Peter York on Ads: Max Factor
Cate's ready for her close-up, as long as it's not in Tesco
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.My agent, who knows everything, says Cate Blanchett lives in the next road along from me. But I've never seen her in Tesco Metro, or our new organic butcher, or the Apulian deli. I could perfectly well imagine her choosing traceable meats - she comes across as a pretty grounded kind of Australian who, in another life, might've been, say, a paediatric registrar or Australia's real cultural attaché.
But if I were to meet her in New Quebec Street tomorrow, while I was nosing round the regional salads, how exactly would she be got up? Would she be dressed and groomed and made-up in full-on, film-star style? Or artlessly dishevelled for one of those "I'm a real person off set" pictures in Heat. She's not bothered, is she?
The film-star make-up question is a live, commercial one for Max Factor. In a more deferential age, the brand's association with the ineffable glamour of Hollywood films was a fantastic brand premium. Rochdale mill girls on their nights off wanted to look like Hollywood stars. Make-up itself was a pretty brazen assertion of sexualised modernity. But now there's a huge choice of make-up looks and brand personalities, one for every conceivable segment.
There's high-science and high magic and there's Ruby and Millie for sophisticated Asian babes. There are brands which sell their style and colour ranges such as Chanel, and Cool Britannia ones such as Rimmel, with Kate Moss as its face.
But, year in year out, Max Factor keeps right on with the old story: "The make-up of make-up artists". Typically it has a make-up woman - or man - who did the make-up on a big Hollywood "woman's picture". Here it's someone called Morag Ross and they're focusing on Cate Blanchett, at her most ivory-skinned and movie-starrish, as Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator.
So there's a lot of outlining of close-up perfect shiny lips. And some crowd scenes and clapper-boards, and - I think this may be a new thing - an exhortation to buy the film now on DVD. Maybe there's even an offer. Is it some sort of tie-in? And who's paying what towards the commercial?
But do women want the silver-screen set-piece, full slap look now? This is a pore-clogging, extra coverage, industrial paint-job, designed for very tough conditions. And not organic shopping at 10am.
PS. Someone's just told me Kenneth Branagh's up the road too, so I'm wondering if he'll be using as much blusher as Tony Blair.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments