The "Life is Not a Pantene Commercial" Thread

[blackgothicdoll]

Inspired by a quote by Lapushka, I just wanted to make a thread for anyone and everyone who suffers from the insidious disease of models, magazines, TV ads and the like that make us feel insecure about our hair and give unrealistic expectations of how hair looks and behaves. This is just a safe space, a place to vent, and of course share pictures as desired! I get very, very discouraged even just looking at online shopping sites and hair that looks perfect (but is actually teased, sprayed and fried into submission), but I know I'm not the only one, so hopefully everyone can lend support and kindness to each other in this thread no matter what the hair woe is! Thin, thick, dull, greasy, frizzy - who cares! Come on in. :o

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Movies too - don't forget movies! An excellent idea for a thread! Have you seen some of the You Tube clips on how they make shampoo commercials?

[-Fern]

Oh yeah! :laugh:

I agree with the movies thing. My SO was trying to romantically run his fingers through my (iii) hair, and his hand got stuck. :rolling:

[lapushka]

Yeah, don't mess with your woman's hair. LOL. Hard lesson to learn, but I guess men also get affected by the unrealistic portraying of hair (and women).

I once saw how they made a Pantene picture, with rats and teasing and false bits; the model had a pixie and the result was about APL/BSL flowy golden blonde hair.

ETA/

No wonder some on YT with nice hair of their own get a lot of pressure from brands to portray their brand as THE brand to use.

[Aerya]

Great thread! It's so important to keep perspective on these things. I'm always annoyed at how movies will have a female character who is totally one of The Boys™ and recoil at anything girly, but still walks around with perfectly balayaged, curled and sprayed hair and flawless no makeup-makeup.

And in fantasy movies where people with long hair wears it down all the time, from windy adventures to highly acrobatic battles. And of course, it still looks amazing. I get that some people have super resilient hair, but getting caught between your bow and your armor all the time is bound to have SOME effect.

[neko_kawaii]

Great thread! It's so important to keep perspective on these things. I'm always annoyed at how movies will have a female character who is totally one of The Boys™ and recoil at anything girly, but still walks around with perfectly balayaged, curled and sprayed hair and flawless no makeup-makeup.

And in fantasy movies where people with long hair wears it down all the time, from windy adventures to highly acrobatic battles. And of course, it still looks amazing. I get that some people have super resilient hair, but getting caught between your bow and your armor all the time is bound to have SOME effect.

ROFL, true, so true.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Imagine getting strands caught in the fletching of your arrow just as you shoot it..... (cringe).

[blackgothicdoll]

And I HATE battles where the heroine is wearing a loose, long ponytail, flipping around while in a full on sword fight and hand-to-hand combat. Seriously? That's not going to get caught on anything? Sliced off? Tangled in the hilt? The adversary doesn't think to grab it? Ok.

[TatsuOni]

And I HATE battles where the heroine is wearing a loose, long ponytail, flipping around while in a full on sword fight and hand-to-hand combat. Seriously? That's not going to get caught on anything? Sliced off? Tangled in the hilt? The adversary doesn't think to grab it? Ok.

They most have magic hair...


Movies/series when they go weeks without a shower and doesn't have a hairbrush, but yet have perfect silky, clean hair? It always bothers me! Would the audience really die if they saw some non perfect female hair?

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Oh yeah! :laugh:

I agree with the movies thing. My SO was trying to romantically run his fingers through my (iii) hair, and his hand got stuck. :rolling:

My neighbour did that with mine when she saw it down. It too got stuck.

[*Wednesday*]

If you are insecure over pictures…..images are retouched. They try to teach this point with young girls who are often affected by, for example, thinness of models with perfect bodies and no cellulite. I guess hair could qualify to if you are insecure in that area and have a desire to attain to those images in mags. These are advertisers looking to sell a product and would like you to buy the product because the models hair looks great. The point and focus is the hair so they are going to over-play it as with selling cosmetics.

I know it’s hard but I wouldn’t waste your energy on doctored images. It does nothing for your hair.

[HaMalka]

This thread made me look at other peoples hair more closely than I usually do, and they tend to have flyaways and frizz that never show up in pictures.

On the movie note, in Return of the King when Eowyn is crawling on the battlefield after fighting the Witch King of Angmar her hair is a mess. In Mongol several of the Mongol warriors have long hair that doesn't get tied back for battle which was baffling.

[lapushka]

They most have magic hair...


Movies/series when they go weeks without a shower and doesn't have a hairbrush, but yet have perfect silky, clean hair? It always bothers me! Would the audience really die if they saw some non perfect female hair?

Like on Lost. Did they even use the water they were surrounded with? I never saw them use towels to dry off when they had bathed or so. Or seem to want to collect towels out of found luggage. But of course that doesn't drive the story along so isn't important. No soap or shampoo? I doubt they would have looked or smelled that good.

[MusicalSpoons]

Great idea for a thread!

The Wraith in Stargate Atlantis are perfect examples of what happens to hair when you don't take care of it (soooo messy and ratty!) but the heroines of the series ... not so much. The intentionally messy styles stay perfectly coiffed, with tendrils staying put and fringe falling exactly where it's supposed to.

(Although Teyla's original wig (https://www.gateworld.net/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=196348&fullsize=1) was not the costume department's finest hour - they even said so on a commentary on one of the eps.)

[MoonRabbit]

Like on Lost. Did they even use the water they were surrounded with? I never saw them use towels to dry off when they had bathed or so. Or seem to want to collect towels out of found luggage. But of course that doesn't drive the story along so isn't important. No soap or shampoo? I doubt they would have looked or smelled that good.

Some of the characters did look pretty ratty in some episodes. Kates hair definitely pulled off that stuck on an island look pretty often. It did show her bathing in the ocean a few times and other members taking cloth wipe down baths.

[Jo Ann]

Why did/does almost everyone have type 1 hair? No natural wavies, wurlies or curlies?

The mystery deepens... https://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/suspect.gif

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Why did/does almost everyone have type 1 hair? No natural wavies, wurlies or curlies?

The mystery deepens... https://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/suspect.gif

Maybe that's what's fashionable? Not that I know, I never have any idea what is fashionable :rollin:

[MusicalSpoons]

​Wtheck?! Internet double post shenanigans, sorry!

[lapushka]

Some of the characters did look pretty ratty in some episodes. Kates hair definitely pulled off that stuck on an island look pretty often. It did show her bathing in the ocean a few times and other members taking cloth wipe down baths.

I thought Kate's hair looked pretty a lot of the time. Maybe it did her waves/curls a world of good. LOL I didn't follow it that intensely, just because I didn't find it all that... realistic, hence inviting. LOL!

[enfys]

Why did/does almost everyone have type 1 hair? No natural wavies, wurlies or curlies?

The mystery deepens... https://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/suspect.gif

Continuity! Straight or artificially curled hair is easier to keep track of when they need to reshoot or continue on different days/locations. In real life, hair is affected by humidity and wind etc too much for all but the bravest hair departments to allow natural waves!

Sarah Connor tying her hair back at the start of Terminator 2 as she leaves her hospital room is one of my favourite little movie details. You so rarely see it happen.

