Dove caught in an onslaught over Axe |
| Dove is making news and not necessarily
the kind the brand wanted. It’s because Unilever
- the maker of Dove products – has gotten caught
in an onslaught of criticism due to its inconsistent attitude towards
women. |
| It seems that many bloggers, newspaper op-ed writers, and others
are up in arms that Unilever - the holier than thou, “pro-women”,
paragon of the beauty industry - is also responsible for the not so-politically-correct
or female-empowering advertising of Axe
male body spray products and its Sunsilk Hair
care line. |
| The Axe commercials are racy, with the catch phase “when nice
girls turn naughty”. The models used are the hot, sexy variety
of beauty industry babes you are urged to warn your daughter about
in the Onslaught video by the same company.
To be frank, the Axe commercials don’t
bother me a bit. I’m a realist; I accept that it often takes
a cheesy commercial to sell a cheesy product. I am not a fan of the
body spray or the attitude, but at least this is straight-forward
advertising. In a world where school children are all too often familiar
with soft-porn and adolescent sex parties, an ad with the catch phrase
“when naughty girls turn nice” and obviously directed
at 20-something males seems positively retro to me. |
| Unilever’s Sunsilk advertising is just plain silly
and promotes negative hair colour stereotypes. There are games on
its website www.colorshowdown.com such as “Whack
a blonde” and "Whack a brunette”.
It’s all meant to be in good fun. Personally, I find it stupid
and offensive. But take it seriously? Oh please! |
I am glad Unilever is getting slammed
for their inconsistent attitude towards women. But their touchy-feely
pro-woman advertising campaigns are worse than inconsistent, they’re
insulting. I don't share the view that the beauty industry is the
Great Satan and one company alone has a “positive view of women”.
Nor do I like the disingenuousness of any business that wants to “have
a conversation” with me through advertising and marketing. Darlings,
there is no way no way I am buying this line. At the end of the day,
they are all selling the same thing, crème and a dream. The
good thing is the better companies these days have a pot of cream
that used regularly might actually do you some good.
|
|
| There is nothng wrong with selling cream and dream
- if it is a fabulous pot of cream |
|
| To add insult to injury, Dove claims to be helping women feel good
about themselves at any age or in any shape. Well darlings, I find
it ironic that this “feel good company” has tried to make
women worry about their armpits, a heretofore stress-free body part
for most women. |
| Capitalizing on research that fewer than eight percent of women
feel beautiful when wearing a sleeveless top, Dove is promoting a
new line of deodorants with a change that includes some strange stunts
of stunts. One stunt includes auctioning off sleeveless tops worn
by stars – oh ick! I doubt a fear of sleeveless tops comes from
ugly armpits - at least for most women. The ads ask “are you
sleeveless ready?’ and then promises that their new clear and
moisturizing deodorant will get you that way in five days. Few of
the women I questioned - granted not a multitude but an inteliigent
and mature group - had ever had any problems with their underarms.
But Dove, in its wish to create a unique niche and sell product, has
managed to find “real women” who all have these issues.
Quelle surprise! I resent making women wonder that their underarms
will past visual muster. Personally, I have never seen women who needed
special products to keep their arms smooth and pretty. |
| Ironically, the Dove products offer an array of scents and a nice
texture. For me that would be reason alone to buy them - without the
scare tactics. It’s one of the main reasons I choose the powder
fresh products I use now. I love the scent and it works. |
| There are many problems with advertisers who claim to be looking
out for you, or who want have conversations. The world doesn’t
work that way. Many companies contribute to charity in a big way and
without them we’d be far worse off. But the best of these companies
do not tie their efforts to help women to advertising campaigns. Estee
Lauder supports breast cancer research, as does Avon.
The Body Shop has supported a wide variety of ‘good
causes” since its inception. Nor are the images portrayed by
these companies negative or damaging to young women. At least I don’t
think they are. There are also many other fine companies in the fashion
and beauty business who contribute to the world around them and do
not harm women. |
|
| Mothers and mentors can best help
the young enjoy their beauty birthright. |
|
| Perhaps some young women do feel threatened by the female images
in the “media”. Beauty and an attraction to beauty are
natural. Even primitive cultures have objective standards of beauty.
Peacocks preen tool it’s a natural act. To try to protect to
protect young girls from beauty or even the beauty industry is backward,
convoluted, and at worse unrealistic. It is also hard to take seriously
from people who want you to worry about your armpits. |
| I think the best companies make and sell great products. I love
lotions and potions that chase away fine lines and wrinkles. And darlings,
there are plenty that actually do. |
| I like generous corporations that contribute to good causes. But
that doesn’t mean I want them sending me political messages
- even positive ones in their advertising. Actually, I think Dove
is encouraging ageism with all their pro-age
propaganda. Darlings, you will all age differently and fabulously.
I find all the labeling these days tiring and so unsexy! |
| I want results from all my lotions and potions, not propaganda.
I don’t want a sales pitch wrapped in politically correct messages.
Give me smoother, prettier skin, better hair or whatever else the
product is supposed to do. That is how a beauty company is supposed
to make me feel good. |
| Role models and self-esteem are too important to be left in the
hands of advertisers. Girls and young women deserve better. Mothers
and mentors can better help them understand the (sometime) agony,
wonder, and power of their own beauty birthright. Maybe instead of
trying to preach, companies like Unilever should take a hint from
the Hippocratic Oath and try to “do no harm” with their
advertising. But as always darlings, make your own minds. |
|
|
| It takes more than a fabulous costume
to be a superwoman. |
|
An Exclusive interview with a top
expert on Women’s Health |
| The Natural Superwoman by Dr.
Uzzi Reiss and his daughter Yfat Reiss tells the story
of hormones, their benefits, and their risks at any age. Dr. Reiss
is an Ob/Gyn and an international authority on bioidentical hormones
and other natural approaches to women’s health. He has advice
for women of all ages on how to deal with common complaints and stay
in top form in this exclusive DolceDolce interview. |
| DD: Can you please briefly explain the difference
between bioidentical hormones and the hormones that are normally used
in hormone replacement? |
| Dr. R.: Bioidentical hormones are exactly the same
hormones that your own body creates. Conversely, most of the time,
when women are given “hormones” they are given chemicals
or some portion of hormones that do not include the entire rainbow
of hormones required to work in concert as bioidentical hormones do.
For example, in The Natural SuperWoman we discuss that “Estrogen”
has actually three different types of Estrogen that all work together
to provide women with health benefits. Generally, when women are prescribed
“Estrogen,” it is usually only one form, called Estradiol.
We explain why Estradiol should never be supplemented without Estriol. |
| DD: At what age do most women need to supplement
their hormones? |
Dr. R: The majority of the women who come to see
me are over the age of 30, but about 25 percent are under the age
of 30. This sounds strange, until you consider that hormones govern
our mind, mood, sleep, motivation, memory and energy – in some
cases women experience challenges in these areas far before menopause.
|
|
| DD: You talk about the four pillars of the natural
super women: nutrition, activity, hormone, and mood. We have heard
a lot about hormone balance and nutrition, but the categories of activity
(beyond exercise) and mood are new. Can you explain why this is so
important? |
| Dr. R: Of course nutrition and hormone balance
is important, but can you imagine a woman feeling that her life is
going well if she can’t sleep, focus on a conversation, or feels
that she has no energy? All of these fall into the mood pillar. Similarly,
what woman would be satisfied with a life where she cannot express
her sexuality as she wishes, cannot freely socialize with friends,
or can’t engage in other pastimes she enjoys? All these fall
into the activity pillar. A woman’s identity is multi-dimensional,
so a book that addresses women’s health must also be. |
| DD: You talk about “cheating” on your
diet and have some advice as to how to do it. Can you share that please? |
| Dr. R: Actually, what we hope is that when women
think about “cheating” on their diets, they consider it
cheating on themselves. When you choose to make a food decision that
you know is truly unhealthy, you are allowing something into your
body that you know will slow you down. You are choosing to build some
portion of your future brain or body out of substandard building materials.
