Freida Pinto: Skinned Lightened In L'Oreal Ad? (PHOTOS, POLL)

Freida Pinto has been one of the celebrity faces of L'Oreal since 2009 and has appeared in countless ads. But every so often, when a new spot emerges, people bring up the inevitable skin lightening question.

It happened in 2009 when L'Oreal first made the announcement and it's happened yet again with the debut of Pinto's new images for L'Oreal's Colors product line.

The Frisky brought to our attention the new spot, which features a close-up of Pinto's face with a rather lovely multicolor eyeshadow makeover.

Her skin does look on the lighter side, but is it just the lighting? Or Photoshop? It wouldn't be the first time a beauty company or magazine came under fire for doing so.

Or is this just Pinto's normal skin with a little bit of shimmery highlighter?

Check out the ad below and a recent pic of the "Slumdog Millionaire" star. What do you think?

Quick Poll

Did L'Oreal lighten Freida's face?

Absolutely -- you can see the difference.

Nah -- nothing to see here.

Share your vote on Facebook so your friends can take this poll

Comments

[bezarkobarbie]

09:41 PM on 09/26/2011

If you look at other loreal adds all their 'ethnic' spokesmodels end up lighter.

[Laura Mom]

04:23 PM on 09/26/2011

The lighter the better. is my motto! :)

[KatyKat]

03:42 PM on 09/26/2011

Just another pathetic media attempt to portray "fair-skinned" as the standard. When one is secure in how one is naturally created, there's no need to play into the media's vision of the "standard," nor make the rich richer by purchasing Maybelline, CoverGirl or L'Oreal. If these people were honest, they'd accept everyone for who they are and not the image they'd like to portray. The whole thing is just DUMB.

[GhostDog9]

03:29 PM on 09/26/2011

Lets be clear: All ( or very nearly all ) of the women's magazines do this. They do it with J Lo, and with Halle Berry. and with Eva Longoria. None of them are "light enough" for the fashion editors. They do it because they assume ( incorrectly ) that their readers wouldn't like to see skin tones that are foreign to the all-white areas in which they reside.

[olbob757]

01:55 PM on 09/26/2011

Well, hmmmm...it's not exactly what Al Jolson did for show business.

[sharon1122]

01:40 PM on 09/26/2011

I am starting to believe that H P is nothing but a racial media. I have seen many articles they print and it seems to stir up problems between people. Is this what they want. So desperate to draw attention to themselves that they will start racial problems where there aren't any. Knock it off H P, we all know you are useless.

[sugarcreekchile]

01:25 PM on 09/26/2011

It's all in the lighting. If you look through the many pictures taken of President Obama, he'll look lighter in some than in others which can't be attributed to photo-shopping or whitening.

[pinksun]

05:36 PM on 09/26/2011

Sugarcreekchile............you are so right. As a makeup artist and image consultant, I agree that it is the lighting. Kudos to you for seeing what others cannot.

[cocoabuttabutt]

01:22 PM on 09/26/2011

besides the skin lightening scandal it's more about the amount of retouching they used on a photo,it's kind of like selling a lie. It's like the mcdonalds ads you see a delicious hamburger with crisp lettuce and fresh tomatoes and when you get one it looks like someone blew their nose in it. Stop selling lies!!

[grudgrime]

01:18 PM on 09/26/2011

Oh no...a doctored advertisement photo!!!!!! What model isn't painted over and reshaped for an ad????

[RoscoesMom]

01:16 PM on 09/26/2011

This ad ain't nuttin' compared to the Cover Girl cosmetics ads with Queen Latifah. That woman's skin is lightened so much and her face is photchopped (as opposed to photoshopped) to be so thinner that it's ridiculous looking. Most of her CG ads dosn't even look like her.She ends up looking like a thinner white girl with a tan and 'blondish' hair. I'm surprised Ms Latifah puts up with it.

[gdzilla2]

01:05 PM on 09/26/2011

I dont see the big deal. If she has no problem with it then why should anyone else? I am not sure if it is the lighting etc and really don't care one way or the other. Women wear makeup to transform their looks, anyway. Just another way to try to stir up racial bias where there is none. More important things in the world to worry about than a stupid make up ad.

[c00kieo21]

12:58 PM on 09/26/2011

And this is news? I think every woman knows that photos advertising skin and other make up products are retouched. I mean, not even a spot of discolor? Concealers, bronzers, blush, et al. gloriously enhance the faces of the models. That's what advertising does--it lies.

[jachandler333]

12:52 PM on 09/26/2011

The reason for the uproar is the thought that people would find a lighter skinned person more attractive than a darker skinned person. They have been doing this for years, and it isn't right. There is discrimination based on the color of one's skin, alive and well in the world, and this is just one aspect of it. The darker you are, the less beautiful, intelligent, etc. you are percieved. Things are getting better, but there is still subtle discrimination going on. (And some times not so subtle.) That is why this is important. For the record, I don't think that it was lightened, I think that it is just the lighting that made it look a little lighter. And I'm as white as they come, so don't think that I am one of the ones that is crying discrimination....But I do see it happening, and it is not right.

[pinksun]

05:42 PM on 09/26/2011

I am only one person (yes, I am white) but I think are many people that come all colors and are beautiful.
I am the mother of an adopted asian daughter and my granddaughter is amerasian. They are the most beautiful chilldren in my life.
Do you know why I feel so comfortable about bragging about them.................they both grew in my heart and not under it. Not to say my sons are not handsome men to me, also.

[charndramchd]

12:41 PM on 09/26/2011

She is a beautiful woman. I'd love to see her without makeup.

[frankerin]

11:57 AM on 09/26/2011

Dear ohh dear, black isn't always beautiful