World's Youngest Female Billionaire

Spanx Logo.

Forbes magazine recently put what it believes to be the world's youngest female billionaire: 41-year-old Sara Blakely, inventor of Spanx®. You can read the full article here, but I'd like to highlight some key points.

First of all, Sara Blakely is 41. While that is by no means ancient, it's a disparate number from what Forbes has crowned the Facebook Four, the youngest of whom is 27. The same article the mentions the facebook four later goes on to state that the youngest women of wealth  "both inherited, rather than built their fortunes". Apparently, that is what makes Sara Blakely so unique; that she built her wealth without the help or financial backing of a man.

From Sara Blakely's cover on Forbes.

Now, am I the only one that finds that to be a shame? Maybe it's coincidence, maybe it's just the way that things played out, but why are there not more female powerhouses in the business of being extremely rich? I know, being rich isn't everything, but only 2 out of the 20 youngest billionaires are women. That's 10%. And they inherited their position from a man.


Why the lack of female entrepreneurship? What do you think? Post comments or tweet me on twitter and get into the discussion.


UPDATE: Thanks to Heather (see comments) I have a few articles for you guys to check out if you're interested in this topic further.


1. Bank of America Long-Term Projections

2. The Triumph of Working Women Around the World
3. The Richer Sex

Plus-size or just REAL?

The gorgeous woman on the right is Robyn Lawley, international model. You can find more about Robyn on her facebook page. This beautiful woman is not just any type of cookie cutter model; she is a plus-size model. Now, hopefully I don't have to tell you what is wrong with this, but I have been surprised by less, so I am going to divulge anyway.

How on earth is Robyn Lawley a plus-size model when she herself does not wear plus-size clothing? At least in Canada, most plus-size clothing stores are for women sizes 14+. Robyn is smaller than me and I am a size 11. 

The influx of "plus-size" models in the fashion industry is a good thing, I'm not denying that. However, there is an inherent issue when the models that are being labelled "plus-size" are far more representative of an average sized woman than a woman who is truly overweight. What does presenting this image do to young women who look to the beauty industry for ideals and inspiration, when the woman whose body is most like theirs is labelled "plus-size". It is quite possible that they themselves will begin to think of themselves of overweight, when it is likely that they are not.

In my opinion, the prevalence of plus-size models increased in order to satiate the claims that the beauty industry represented an unhealthy and marginal standard of beauty. The women that they chose to represent the healthy and more "real" beauty of average women, while a commendable act, were then labelled as "plus-size". I don't know what's more unhealthy; telling women that they should be thin or telling healthy women that they are considered "plus-size" in the eyes of the fashion industry.

Nice try, beauty industry, but not enough.

Pinteresting ...

The Next Fashion Week?

So, I'm currently awaiting an invitation from Pinterest, what Maclean's magazine recently dubbed the new facebook. I'm not sure what the hype is all about quite yet; I've just perused the pin-boards (or whatever you call them) rather briefly, but I have definitely noticed some things that might bear mentioning.

First of all, there seems to be an obvious female majority in the users of Pinterest. Whether that is due to feminine content or the large presence of women on Pinterest has resulted in the feminine content, that would require more analysis. However, it is interesting and I believe puts Pinterest in an excellent position to become a  tool for fashion marketing.

In my brief look, I noticed that many posts on Pinterest were actually those of fashions and "Outfits" that members had found or designed. In one case, a member had pinned a scarf from Etsy, along with the price and  the scarf's maker. Because of this, I foresee Pinterest as an excellent marketing tool for designers, both indie and mainstream, to reach an already targeted market of women.

Why do I find this interesting? Well, I personally am concerned with the way that the fashion and beauty industry markets itself, as I have already expressed in my blog. When I look at all the "thinspo" blogs on tumblr, I worry that these same blogs could crop up/have already appeared on Pinterest. What further concerns me is whether the same methods of mainstream beauty marketing will permeate into the community of pinterest. What do you think? Post comments below, I would love to have a healthy debate!

Dove: "Real" Beauty?

You've probably seen this video, and if not, you really should. It illustrates the power of technology and manipulation in the "beauty" industry.

This video was released by Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty that began in 2004. You've likely seen the commercials on T.V. where real women who are truly beautiful are featured in a mostly non-sexual way in what seems to be an effort to support self-esteem and true beauty. While advertising good intentions, this campaign is a perfect candidate to illustrate the importance of critical thinking when it comes to media and advertising.