You wouldn’t allow a builder to use substandard building materials
on your house, and you certainly wouldn’t want to promote the
consumption of substandard building materials in your children, so
why are they OK for you? In many cases, you’re the one who has
to keep your house and your brood together, so why should you not
insist on fuelling yourself with the best? We also suggest that you
would never tolerate “cheating” on a once a day, or once
a week basis in your relationship, so why would you tolerate this
in your diet. Of course, there are always times in life for celebration
and comfort, and in those times, if you do care to indulge, we recommend
treating yourself with good ingredients – high quality chocolate
or desserts, good red wine or other foods that are, in fact, a treat,
but are nonetheless high-quality building materials for your brain
and body. |
| DD: I noticed that you do not recommend anti-depressants
as so many books directed at women do these days. Why? |
| Dr. R: I do not suggest for a moment that women
with severe depression should refrain from taking their anti-depressant
medication. In some cases these can be lifesavers. However, in The
Natural Superwoman, we make the case that no woman is born with a
Prozac deficiency, nor a Lexapro deficiency, but they may be born
with or develop a hormonal or nutritional deficiency, the underlying
causes of many biochemical deficiencies. We describe how to recognize
these and what you can do to remedy them, so that antidepressants
can be the last option you consider, not the first. |
| DD: Many women are concerned with disease prevention
and aging well. Is it possible “to set back the the clock”? |
| Dr. R: Of course it is possible. In my view, setting
back the clock really means optimizing your health. That’s what
The Natural SuperWoman is all about – finding small tweaks to
what you do every day that will help you optimize your health. I have
yet to work with a woman who embraces the principles of the four pillars
and does not tell me that she feels better than she has in a long
time. If that isn’t setting back the clock, what is? |
| DD: What is needed for women of all ages to keep
their bones healthy? There is a lot of controversy about what to take
and how much exercise is needed. Can you give us your advice please? |
| Dr. R: In my practice I rarely see a need to prescribe
medication in order to improve bone health. Popular bone medications
are known to be destructive to jaw bone health (that’s right,
the thing you speak through), to block your bones’ ability to
build by up to 90 percent, to accumulate inside of your bones for
life, and to lead to the development of serious arterial fibrillation
that may compromise your cardiovascular health. Bolstering bone health
is part of a comprehensive – but by no means difficult –
program, and we were so happy that our editor gave us the latitude
to go into great detail on this in The Natural SuperWoman. |
| DD: Your book is packed with information and advice,
but much of if it involves hormone supplements and other aspects that
need a doctor’s guidance? How can a woman find a doctor who
will help her with this approach if she can’t go to see you? |
| Dr. R: You’ve hit on my reason for writing
this book in the first place. Most women cannot come to see me, and
that’s why I took the time to write a book that details: |
· which questions I ask when a woman comes to see me, by
symptom,
· why this may be happening to her,
·
what I recommend to her, and most importantly,
· specifically
how I treat each of these symptoms, so that she can replicate what
I do on her own or with her own doctor. |
| In the case of the advice on nutrition, supplements and activity,
the book is meant to guide women so that they can try my recommendations
on their own. In the case of recommendations on hormone balance, I
specifically provide information; including supporting scientific
studies on my website, so that women can bring this information to
their own gynecologists, endocrinologists and other physicians they
connect with and replicate what I do in my practice on their own terms,
and their own schedules, in their hometown. |
For more information about Dr. Reiss’ approach, read The Natural
SuperWoman. www.amazon.com
|
|
| Not registered yet to receive DolceDolce’s
free weekly email newsletter? Help us grow; sign-up
today, and forward
to your friends. Because life should be sweet. |
|
Quick Beauty Fixes |
Every woman worthy of the name wants to shine during the holiday
season. But, too much of anything be it work, fun, or just holiday
to-do can leave the best of us looking frazzled and less than dazzling.
So here are the tried and trued fixes I have collected from my years
as an editor – and chronic over-doer:
|
Glow like a Goddess |
Facials can give you a great glow. But go to the wrong salon and
you can end up a mess. This is not the time of year to try the unknown.
Go with a recommendation you can really trust. Our archives have great
recommendations. Book a few days before an event.
|
|
|
My personal expert Fong Wang recommends
booking one of her cosmetic acupuncture facials three days to a week
in advance as the results will last. No time for a facial? Use a mask.
Check the archives or try Queen Helene Mint Julep
for oily skin or their Apricot Moisturizing Masque.