[milosmomma]

For some reason(I know its animation) Mulan comes to mind when she hacks off her long hair to join the army. But overall I agree there are some very unrealistic hair portrayals in most of the things I see in the TV/movie realms :lol:

[blackgothicdoll]

For some reason(I know its animation) Mulan comes to mind when she hacks off her long hair to join the army. But overall I agree there are some very unrealistic hair portrayals in most of the things I see in the TV/movie realms :lol:


https://youtu.be/MLVcmQ62luE?t=408


skip to around 6:48 if it doesn't start there :D

[Corvana]

https://youtu.be/MLVcmQ62luE?t=408


skip to around 6:48 if it doesn't start there :D

That video makes me so mad :laugh: WHY IS SHE TRYING TO CUT THROUGH ALL HER HAIR!! Mulan clearly chops in sections!

-----

One thing that I always struggle with is half-ups. I'd always see stars with their hair in a half-up and still having like a whole head of hair left down. So I just assumed that I had super thin hair because why didn't my half-ups look like that!?

Extensions, that's why.

(Like obviously there are people with hair that thick naturally, but in movies and shows it's hair extensions 95% of the time)

[MusicalSpoons]

[/video]


skip to around 6:48 if it doesn't start there :D

Baaahahaha!! :laugh:

They did this video too:

https://youtu.be/pF3k30yeMWc
Start at 1:57 for the physics behind it then how they did the hair, or 7:58 for the actual thing.

^ Corvana I feel the same, but for half-ups here on LHC :p obviously they're not with extensions here though, clearly I just have thin mid-lengths and ends!

I feel like I want to contribute some fairly realistic depictions to the thread - do you guys think that would be okay, or should that be a separate thread?

[Kat]

I feel bad just because of real-life people who don't have crappy hair... Really, I get discouraged by my hair, full stop, without even needing to compare it to anything. The shreddy shreds that pull out of any hairstyle in the course of a day and make me look unkempt and like I never comb/properly do my hair are incredibly discouraging. Knowing that no matter how nicely I dress up and how pretty I do my hair, in a few hours I'm going to look like a slob because my hair won't keep in place (well, it might if I sprayed or gelled it into a helmet, but then I'd look like a slicked-back greaseball).

Wearing it down isn't much better. If I leave it straight it looks thin and stringy. If I do waves (braid-waves or whatever), it looks frizzy-damaged (even though I don't brush it or do anything to encourage frizziness). I've never tried doing any kind of curls; it would be a disaster.

Pulling it back makes me look like I don't have hair (because from the front you don't see my braid) or like it's super-short... which doesn't suit me because my face isn't feminine enough to also have hair that would code as masculine on me. When it was short (chin to shoulder length) it was also awful, stringy and flat and got weird flippy bits (the only way it would look nice is if I'd wash, blow-dry, and then curl the ends under, and no way was I doing that every morning).

The tendency toward tangles and damage aren't even on my radar anymore.

I'm probably one of those people everyone looks at and says "ugh, she shouldn't have long hair" but it looks terrible when short too, so I might as well at least be able to pull it back out of my way.



Oh yeah! :laugh:

I agree with the movies thing. My SO was trying to romantically run his fingers through my (iii) hair, and his hand got stuck. :rolling:

Yup, nobody but me is allowed to touch my hair. My ex tried once. He hit a tangle, I screamed (I tend to involuntarily shriek when my hair is pulled that way, no idea why as I'm not normally a shrieky type and it's not that I'm overly protective of my hair), he never touched my hair again.

[Little Lemon]

I feel bad just because of real-life people who don't have crappy hair... Really, I get discouraged by my hair, full stop, without even needing to compare it to anything. The shreddy shreds that pull out of any hairstyle in the course of a day and make me look unkempt and like I never comb/properly do my hair are incredibly discouraging. Knowing that no matter how nicely I dress up and how pretty I do my hair, in a few hours I'm going to look like a slob because my hair won't keep in place (well, it might if I sprayed or gelled it into a helmet, but then I'd look like a slicked-back greaseball).

Wearing it down isn't much better. If I leave it straight it looks thin and stringy. If I do waves (braid-waves or whatever), it looks frizzy-damaged (even though I don't brush it or do anything to encourage frizziness). I've never tried doing any kind of curls; it would be a disaster.

Pulling it back makes me look like I don't have hair (because from the front you don't see my braid) or like it's super-short... which doesn't suit me because my face isn't feminine enough to also have hair that would code as masculine on me. When it was short (chin to shoulder length) it was also awful, stringy and flat and got weird flippy bits (the only way it would look nice is if I'd wash, blow-dry, and then curl the ends under, and no way was I doing that every morning).

The tendency toward tangles and damage aren't even on my radar anymore.

I'm probably one of those people everyone looks at and says "ugh, she shouldn't have long hair" but it looks terrible when short too, so I might as well at least be able to pull it back out of my way.




Yup, nobody but me is allowed to touch my hair. My ex tried once. He hit a tangle, I screamed (I tend to involuntarily shriek when my hair is pulled that way, no idea why as I'm not normally a shrieky type and it's not that I'm overly protective of my hair), he never touched my hair again.

This! Before finding this forum I was frustrated with my hair 99% of the time. If I blow dry it, curl it, and fluff it, it will look good for about 30 minutes. Then it starts to separate and look stringy. It’s not curly enough to stay curly, and it’s not straight enough to stay straight. It’s also fairly thin, flat, and oily. No matter what length I’m at it just hangs there looking lame. I was sooo frustrated with it all of the time!

The forums have helped me. I think before I came to the forums I was thinking my hair was “supposed” to be something, something like what is shown to us on adds, movies, social media, etc. Now I realize hair is just hair. We all have it, and everyone’s is different. No one’s hair type is any less fabulous than anyone else’s. It has made me appreciate my own hair and be kinder to myself. So thank you everyone!

Ignore all the pressure of how it’s “supposed” to be!

[Aerya]

That video makes me so mad :laugh: WHY IS SHE TRYING TO CUT THROUGH ALL HER HAIR!! Mulan clearly chops in sections!

-----

One thing that I always struggle with is half-ups. I'd always see stars with their hair in a half-up and still having like a whole head of hair left down. So I just assumed that I had super thin hair because why didn't my half-ups look like that!?

Extensions, that's why.

(Like obviously there are people with hair that thick naturally, but in movies and shows it's hair extensions 95% of the time)

Yes, this! I mean, I love Daenerys' hairstyles as much as anyone, but she has like ten thick braids all over her head and still a full head hanging loose!

I generally have a little pet peeve with those unrealistic things especially in fantasy/historical settings. When a character goes from BSL loose to having a super elaborate, big braided bun. Also when it's obviously coloured, styled with heat tools and such.

[TreesOfEternity]

This thread is giving me life to be honest haha. As someone with dark, straight hair I always feel it has to look sleek, shiny and frizzless all the time, but it can get dull sometimes, frizzy and all over the place and can be frustrating (my profile pic is an exception, recently washed hair, oiled and good lighting).

