Chanel's Skin Art

This past weekend was the Cigar City Tattoo Convention in Ybor City. A good friend of mine traveled to Tampa to represent his tattoo shop from San Fransisco. In line with this event, completely coinsidently, Chanel also released their much anticipated Les Trompe L'oeil temporary tattoos.

I absolutely love the idea of tattoos and I think most people's are beautiful, I have just never had the ability to commit to something so permanent. Tattoo artwork is the most powerful form of self expression, and a wonderful way to define your identity. Everything that we hope to accomplish with makeup could be done the same with a personal tattoo. Chanel's temporary tattoos are a bit extreme, in my opinion. They are priced at $75 for fifty-five tattoos, but I'm sure we all realize that we are paying for those coveted "C's". An ordinary pack of 55 tattoos would be no more than $5. The idea that this beautiful design would just wash off after one day of use seems shameful. I find the idea kind of revolutionary; a well respected, relatively conservative name brand is promoting body modifications. In my opinion, this is huge. I have had many conversations with people about tattoos in my generation and how it will be common for grandparents to have chest pieces and full sleeves in fifty years. I think that Chanel is recognizing this change and cashing in on the idea tattoos are a familiar sight within their demographic.

I think such a highly regarded brand name was taking on a big risk in promoting this body art. Though it is common younger generations, older generations (usually the ones with all of the money :P) are not fond of tattoos to say the least. It could be detrimental to their spring fashion line when the models walk the runway sporting chains down their legs. Chanel made a bold move and it wont be long until critics jump on this fad.

Skin Branding?!

The beauty industry is certainly given a bad rep. Cosmetic companies are being categorized as profit driven industries that attempt to manipulate the general public to feel that they NEED to be something that their not. It is true that advertisers abuse the use of unrealistic models and desirable women to sell their products, but I don't entirely see harm in using products to enhance the beauty that we already have. Cosmetics companies have no intention of morphing our faces in to something cookie-cutter and predictable, I find just the opposite. With the use of cosmetics you are given the ability to stand out and show your individuality.

I came across an article online regarding a Chanel skincare line. This line includes a headband that you wear at night that embosses the Chanel logo on to your forehead... it is truly items like these that attach a "superficial" stigma to the beauty industry.







The designer of this line, Ryan McSorley, exclaimed, "Just as we can define ourselves through the brands of clothing we wear, or the brand of mobile phone we have, we can now define ourselves by the brand of skincare product we use. If you are using skincare by Chanel, you want people to know that your skin is by Chanel, in the same way that Chanel handbags have clear branding, why shouldn't our skin?" I believe it is with ideas like this that the beauty industry has obtained it's bad reputation. While I see the cosmetics industry as one that attempts to help people find beauty within themselves, others are marketing it as something used as a status symbol, just to show the world that you are superior to them.