Cheap and fabulous. In drugstores or www.cosmeticsolutions.com
|
|
A pimple the size of a headlight? |
To treat the horrors of sudden unsightly acne breakout, try Dry
Lo Continuously Clear from Serious Skin
Acne Spot Treatment. You apply it with a Q-tip. It is
the next best thing to a cortisone injection. It won’t burn
your skin. You can buy it online at the HSN network,
The Shopping Channel and on eBay.
If you get a hideous cystic pimple, find a doctor who does cortisone
injections fast. Ask a friend or your own GP for a referral, or try
the old-fashioned yellow pages under acne clinic or dermatologist.
Be prepared to pay, but it‘s not too expensive. Most private
health plans pay for most or all of these treatments. It works fabulously
well. React quickly, and the ick could be gone overnight! From my
own private phone book: Toronto Acne Clinic: 416 932 3100 –
the best in town. In the Boston area my personal favourite is the
wonderful Dr. Phillip Ellerin: 781-272-7022.
|
Need a lift in a hurry? |
| If you’ve wanted to treat yourself to a little Botox,
this may be the perfect time. Botox can banish a frown that you don’t
feel, open your eyes if they aren't as wide as they used to be, or
smooth out worry lines. This isn’t a sales pitch by any means.
But if you have wanted to try it and have been holding back out of
fear, forget it. It’s safe. For the price of a jar of fancy
cream you get instant gratification. You won’t look like a mummy.
Most women who have tried it, say even their husbands don’t
notice anything strange - just that they looked refreshed and even
sexier. Schedule an appointment a week before any big events. There
may be a little bruising, but it goes away quickly. Make sure the
practitioner you go to has been trained by Allergan
the makers of Botox. They should have a certificate. |
As for other treatments even most peels or microbrassion, I’d
wait until after the holidays to avoid any unpleasant - if temporary
– redness, or worse.
|
Leave your locks alone |
This - before party season goes into overdrive – is the perfect
time to get your regular color or highlights refreshed right. Refrain
from experimenting with any new hair looks. It is too traumatic to
risk at holiday time. Even if the stylist suggests, resist or risk
regret. For instantly glossy locks in a bottle, try Set
by HairPlay. You can use it to style your
hair, but it also conditions it – or I should say - brings it
back from the dead. Suddenly, your hair is tangle free, shiny, and
protected. It’s available in three formulas for all hair types.
Seal is a feather-weight serum that can
be used to shine and style, too. It’s so gorgeous, you’ll
have movie star hair. www.hairplay.com
|
Classic holiday cookies |
Nothing is more welcoming than the smell of baking at the holidays.
This classy cookie is one I have made for years. It is easy and relatively
quick. These cookies will keep for weeks in a closed container, so
you can start baking them now.
|
Almond Crescent cookies |
| 1 cup of powder sugar. |
| 1 cup of cold butter and 2 tsp of almond extract. |
| ¾ cup ground almonds (grind in food processor, use regular
with skins on) |
| 2 cups of flour and ½ tsp of salt. |
Put all the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until
they form a ball. Turn out on lightly floured wax paper or parchment.
Preheat oven to 350 f/180C. Form dough into “ping pong balls”
and then shape into crescents. Place on cookie sheets covered in parchment
and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Bake 10-12 minutes until they
just begin to brown on the tips. Watch like a hawk and do not over
bake. Cool completely; these cookies are fragile when they’re
hot. Roll cooled cookies in more powdered sugar. This recipe makes
at least five dozen cookies - maybe more depending on how you roll
them.
|
|
Sparkle plenty!
|
| So as we waltz into the holiday party season this week, I hope you
get into the swing of it all. Whether your personal style is casual
or dressy, do something special. If baking isn't your thing, buy something
delicious. Invite good friends over to be cozy and dish. Mix a luscious
libation - we have plenty of recipes in our archives - or just pop
the cork on something bubbly. Sparkle plenty, darlings you are fabulous,
each one of you! |
| Until next week please sign-up
if you haven’t already – DolceDolce is
free. And forward
to all your friends. Because life should be sweet. |
| |
| Gracey Hitchcock |
| Editor |
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