The thing is, hair is hair! Sometimes it will be unruly and all over the place and that’s ok I guess! Haha.

Also I feel a lot the “intricate thick braids with no visible scalp cleavage and still a whole mane hanging down* thing, my fine hair cries when I see that :p

[Begemot]

Found some examples of photoshopping hair to be fuller, longer, shinier and/or smoother. Even when hair is styled to perfection, it still goes through photo manipulation to be even more unrealistic and often just unachievable.

https://amp.thisisinsider.com/images/588242a455b10661168b4b14-750-563.jpg
http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uuuploads/photoshopped-celebrities-before-and-after/photoshopped-celebrities-before-and-after-5.jpg
https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BBLpiTt.img?h=768&w=1080&m=6&q=60&o=t&l=f&x=1078&y=237
http://betrending.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/1-5.jpg

It's not even just commercials, TV, movies etc., regular people retouch their photos too. So don't believe a thing you see online lol.

[Joules]

That's why I love Lost so much :lol: I read actors weren't allowed to brush their hair for days to achieve that stranded-on-a-mysterious-island look :lol: although even there was very little to no sun and salt water damage happening, sooo...

In all seriousness, movies don't bother me that much, especially fantasy. I mean, it's called fiction for a reason. Abnormally thick hair is a part of its appeal, just like flawless skin and special effects like pointy ears. Commercials don't bother me too, they just need to sell their stuff, everyone knows they use hair extensions and photoshop, it's not even a big seret anymore. What does bug me is social media. All those beauty bloggers and insta models were supposed to be real people who became famous online, they were supposed to be a healthier alternative to magazines and victoria's secret models, but oh well. Alas. Nothing is allowed to be real anymore.

[Simsy]

The first lesson mum hammered into her children was that the internet was full of lies. That might have been a touch dramatic; but I still think it was an excellent starting point for learning to not trust anything you see. Everything is optimised, nothing can be trusted to survive first contact.

I saw a model post something on social media some time ago, 2 photos of herself at a shoot. One photo was glammed up, the other had been taken on a mobile and not touched “apparently”. It was quite telling that even she couldn’t believe the amount of photoshop that had been applied.

[Ylva]

Baaahahaha!! :laugh:

They did this video too:

https://youtu.be/pF3k30yeMWc
Start at 1:57 for the physics behind it then how they did the hair, or 7:58 for the actual thing.

^ Corvana I feel the same, but for half-ups here on LHC :p obviously they're not with extensions here though, clearly I just have thin mid-lengths and ends!

I feel like I want to contribute some fairly realistic depictions to the thread - do you guys think that would be okay, or should that be a separate thread?

Mythbusters also tested a climbing rope made of human hair, if I remember correctly, but I couldn't find a clip of it. :shrug:

[Kat]

This! Before finding this forum I was frustrated with my hair 99% of the time. If I blow dry it, curl it, and fluff it, it will look good for about 30 minutes. Then it starts to separate and look stringy. It’s not curly enough to stay curly, and it’s not straight enough to stay straight. It’s also fairly thin, flat, and oily. No matter what length I’m at it just hangs there looking lame. I was sooo frustrated with it all of the time!

The forums have helped me. I think before I came to the forums I was thinking my hair was “supposed” to be something, something like what is shown to us on adds, movies, social media, etc. Now I realize hair is just hair. We all have it, and everyone’s is different. No one’s hair type is any less fabulous than anyone else’s. It has made me appreciate my own hair and be kinder to myself. So thank you everyone!

Ignore all the pressure of how it’s “supposed” to be!

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect my hair to remain tidy and presentable, to not look like it belongs to a refugee who hasn't seen a comb for three weeks when in reality I re-braided it this morning and sat still at my desk all day... I'm unattractive enough without also having wild hair that makes me appear like a slob. It would be like if I always kept my clothes hung up and folded carefully but they still looked like I pulled them out of a huge pile on my floor every morning.




That's why I love Lost so much :lol: I read actors weren't allowed to brush their hair for days to achieve that stranded-on-a-mysterious-island look :lol: although even there was very little to no sun and salt water damage happening, sooo...

In all seriousness, movies don't bother me that much, especially fantasy. I mean, it's called fiction for a reason. Abnormally thick hair is a part of its appeal, just like flawless skin and special effects like pointy ears. Commercials don't bother me too, they just need to sell their stuff, everyone knows they use hair extensions and photoshop, it's not even a big seret anymore. What does bug me is social media. All those beauty bloggers and insta models were supposed to be real people who became famous online, they were supposed to be a healthier alternative to magazines and victoria's secret models, but oh well. Alas. Nothing is allowed to be real anymore.

It doesn't bug me personally either and never has, but it IS sometimes in the back of my mind that what the media shows is what men tend to think women are "supposed to" look like (or at the very least, they see these models and actresses and anyone else pales in comparison even if they do know somewhere in their mind that it's fake), and then no wonder it's near-impossible to be attractive enough for them as a normal person...

[milosmomma]

Oh wow, thank you for the videos I had a good laugh. I think someone who had been using a sword longer with more strength and experience might be able to get through more hair than she did in the Mulan test. Maybe they could have a hair cutting test on "forged in fire"(love that show). The Rapunzel one was pretty hilarious too, "must've been the almonds I ate right before" :lol:
Daenerys came to mind as well but they've always made it clear she wears a wig, and I would never expect my hair to look like that if I tried with out extensions. And her hair looks fantastic after pummeling through the atmosphere on a 50ft dragon soooooo yea

[littlestarface]

That's why I love Lost so much :lol: I read actors weren't allowed to brush their hair for days to achieve that stranded-on-a-mysterious-island look :lol: although even there was very little to no sun and salt water damage happening, sooo...

In all seriousness, movies don't bother me that much, especially fantasy. I mean, it's called fiction for a reason. Abnormally thick hair is a part of its appeal, just like flawless skin and special effects like pointy ears. Commercials don't bother me too, they just need to sell their stuff, everyone knows they use hair extensions and photoshop, it's not even a big sercet anymore. What does bug me is social media. All those beauty bloggers and insta models were supposed to be real people who became famous online, they were supposed to be a healthier alternative to magazines and victoria's secret models, but oh well. Alas. Nothing is allowed to be real anymore.

Insta "models" are worst than TV and movies combined lol. They're all just paid to get down and nasty with really rich guys and buy the fakest things on the market, from hair to butts. Its a shame I was born in the wrong era :rollin:

But yea i'm like you I know movies is fake hair fake everything iv'e known that since I was small, I always knew not to take inspiration from an actress. That'd be like thinking I could glow and be clean in the forest like the elvish in LOTR but sadly yea no it don't work that way.

[Joules]

It doesn't bug me personally either and never has, but it IS sometimes in the back of my mind that what the media shows is what men tend to think women are "supposed to" look like (or at the very least, they see these models and actresses and anyone else pales in comparison even if they do know somewhere in their mind that it's fake), and then no wonder it's near-impossible to be attractive enough for them as a normal person...

