The Most Controversial Beauty Ads of 2012

Creating a beauty advertisement is often a dance of smoke and mirrors. Models in mascara ads flaunt falsies, and aging treatments appear miraculous with the help of a Photoshop facelift. But thankfully media consumers (and the UK's advertising police) are calling out any foul play. The most talked-about ads of the year in magazines, television, and web range from downright hilarious (Brad Pitt for Chanel) to somewhat gruesome (a bloody beauty editorial). And some campaigns like the Illamasqua Christmas spot make you wonder: what are you willing to sacrifice for the sake of beauty and sales?