually the quality is POOR. Personally that’s where I would like change and I’m sure these companies have the monetary capabilities to do so.
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I remember one time I found hydroquinone in a hair conditioner .. smh
This is so true. I live in UK and the only way to get a good natural hair product is online or using my own. Is just so hard to find products with no cones, sulfates, etc in shops and beauty supply stores!
Give us some credit. We are not stupid. Wig or not we should know our hair and what it can or can’t. Do we need a reason to complain? Dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t.
I was offended by the comment ‘natural hair isn’t perfect’. Whose hair does the author consider perfect? What is perfect to one person may not be to another. If there weren’t all these images of so called perfect hair there wouldn’t be so many women unhappy with themselves. It’s a fact that whether you’re a white or black model doing a photo shoot there’ll be a group of make up artist and hair stylist prepping them for that ‘perfect look’ before they are even photographed. Then there’s all the photoshop work to further enhance the images.
So What??? Who cares? This is taking PCness too far. All ads create “unrealistic expectations” They are bloody adverts. Lol
Any pantene or herbal essences ad will prove that. Not one of my Caucasian friends has hair like the hair models on TV or on dye boxes. It is not a conspiracy, it is the world from time immemorial. Relax please
Interesting topic.
I’d been thinking about this for a while because I see a lot of ads for natural hair products with models that have hair that looks fake( in my opinion ) or professionally styled and which looks extremely different from actual natural hair.
These marketers don’t know that they’re actually turning away some customers by not giving them any real proof that the product works. When I see such ads, I stare at them skeptically before INTENTIONALLY choosing to not buy the product(s) unless I read positive reviews from people who have actually tried the product(s).
Yes, it’s dishonest but they don’t care about that. They’re hoping to gather as much customers as they can and they dupe some people in the process.
I, personally, don’t like this marketing trick and I wish they’d stop so that I can tell if a product actually does what it claims to do before buying it.
Yes, I’d love to see actual natural hair in ads and commercials. After all, natural hair is really how it appears to be: frizzy, big, curly/kinky/coily/wavy locks in their natural glory. I don’t see why it should be represented differently.
The first model looks like Alasia from ANTM. She always had pretty hair. The second model looks to be wearing extensions. The texture of the hair and the volume of the hair just don’t seem to go together.
Both pictures are styled hair…some type of roller set.
Is it dishonest? When it comes to styling, I think, by now, most of us are sophisticated enough to know what our hair will and won’t do on its own.
However, there are still people out there that are completely clueless about afro textured hair and truly believe that applying the product alone will make their hair look like the models’. I think advertisements like these target the latter; so, yes. It’s dishonest.
Dishonest brands will seek out YT’ers with looser curls specifically because they know many tightly coily girls haven’t accepted that their hair is tightly coiled. These naturals are on a quest for the perfect curl (SWIDT?) and believe their mahogany curls are just one product away.
Honestly it pisses me off bc it’s false advertising. I understand photoshopping in a bit of sheen, perfecting a frizzy lock or two…but a wig when selling natural haircare products? ALL these natural Internet bloggers who actually do their own hair & probably could boost a companies sales if they used real people..that would seem like a worthyinvestment! Using the LAME excuse ” we don’t have a marketing budget” to steal photos or mislead consumers with WIG WEAR ING models is just shady! If you can’t afford to show real testimonies on your product, place a disclaimer along with your fake – ass images!it shows integrity!Its also annoying me to see these companies mislabel our natural hairstyles.if they’d done the research& actually tested out their products they’d know a wash n go from a bantu knot out from a flexible rod set…it shows they are simply in it for the profit & could care less what we do with their products, if they’ll perform as promised & for their intended purpose.Pure greed! Now Pantene has a curly pudding now? Really?Whats the 2nd-3rd ingredient?Dimethecone!Really Pantene??NEXT!
OMG!! I have been thinking this for years! Thanks for finally saying this. Even when I was relaxed I thought really she’s wearing a wig. Now for us curly girl’s really WIGS, please stop, we are smarter than that. Great Article.
T
This practice isn’t anything new; check any hair color commercial and most of the women are wearing lace fronts.
Important to note that all advertisements have been altered with photoshopping. The photoshop could be the reason for the false look, like the shine on t he hair.
The model in the L’Oreal EverCurl ad also has on a wig I believe. The girl in that Lottabody ad above looks as if her hair was straightened and the then curled w/heat. Now the models in the AsIAm ads and Design Essential ads are the only ones that I’m certain it’s the real deal.
I just assume that all natural hair ads are being at least a little dishonest. At best, they had a professional stylist doing the models’ hair with the actual products in question, which means that I’m not going to get the same results because I’m not a professional stylist. Or the model might have a completely different hair texture than mine – Miss Jessie’s, for example, is notorious for using models with looser hair textures. My hair is not gonna look like the Pillow Soft Curls ad. At worst, they’re using a wig or weave and my hair is definitely never gonna look like that.
So basically, I don’t use the models’ hair in an ad to decide whether or not I’m going to buy a natural hair product. I read the ingredient list because I know which ingredients work well in my hair at this point. If I’m really unsure, I try to find a YouTube review from a hair blogger I like or some other online review from other naturals. I’ve also been known to buy an inexpensive natural hair product on a whim just to try it if I like the packaging, scent, ingredients, etc.
The young woman featured on the African Pride box is a natural. She was on America’s Next Top Model, and wore her natural hair.
Yep! That doesn’t mean that her hair is natural (esp as a wash and go) in that picture or they didn’t photoshop her hair or do something to it. The point is that her hair looks 100% perfect, which is a very difficult look to achieve for anyone.
This is like being mad that commercials use actors.
Ads are dishonest?! Guess what, the sky is blue too. If it’s not a wig on the model, it’s photoshopped, just like every other ad in the world. If you want to know what the product actually does, try it out or check YouTube and see how it works on others.
THANK YOU Adia!
“I’m not a doctor, BUT I PLAY ONE ON TV”! Ring a bell?
Never in the history of the ad – print, TV, internet – has anyone EVER used real hair, eyelashes, weight loss models, before-and-after botox, etc., etc., etc.
Does anyone think the beer, fruit, ham and yogurt in commercials is really that color and consistency? That the make-up in ads isn’t mixed with other brands and pure paint to achieve a perfect color and result? Chests, toes, noses, hair, eyes are all mercilessly shopped. Does anyone think Giselle’s REAL hair looks and flows like that?!
Ads are choreographed to sell. No one has any excuse for acting like they fell off the turnip truck when it comes to marketing.
My natural hair is not frizzy all the time. There are times that I have bombass hair so the the hair not being frizzy is not an issue for me. The perfection in the pics are standard for the beauty industry and one would be hard pressed to see an ad for a hair product with frizzy hair and flyaways. My only issue with most of these ads is that the hair is usually professionally done and the models are not always actual product users. The Mane Choice ad bothers me because while the owner has really long hair she had that hair long before she invented/founded the product. I just think you have to use common sense when you see ads and know that its not an actual representation.
I don’t believe any of the pictures I see in adverts to show of hair care products, cosmetics or clothes. Simply because some graphical designers who have shown me and other people the model’s pictures before they enhance them.
In addition in Europe some major brands have been exposed using fake lashes for mascara adverts and making untrue claims with other cosmetics. So now manufacturers have to state what enhancements they have used on models and the number of people in their surveys/research in adverts in print media or on TV.
In the case of using your picture if you can prove it is you then there are regulators you can complain to, to stop the manufacturer using your image, In addition you can expose them on Twitter which is picked up by a lot of journalists.
The marketing techniques are absolutely dishonest. However, dishonesty is the core of marketing for any product. The problem with marketing natural hair products dishonestly is the frustration that will be had by the newbie who expects the use of certain product will create perfectly coiled curls. As a type 4 hair natural, I had came to the point where I appreciated my coily curly, kinky texture that was not always perfectly coifed. Perfectly coifed to me means perfectly healthy, curly shiny kinky hair, not perfect “sunkissed alba”, “mahogany curls” type of curls. Dont get me wrong, I love those girls, I look at and utilize some of their techniques and products all the time, But, my hair will never fall in that manner. My hair is below shoulder length and stands up. I roll with that–and people love it. These hair companies, especially those who are trying to get a hold of the natural market because their relaxed hair market is going down the tubes dont really appreciate the texture of african american hair. They are simply trying to get their share back. They will not get it back from me—I stick with the smaller companies whose founders appreciate our texture and want to see the health of it
First and foremost, I apologize if any of BGLH’s readers are offended. I have no intentions of offending anybody.
From my experience as a former aspiring model, Black models are usually unable to wear their real hair natural due to the fact that so many clients (those who book models) thinks that natural hair is unattractive (especially those with 4c like myself). I’m not referring to models who wear short cropped natural hair.
Sure, models like Wakeema Hollis exist but there are no black models with natural hair doing top modeling gigs such as Victoria’s Secret (even though I personally think that natural hair of all lengths should be embraced).
Caucasian people don’t wanna learn how to style our hair in it’s natural hair but they STILL want our money. Pathetic.
I’m not saying that it right but I think it’s just marketing in general. Just like ads show photo shopped women or even in hair ads catered to people with straight hair the habit is always thicker, longer, shiner and more perfect then any hair seen in real life. The problem is that as a society we have unrealistic beauty standards for everything not one person actually meets our standards which is why even the most beautiful and fit people need to be photo shopped. It’s sad
The first model pictured is Alasia Ballard from a previous cycle of America’s Next Top Model. She has bra-strap length hair which wowed the judges.
Bra strap length wowed them? why cause she is black
No I think it was because if I remember correctly she had on a really unflattering wig when she first met them, and when they asked her could she remove the wig, they just didn’t understand why she was wearing one when her own hair looked so much better I guess. Wigs are great (I wore one this whole weekend!) but hers just didn’t look right.