I use it as a filter. If a man is so out of touch with reality that he thinks I should look like a model on TV or a porn star 24/7, I don't need him. Of course I try to look nice and presentable on a daily basis, but I don't go out of my way and pretend to be someone I'm not. I don't care if I don't attract every carrier of Y-chromosome around me, because I want to attract only the sane and nice ones.


Insta "models" are worst than TV and movies combined lol. They're all just paid to get down and nasty with really rich guys and buy the fakest things on the market, from hair to butts. Its a shame I was born in the wrong era :rollin:

But yea i'm like you I know movies is fake hair fake everything iv'e known that since I was small, I always knew not to take inspiration from an actress. That'd be like thinking I could glow and be clean in the forest like the elvish in LOTR but sadly yea no it don't work that way.

I grew up when the beauty community online was just developing and all the makeup tutorials on YT were done by normal girls-next-door and were relatively easy to recreate. I still have a teeny tiny speck of faith in beauty gurus :D

[littlestarface]

I use it as a filter. If a man is so out of touch with reality that he thinks I should look like a model on TV or a porn star 24/7, I don't need him. Of course I try to look nice and presentable on a daily basis, but I don't go out of my way and pretend to be someone I'm not. I don't care if I don't attract every carrier of Y-chromosome around me, because I want to attract only the sane and nice ones.



I grew up when the beauty community online was just developing and all the makeup tutorials on YT were done by normal girls-next-door and were relatively easy to recreate. I still have a teeny tiny speck of faith in beauty gurus :D

I miss old youtube! No sponsors, no this, no that, just people sharing their hobbies and teaching us something new.

[bparnell75]

Thinking something similar on an episode of Voyager. The ship was falling apart, everyone's face was dirty and clothes were a mess trying o say no one had had time to bath or sleep for days. Captain Janeway appears with her newly bobbed chin length hair perfectly coiffed except for one curl. Her face AND CLOTHES WERE DIRTY BUT HER HAIR WAS SHINEY CURLED AND BEAUTIFUL. Oh well it is science FICTION.

[MusicalSpoons]

Thinking something similar on an episode of Voyager. The ship was falling apart, everyone's face was dirty and clothes were a mess trying o say no one had had time to bath or sleep for days. Captain Janeway appears with her newly bobbed chin length hair perfectly coiffed except for one curl. Her face AND CLOTHES WERE DIRTY BUT HER HAIR WAS SHINEY CURLED AND BEAUTIFUL. Oh well it is science FICTION.

:laugh: yep, I remember having similar thoughts! I only recall one episode when the ship was being badly damaged and her hair was falling out of her topknot/bun but of course she redid her hair by the next scene. Can't have the crew seeing their captain anything less than put together (!) :rolleyes:

[MoonRabbit]

I miss old youtube! No sponsors, no this, no that, just people sharing their hobbies and teaching us something new.

Ah the good ol' times. I can't help but laugh at them now. I swear they all act the same. I was watching a video of a chick that released a new eye shadow collection and she was like " OH I had soooo much fun naming these" This one is 'Shook' This one is 'Snatched' 'Yas Queen' etc..... I seriously wanted to punch something because I'm so sick of all of them acting the same and putting on this fake a$$ personality. :rolleyes:

[littlestarface]

Ah the good ol' times. I can't help but laugh at them now. I swear they all act the same. I was watching a video of a chick that released a new eye shadow collection and she was like " OH I had soooo much fun naming these" This one is 'Shook' This one is 'Snatched' 'Yas Queen' etc..... I seriously wanted to punch something because I'm so sick of all of them acting the same and putting on this fake a$$ personality. :rolleyes:

Yes I agreeee! and all of them all come out with their own line of makeup,eyelashes,hair extensions now, it all looks the same! Trashy names,same colors,same sponsors,I got my clothes from fashion nova,wish! and whatever else place that's popular atm. I can't take it anymore.

[Ylva]

Ah the good ol' times. I can't help but laugh at them now. I swear they all act the same. I was watching a video of a chick that released a new eye shadow collection and she was like " OH I had soooo much fun naming these" This one is 'Shook' This one is 'Snatched' 'Yas Queen' etc..... I seriously wanted to punch something because I'm so sick of all of them acting the same and putting on this fake a$$ personality. :rolleyes:

Yup yup! I actually really want to make another YouTube channel (I have had a gaming one for a good while but that's a bit different) for things I want to talk about, but I just don't see the point because in today's YouTube, you need to be all cheery and fake to be at all interesting, and I just can't, nor do I want to pull that off. I would be my boring, monotone, mostly smileless self with my information and thoughts. :D

[lapushka]

If you go to the really small channels, that is still real, on YT. But I have cringed at how many have turned 180° after PR and sponsorships. Some don't sell out like Tarababyz and MrKongsMom, and Dr Dray, Dr Sandra Lee, yes even Tati (who is a big channel, she's even been sued or some companies threatened to). They are (I feel) still quite true to self, despite what's out there (it is tempting).

[LadyCelestina]

It doesn't bug me personally either and never has, but it IS sometimes in the back of my mind that what the media shows is what men tend to think women are "supposed to" look like (or at the very least, they see these models and actresses and anyone else pales in comparison even if they do know somewhere in their mind that it's fake), and then no wonder it's near-impossible to be attractive enough for them as a normal person...

If you consume enough media for your perception of fellow humans to get skewed so seriously you're not much of a relationship material anyway, regardless of gender :p

[Little Lemon]

Yup yup! I actually really want to make another YouTube channel (I have had a gaming one for a good while but that's a bit different) for things I want to talk about, but I just don't see the point because in today's YouTube, you need to be all cheery and fake to be at all interesting, and I just can't, nor do I want to pull that off. I would be my boring, monotone, mostly smileless self with my information and thoughts. :D

Honestly, I would find that refreshing. I miss watching “real people” on YouTube.

[Jo Ann]

I think Fiona has the right of it, starting about the 1:40 mark...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxGXZOLn-U0

[Corvana]

That's why I love Lost so much :lol: I read actors weren't allowed to brush their hair for days to achieve that stranded-on-a-mysterious-island look :lol: although even there was very little to no sun and salt water damage happening, sooo...

In all seriousness, movies don't bother me that much, especially fantasy. I mean, it's called fiction for a reason. Abnormally thick hair is a part of its appeal, just like flawless skin and special effects like pointy ears. Commercials don't bother me too, they just need to sell their stuff, everyone knows they use hair extensions and photoshop, it's not even a big seret anymore. What does bug me is social media. All those beauty bloggers and insta models were supposed to be real people who became famous online, they were supposed to be a healthier alternative to magazines and victoria's secret models, but oh well. Alas. Nothing is allowed to be real anymore.

Technically speaking, no not everyone knows. I think most people know about the photoshop to an extent, but there are some things that are photoshopped that people don't even think about. And posing can change how someone looks, and if they ate beforehand etc.

I didn't learn about the extensions and wigs thing being common for every celebrity (and not just used for obvious stuff like fake cutting hair, hair dye, showing the past/future) until maybe ten years ago, and I'm certain there are still people who don't realize that it's basically a given for every woman to have extensions if you see her hair in any way (and it's not very very short or something). It's just not something a lot of people really think about. They just see it, and absorb it as totally natural, and then when their hair isn't the same they're unhappy with themselves (and then go and buy products to "fix" it).

[Ylva]

Technically speaking, no not everyone knows. I think most people know about the photoshop to an extent, but there are some things that are photoshopped that people don't even think about. And posing can change how someone looks, and if they ate beforehand etc.

I didn't learn about the extensions and wigs thing being common for every celebrity (and not just used for obvious stuff like fake cutting hair, hair dye, showing the past/future) until maybe ten years ago, and I'm certain there are still people who don't realize that it's basically a given for every woman to have extensions if you see her hair in any way (and it's not very very short or something). It's just not something a lot of people really think about. They just see it, and absorb it as totally natural, and then when their hair isn't the same they're unhappy with themselves (and then go and buy products to "fix" it).

I concur. I don't think it was until after a while spent in the LHC that I slowly began to realise this was indeed the case. But it comes as no surprise that I'm a bit behind. :lol:

[MusicalSpoons]

I concur. I don't think it was until after a while spent in the LHC that I slowly began to realise this was indeed the case. But it comes as no surprise that I'm a bit behind. :lol:

Ditto, every word! I still have trouble believing most things are not as natural as they appear to be.

[JackintheBox]

This was an awesome and hilarious read!

[Aerya]

Ditto, every word! I still have trouble believing most things are not as natural as they appear to be.

Same. I mean, I know rationally that most things are fake, Photoshopped, altered, but it hasn't reached my subconscious perception of it. That's what makes it scary, I think, especially with just how much we are exposed to it, and with how much is targeted at young people. It's well and good to remind people that it's not real, but if it was that easy to not be affected by it, marketing wouldn't be as big a business as it is today.

[Wusel]

Inspired by a quote by Lapushka, I just wanted to make a thread for anyone and everyone who suffers from the insidious disease of models, magazines, TV ads and the like that make us feel insecure about our hair and give unrealistic expectations of how hair looks and behaves. This is just a safe space, a place to vent, and of course share pictures as desired! I get very, very discouraged even just looking at online shopping sites and hair that looks perfect (but is actually teased, sprayed and fried into submission), but I know I'm not the only one, so hopefully everyone can lend support and kindness to each other in this thread no matter what the hair woe is! Thin, thick, dull, greasy, frizzy - who cares! Come on in. :o

You have 4a hair... :) I always wanted to have type 4 hair, since I was a child. And I still do. I would change my hair for yours if I could, I swear.

[Wusel]

When I see such commercials I always think: That's ridiculously damage-styled hair. Heat, chemicals, color, extensions... I just know that it's not how virgin, healthy, naturally grown hair looks like.

[TreesOfEternity]

Yup yup! I actually really want to make another YouTube channel (I have had a gaming one for a good while but that's a bit different) for things I want to talk about, but I just don't see the point because in today's YouTube, you need to be all cheery and fake to be at all interesting, and I just can't, nor do I want to pull that off. I would be my boring, monotone, mostly smileless self with my information and thoughts. :D

Personally I only follow small you tubers who’s content call my attention so it would be so cool :)

[Hairkay]

Why did/does almost everyone have type 1 hair? No natural wavies, wurlies or curlies?

The mystery deepens... https://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/suspect.gif

Yes even those with type 4 hair manage to look as if they're been to the hair dresser to have it straightened even if they are in a jungle or destitute on the street or way back in some historic setting where it is hard if not impossible to get hair done the way it is today. Though hair shrinkage and hair getting flattened were shown in Austin Powers; the Spy who shagged me. Beyoncé put on a motorcycle helmet and when she took it off her 'fro was a tiny one but then it fluffed out into a super big 'fro (wig) LOL.




I think Fiona has the right of it, starting about the 1:40 mark...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxGXZOLn-U0

LOL, I love Shrek! She even used her hair as a whip too.

[Robot Ninja]

Continuity! Straight or artificially curled hair is easier to keep track of when they need to reshoot or continue on different days/locations. In real life, hair is affected by humidity and wind etc too much for all but the bravest hair departments to allow natural waves!

Straight hair apparently makes different takes more visible, which is why everybody on TV has those obvious curling-iron curls. Even in shows set before curling irons were invented. An article I read about this used Karen Page from Daredevil as an example of the issues with straight hair on TV....and then in the third season her hair is curled.


Sarah Connor tying her hair back at the start of Terminator 2 as she leaves her hospital room is one of my favourite little movie details. You so rarely see it happen.

It happens in Chronicles of Riddick too! A long-haired character puts her hair in a bun before the fight scene. It is a nice detail.


:laugh: yep, I remember having similar thoughts! I only recall one episode when the ship was being badly damaged and her hair was falling out of her topknot/bun but of course she redid her hair by the next scene. Can't have the crew seeing their captain anything less than put together (!) :rolleyes:

There was a joke on the series that you could tell how much trouble the ship was in by the state of Janeway's bun.

[Ylva]

Straight hair apparently makes different takes more visible, which is why everybody on TV has those obvious curling-iron curls. Even in shows set before curling irons were invented. An article I read about this used Karen Page from Daredevil as an example of the issues with straight hair on TV....and then in the third season her hair is curled.

Curling irons have actually been around for... I think thousands of years! :)

[TatsuOni]

Curling irons have actually been around for... I think thousands of years! :)

True :) https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/wonderful-things-ancient-eygyptian-curling-tongs/

[StartingFrom0]

Not only does the media show us unrealistic shiny long hair and healthy yet crazy coloured dyed hair (usually wigs)all the time but also women's all time classic hair which is long is now considered boring, unmodern, and we are sometimes perceived as depressed or lazy women etc. Companies profit from this and women are in an endless loop of bleaching/dying and constantly buying chemicals to catch up with the latest trends. Once their hair is fried, the poor women have to then go buy all these products to reverse the damage, falling into the trap even deeper. And that costs a lot of money. In the end, they rarely end up with "Pantene" commercial looking hair. Many people don't like long hair and that is okay ! But I think it's more thsn that, nowadays almost nobody likes long AND simple looking virgin hair. Uperfect hair creates comments like : she looks lazy/depressed or I have heard beauty department clerks gossiping and saying my hair is too long and is not nice at all for my age?( I am 22).I feel embarassed and I tend to avoid going anywhere beauty-related. :-( If your hair getd too long and you don't follow the norm you are perceived as a weirdo. It has to be perfectly cut, you have to use 8383737 products full of chemicals , visit the salon once a month and bleach/dye it doing all these techniques. Girls in my country usually have pin straighted dyed hair , following all the latest trends which is fine, but you need lots of money to catch up, plus, i love the more natural look.
Everybody defines beauty differentlty, do what works for you. :-)

[TatsuOni]

Another thing that bothers me is the phrase "flat, dull and boring". Well I happen to like flat hair and wear my hair like that! I get that some people prefers volume, but it doesn't mean that flat hair should be described as dull and boring.

[lapushka]

Another thing that bothers me is the phrase "flat, dull and boring". Well I happen to like flat hair and wear my hair like that! I get that some people prefers volume, but it doesn't mean that flat hair should be described as dull and boring.

My mom always desperately tries to get some volume in her hair, but her hair is naturally lacking in volume and fine, thin (i) - there is *nothing* wrong with that. But companies want to sell you something, and they need to make up their minds in how to sell it.

I think these days a lot happens through social media.

Pantene recently came out with the Gold line (for naturals).
Suave has a line for natural hair now as well.

It's not that they don't listen. I'll have to give bigger companies that!

[blackgothicdoll]

Sigh...volume. This goes back into YouTube but the volume thing drives me nuts too. Not all of us want our hair to have its own zip code, it's just not functional in day to day activities to have an active forcefield around my head. My I prefer simply pulling my hair back or braiding it and don't need 'big' hair.

I see a ton of natural YTers do this these days, there aren't a lot who embrace simplicity, don't get sponsored and advertise products and aren't on the same bandwagon as mentioned above. I feel like YT was real at one point but now you've got to dig for something more wholesome.

Don't get me started on black women's hair in TV. Is it illegal to cast a black actress wearing her real hair or something? Rue from Hunger Games and Corbin Bleu in high school musical (even though he's a dude) are only a couple that come to mind.

[blackgothicdoll]

My mom always desperately tries to get some volume in her hair, but her hair is naturally lacking in volume and fine, thin (i) - there is *nothing* wrong with that. But companies want to sell you something, and they need to make up their minds in how to sell it.

I think these days a lot happens through social media.

Pantene recently came out with the Gold line (for naturals).
Suave has a line for natural hair now as well.

It's not that they don't listen. I'll have to give bigger companies that!

I take it with a grain of salt, because though I haven't seen Suaves line, Pantene, GF and Aussies lines marketed toward natural hair were garbage. Natural hair doesn't need any different products than are already on the shelf now, there are almost too many. They started from people who were natural and wanted to give back by created products, which was a great way to encourage self starters doing something new. But now you have the cosmetic industry giants stealing from these small business when they already own the market as it is, not because they care but because slapping 'curly hair' or 'natural hair' on a product makes it sell faster.

/OT

[blackgothicdoll]

You have 4a hair... :) I always wanted to have type 4 hair, since I was a child. And I still do. I would change my hair for yours if I could, I swear.

LOL that's funny. Thanks!! :o

[MoonRabbit]

I will admit that I do find advert hair very beautiful, but for as long as I can remember I always preferred the 'wild' and "unkempt". Something about healthy frizz and flyways with wonderful untamed waves and curls looks so freeing.

Heck I even caught myself dreaming about dreads again :whistle:

[lapushka]

I take it with a grain of salt, because though I haven't seen Suaves line, Pantene, GF and Aussies lines marketed toward natural hair were garbage. Natural hair doesn't need any different products than are already on the shelf now, there are almost too many. They started from people who were natural and wanted to give back by created products, which was a great way to encourage self starters doing something new. But now you have the cosmetic industry giants stealing from these small business when they already own the market as it is, not because they care but because slapping 'curly hair' or 'natural hair' on a product makes it sell faster.

/OT

IMO I don't think they want to get "in on it", it is just that they want to create affordable alternatives. God knows I can't afford most stylers from natural brands and still I buy them because there are few alternatives. If there were cheaper alternatives constantly on the shelf (like Garnier Ultra Doux do leave-ins) I would buy them right quick.

[Kat]

If you consume enough media for your perception of fellow humans to get skewed so seriously you're not much of a relationship material anyway, regardless of gender :p


I use it as a filter. If a man is so out of touch with reality that he thinks I should look like a model on TV or a porn star 24/7, I don't need him. Of course I try to look nice and presentable on a daily basis, but I don't go out of my way and pretend to be someone I'm not. I don't care if I don't attract every carrier of Y-chromosome around me, because I want to attract only the sane and nice ones.


It's hard to keep someone happy eating peanut butter sandwiches, or even regular steak, when you're constantly showing them pictures of expensive-restaurant filet mignon, though. Even if they're not shallow or if they like peanut butter. Then throw in society's expectations of what they should be eating to make them feel bad about what they have.

[The-Young-Maid]

I take it with a grain of salt, because though I haven't seen Suaves line, Pantene, GF and Aussies lines marketed toward natural hair were garbage. Natural hair doesn't need any different products than are already on the shelf now, there are almost too many. They started from people who were natural and wanted to give back by created products, which was a great way to encourage self starters doing something new. But now you have the cosmetic industry giants stealing from these small business when they already own the market as it is, not because they care but because slapping 'curly hair' or 'natural hair' on a product makes it sell faster.

/OT

So you'd rather large companies not even try? Damned if they do damned if they don't. I wouldn't expect the first curly/natural line from a company to be amazing since they haven't done it before. But they see a large market for these products and want a share of that money. No company does something out of the goodness of their hearts lol they just want good PR. In the process, large and small companies face competition to produce the best products they can. It's a win for the consumer. A large company selling curly products won't destroy a small company as long as the small company actually has good products that people repurchase.

[Ylva]

IMO I don't think they want to get "in on it", it is just that they want to create affordable alternatives. God knows I can't afford most stylers from natural brands and still I buy them because there are few alternatives. If there were cheaper alternatives constantly on the shelf (like Garnier Ultra Doux do leave-ins) I would buy them right quick.

I find myself agreeing with both views to be fair. I feel that the market brands are indeed trying to get their share in a market where they can offer cheaper alternatives, but the natural brands are also exploiting their status as the "professionals" of that area and thus charge a crapton for their products (or at least that's how the prices are here in Europe, heh).

[blackgothicdoll]

So you'd rather large companies not even try? Damned if they do damned if they don't. I wouldn't expect the first curly/natural line from a company to be amazing since they haven't done it before. But they see a large market for these products and want a share of that money. No company does something out of the goodness of their hearts lol they just want good PR. In the process, large and small companies face competition to produce the best products they can. It's a win for the consumer. A large company selling curly products won't destroy a small company as long as the small company actually has good products that people repurchase.

Not quite. What I'm saying is, a product doesn't have to say 'for natural hair' on the label for it to suddenly be usable. Hair is hair. Pantene Relaxed & Natural was an original line targetted toward black hair, I remember using it prior to 2010, it's very old and it was great. Suave Essentials, Tresseme Naturals, Suave Naturals, Aussie Moist, Herbal Essences etc... these are all brands I used when I first went natural before Shea Moisture and Mixed Chicks came out. So when they come out with a new line, all they're really doing is putting a hype word on it that will convince people to buy it because it's 'made for their hair type', but Pantene Gold Series (I think that's what it's called) isn't much different than Relaxed and Natural.

Now I do agree that some of the natural products are just way too expensive, it's almost frustrating, so it is nice to have affordable alternatives, but in a way they were already there. It almost adds to the confusion of one trying to find a product to use for their hair. Of course, all of this is just my opinion and frustrations with targeted marketing. Doesn't mean they should stop making natural hair products altogether, but I very strongly believe a product doesn't need to be 'made for natural hair' to work on natural hair.

[lapushka]

I find myself agreeing with both views to be fair. I feel that the market brands are indeed trying to get their share in a market where they can offer cheaper alternatives, but the natural brands are also exploiting their status as the "professionals" of that area and thus charge a crapton for their products (or at least that's how the prices are here in Europe, heh).

In the EU we can't even get the natural brands easy. They're not on the market here, so I am *glad* for the alternatives! The most a brand do here is a leave-in, and yes a gel you can get anywhere, but like a curl cream? Unheard of in regular drugstores here in Belgium.

So I order from an import shop in The Netherlands and pay a hefty price for a few curl creams I truly like.

I do understand the need for the alternatives!

[Ylva]

In the EU we can't even get the natural brands easy. They're not on the market here, so I am *glad* for the alternatives! The most a brand do here is a leave-in, and yes a gel you can get anywhere, but like a curl cream? Unheard of in regular drugstores here in Belgium.

So I order from an import shop in The Netherlands and pay a hefty price for a few curl creams I truly like.

I do understand the need for the alternatives!

Yep, true. I do understand that products specifically geared towards afro hair (whether necessary or not) would cost more here, since a very small portion of the population (I don't know about southern Europe, but at least in my area) has hair like that, so it would hardly be worth it for anything other than a specialised store or something like that. I suppose that's largely why Shea Moisture is so unheard of here, for example. Even though, of course, any product can work for any hair, owning the JBCO leave-in, I must say it's one of those that you could easily deem "too heavy" or "unfitting for hairtype x" because you simply don't realise how little to use.

[Little Lemon]

Not only does the media show us unrealistic shiny long hair and healthy yet crazy coloured dyed hair (usually wigs)all the time but also women's all time classic hair which is long is now considered boring, unmodern, and we are sometimes perceived as depressed or lazy women etc. Companies profit from this and women are in an endless loop of bleaching/dying and constantly buying chemicals to catch up with the latest trends. Once their hair is fried, the poor women have to then go buy all these products to reverse the damage, falling into the trap even deeper. And that costs a lot of money. In the end, they rarely end up with "Pantene" commercial looking hair. Many people don't like long hair and that is okay ! But I think it's more thsn that, nowadays almost nobody likes long AND simple looking virgin hair. Uperfect hair creates comments like : she looks lazy/depressed or I have heard beauty department clerks gossiping and saying my hair is too long and is not nice at all for my age?( I am 22).I feel embarassed and I tend to avoid going anywhere beauty-related. :-( If your hair getd too long and you don't follow the norm you are perceived as a weirdo. It has to be perfectly cut, you have to use 8383737 products full of chemicals , visit the salon once a month and bleach/dye it doing all these techniques. Girls in my country usually have pin straighted dyed hair , following all the latest trends which is fine, but you need lots of money to catch up, plus, i love the more natural look.
Everybody defines beauty differentlty, do what works for you. :-)

Yeah, when I have natural anything (hair or no-makeup), I definitely feel judged for it. People seem to assume that I have no idea what’s “fashionable” in the beauty industry. The truth is I’m very aware of what’s in style. It gets shoved in my face daily. I simply choose to embrace my hair the way it naturally is.

It shouldn’t be against the norm to like our hair the way it is naturally. Same thing with our faces without makeup. Just because we choose to not change ourselves doesn’t mean we don’t care about beauty, ourselves, etc.

[lapushka]

Yep, true. I do understand that products specifically geared towards afro hair (whether necessary or not) would cost more here, since a very small portion of the population (I don't know about southern Europe, but at least in my area) has hair like that, so it would hardly be worth it for anything other than a specialised store or something like that. I suppose that's largely why Shea Moisture is so unheard of here, for example. Even though, of course, any product can work for any hair, owning the JBCO leave-in, I must say it's one of those that you could easily deem "too heavy" or "unfitting for hairtype x" because you simply don't realise how little to use.

I think Brussels (Belgium) also has import stores like that, but it is a world city, where all kinds of people from all origins live.

Where I live is a small town close to Antwerp. Antwerp might also have a few import stores, I'm pretty sure.

I have to order online.

It's a shame that regular drugstores don't carry lines like Cantu or Shea Moisture, at *least*!

[blackgothicdoll]

Ah yes things are very different on the other side of the world :lol: I must sound unfrateful lol but sometimes it truly feels like overkill over in America!

[PallasAthena]

I think in the states we also have some consumer confusion over whether natural means unstraightened type 4 hair or natural as in organic and made of plants. A lot of products crossover with both types of natural but some don't. I know the reason I first started using Shea Moisture was because it was one of the few cruelty-free brands in the drug store. Now it's owned by an umbrella company so I will have to go back to the health food store once I run out of what I have and find something new. Sigh.

As for not-Pantene moments, I had never realized how pretty much every actress and most actors in movie and television are wearing hairpieces. I wore wigs for a while when I had health related hair loss and kind of learned how to spot them, and they are pretty much standard. It makes sense seeing as the super bright studio lights would make even a fully covered scalp look shiny, but it's hard not to compare myself to the fullness.

[YvetteVarie]

Sigh...volume. This goes back into YouTube but the volume thing drives me nuts too. Not all of us want our hair to have its own zip code, it's just not functional in day to day activities to have an active forcefield around my head. My I prefer simply pulling my hair back or braiding it and don't need 'big' hair.

I see a ton of natural YTers do this these days, there aren't a lot who embrace simplicity, don't get sponsored and advertise products and aren't on the same bandwagon as mentioned above. I feel like YT was real at one point but now you've got to dig for something more wholesome.

Don't get me started on black women's hair in TV. Is it illegal to cast a black actress wearing her real hair or something? Rue from Hunger Games and Corbin Bleu in high school musical (even though he's a dude) are only a couple that come to mind.

I have seen 2 WoC (women of colour) on the series Krypton. The mother has short natural hair, and the daughter has a goddess braid/halo braid. Both are warriors so the hairstyles are practical and awesome :)

[Hellebore]

Oh yeah! :laugh:

I agree with the movies thing. My SO was trying to romantically run his fingers through my (iii) hair, and his hand got stuck. :rolling:

My ex-husband did this once and all I heard was the snapping sound of my fragile hairs breaking. I yelped for him to stop, and instead he KEPT DOING IT and proclaimed my problem was that I needed to brush my hair more. Sigh. Fortunately my hair doesn't break so easily now, and current SO knows not to play with it.

[LadyCelestina]

My ex-husband did this once and all I heard was the snapping sound of my fragile hairs breaking. I yelped for him to stop, and instead he KEPT DOING IT and proclaimed my problem was that I needed to brush my hair more. Sigh. Fortunately my hair doesn't break so easily now, and current SO knows not to play with it.

Ah, the benefits of having a longhair, wurly SO :p Never tried to run his fingers through my hair, not sure he even realizes its a thing :lol:

BTW - he hates when I randomly touch his hair.

[Tinyponies]

:laugh: yep, I remember having similar thoughts! I only recall one episode when the ship was being badly damaged and her hair was falling out of her topknot/bun but of course she redid her hair by the next scene. Can't have the crew seeing their captain anything less than put together (!) :rolleyes:

Lol! I always remember that one :lol: you know it’s serious if Janeway’s hair is falling down!

[spidergoat]

Lol! I always remember that one :lol: you know it’s serious if Janeway’s hair is falling down!

So true! :laugh:

[nmgdolly]

It's funny, I actually use Pantene because my hair loves it, but, I have never expected my hair to look like their commercials as I am wavy and frizzy, naturally. I actually like my waves and fuzziness because it makes my hair look thicker. The couple of times my hair has been flat ironed it looked thin and not good on me. I guess God knew what he was doing giving me this wild hair...
Another thing that bothers me about modern beauty advertisements is that they airbrush away all of the ladies' natural expression lines. No frown lines, no smile lines. It's crazy. Children have more expression lines than those advertisements.

:)

Nancy Marie

[MusicalSpoons]

It's funny, I actually use Pantene because my hair loves it, but, I have never expected my hair to look like their commercials as I am wavy and frizzy, naturally. I actually like my waves and fuzziness because it makes my hair look thicker. The couple of times my hair has been flat ironed it looked thin and not good on me. I guess God knew what he was doing giving me this wild hair...
Another thing that bothers me about modern beauty advertisements is that they airbrush away all of the ladies' natural expression lines. No frown lines, no smile lines. It's crazy. Children have more expression lines than those advertisements.

:)

Nancy Marie

Oh my goodness, don't get me started - the promos for a couple of shows in the same franchise one year airbrushed their actors into oblivion, it was like they were waxwork models :steam I couldn't believe it when I saw them! Both of the leading men in particular looked young for their age anyway but did have lines on their foreheads, and taking those away almost stripped the character out of their faces. I mean, the crinkles when people smile at ANY age are part of the charm of smiling, but there was nothing left. They made me glad that I was a latecomer to the series so I didn't have to put up with those promos for hair a year or more. (Ironically this was a franchise that sometimes got the hair right though! :laugh:)

[desisparkles]

I have struggled with the styling part of hair because I'm not skilled at hair and just never have been and seeing so many different ways people style (especially on here - the braids, the buns, the gorgeousness! I just can't, even when I really really try). It can feel defeating sometimes and I wish I didn't feel like that.

Although she's not popular with everyone, after finding the curly ninja on youtube I have been much more simple with my own hair - not trying to add several products etc. Not trying to control it.
I love others with their wildness and I now realise I love my wildness the most.

I feel sad for my kiddies who will grow up with so much fakeness in their faces though. You just can't avoid it, period and how can you not compare with it pushed in your face constantly.

[yahirwaO.o]

It's funny, I actually use Pantene because my hair loves it, but, I have never expected my hair to look like their commercials as I am wavy and frizzy, naturally. I actually like my waves and fuzziness because it makes my hair look thicker. The couple of times my hair has been flat ironed it looked thin and not good on me. I guess God knew what he was doing giving me this wild hair...
Another thing that bothers me about modern beauty advertisements is that they airbrush away all of the ladies' natural expression lines. No frown lines, no smile lines. It's crazy. Children have more expression lines than those advertisements.

:)

Nancy Marie

I couldnt agree more and I think your hair is particularly good too!!! :)

[Crystawni]

Not quite. What I'm saying is, a product doesn't have to say 'for natural hair' on the label for it to suddenly be usable. Hair is hair. Pantene Relaxed & Natural was an original line targetted toward black hair, I remember using it prior to 2010, it's very old and it was great. Suave Essentials, Tresseme Naturals, Suave Naturals, Aussie Moist, Herbal Essences etc... these are all brands I used when I first went natural before Shea Moisture and Mixed Chicks came out. So when they come out with a new line, all they're really doing is putting a hype word on it that will convince people to buy it because it's 'made for their hair type', but Pantene Gold Series (I think that's what it's called) isn't much different than Relaxed and Natural.

Now I do agree that some of the natural products are just way too expensive, it's almost frustrating, so it is nice to have affordable alternatives, but in a way they were already there. It almost adds to the confusion of one trying to find a product to use for their hair. Of course, all of this is just my opinion and frustrations with targeted marketing. Doesn't mean they should stop making natural hair products altogether, but I very strongly believe a product doesn't need to be 'made for natural hair' to work on natural hair.


I think in the states we also have some consumer confusion over whether natural means unstraightened type 4 hair or natural as in organic and made of plants. A lot of products crossover with both types of natural but some don't. I know the reason I first started using Shea Moisture was because it was one of the few cruelty-free brands in the drug store. Now it's owned by an umbrella company so I will have to go back to the health food store once I run out of what I have and find something new. Sigh.

As for not-Pantene moments, I had never realized how pretty much every actress and most actors in movie and television are wearing hairpieces. I wore wigs for a while when I had health related hair loss and kind of learned how to spot them, and they are pretty much standard. It makes sense seeing as the super bright studio lights would make even a fully covered scalp look shiny, but it's hard not to compare myself to the fullness.

*bolding mine*

The thought of Tresemme Naturals being for "natural hair", a term not really used here in Australia, never even crossed my mind, tbh. I was under the impression it was named that for the botanical ingredients, like the replacement line, Botanique. Regional stuff can be so enlightening!

And when it comes to hair product ads on TV and other media, at least down here, I actually find my own hair looks and acts better (yay for LHC and its plethora of truth and good habits), so those advertisers are having an impossible time trying to sell me anything at all. :p To me, those models all have hair that just looks stiff, hard, dry, damaged, over-processed... unnatural, really. But I have the very critical eye of an artist, so probably see more in stuff than I should.

As for hair in other media, like films, tv shows, and all that, the perceived perfection just jars me, and brings me out of the story a bit. When writing (I'm a writer, too), we aim to keep the reader immersed in the story, so try to avoid unrealistic explanations that break that. Something got broken on the way to a lot of today's visual media, though...

[blackgothicdoll]

Oh yes, I suppose I could have elaborated! Because not everywhere in the world is the way America is, so sorry. What I was describing was not 'natural' hair products, with natural being no silicones, plant-based oils and things of that nature. I'm very excited to see commercial companies come out with these lines, because they are more affordable and who doesn't love affordable products? Lol. I was more referring to the natural as in 'for type 3/4 hair products'. My point being that a lot of these products are intentionally, absurdly expensive (I remember fuming when Belle Bar came out with the 'for black girls' hair kit, marketed for type 4c hair, and was charging people over $150 for a few .5oz packets of freeze-dried avocado, methi and chebe. It was almost criminal, in my opinion, a way to tell people that their hair needed something special and that something special was not the least bit economic.

So that was kind of more where my point was in that no hair type needs a specific product line made for them, and that Pantene, Garnier Fructis and Aussie had products that worked perfectly well for type 3/4 types before they came out with their lines that (appear to be) labelled and marketed towards those with kinky curly hair. It's almost a ruse.

Now again, that's just my own opinion and disdain towards heavy marketing, that could indeed appear ungrateful because I suppose yes, they are trying, and they are still affordable. :flower:

Ok I'm done derailing my own thread :o