It's true, the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty does put forth a great message for women and men, young and old. However, if you stop to think about it, it's the opposite message that the same advertising company that designed the ads for Dove uses in its AXE commercials. Yes, the Campaign for Real Beauty is the same company that produced the following commercial with models running in slow motion:


To think critically about Dove's campaign, one must realize that the advertising company has not decided to advertise "real beauty" out of the goodness of their heart: they are looking for profits. Imagine doing the same  commercial for AXE with overweight and average women. It probably wouldn't entice a lot of men to use AXE in the same way that the actual commercial does. The company has a target audience in mind for each client, and has tailored their ads for each. While with the AXE ads it is rather obvious the inherent issues with them, one must also recognize that while Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty sends a great message, it shares it's root goal with all good advertisements: sales.

I don't mean to knock the Campaign for Real Beauty, I am simply trying to promote critical thinking when it comes to media and the like. I love the message that Dove sends, I really do think it's important, but it needs to be recognized that the message is not for pure reasons. It is an advertisement. It's there to sell you something. Just be careful what you're buying.

Covergirl Lashblast

My personal tube of Lash Blast Luxe in Very Black. 

The first review I will be posting is a review of CoverGirl Lashblast. You've probably heard of them, considering the fact that they're commercials run non-stop on T.V. and youTube. In reality, you've likely tried them. I can honestly say that Lashblast mascaras are the easiest mascaras that I have ever used. Even with fairly unsteady hands, I rarely get clumps unless my mascara is getting old. The brush really is unique and effective, particularly for newcomers to mascara. I find a lot of my friends shy away from mascara because it is "so difficult to apply" or "always looks clumpy" and this brush really does make this simple. If you're one of those people who is afraid of the difficulties of applying mascara, Lashblast is definitely for you.

Obviously, the Lashblast line comes in endless varieties and colours and the choices are really dizzying. I've used all of them. Guess what? They all do the exact same thing. Sure, colour tints are sometimes different, but they aren't truly noticeable unless you're really scrutinizing. And since the the only person who is really going to be scrutinizing it is you, you really shouldn't care (even though I myself am guilty of doing exactly that).

The greatest thing in my opinion about Lashblast is definitely not the price. It's not expensive, in fact it's actually reasonably priced for its effectiveness, I just don't necessarily agree with the absurd prices that women often pay for makeup. That however is a different rant. It's around 9 bucks at Walmart in Canada (around 7 dollars US) and it works well for the price you pay for it.

Now, I don't approve of Covergirl's marketing campaign. It's a typical Beauty campaign. Pretty women who are supposed to represent "real" women in an "everyday" setting. I won't deny, they do have some decent spokeswomen (ie. Ellen Degeneres and Queen Latifa) and that does give them points in my book, because they have made an effort to represent not necessarily "real" women, but women who definitely are more realistic than your average model.

Overall though, great product, annoying over-marketing, cool spokeswomen. It's a big company, but it does make a mean and simple to use mascara.

Welcome to Reality.

This is not a photoshop lab. This is not the magical land where airbrushers follow you around and create a face for you. This is the real world. As women, we all know how the media wants us to think we should and can look like. They even give us products that are guaranteed to help us create that impossible face and look. Unfortunately, the beauty industry is basically a lie. It's a compilation of 6 foot tall anomalies and airbrushed photos that many women still buy into even with the evidence stacked against the faltering facade.

Hell, even I'm guilty of buying into it. I used to be obsessed with the ideal of beauty. In some ways, I still am. However, I have developed a critical mind of the beauty industry. This is largely due to a private battle with eating disorders and BDD (body dysmorphic disorder) over the past 8 years. While I'd like to say that I've been magically cured, I know from experience that I will always have that darkness hanging the background for the rest of my life.

Just because I've become critical of the beauty industry doesn't mean that I have sworn off of makeup. I've just become critical for every product I put on my face. Just because a product says they'll turn you into a bombshell beauty (or in many cases, simply hint at it with airbrushed photos and stunning models) obviously doesn't mean that they will. However, it also doesn't mean that they can't help you to create your own individual style and look.

This blog is a compilation of reviews and rants on the beauty industry marketing campaigns, products, and possibly even tutorials if I get a chance to. They are all made by me: an average, real woman who wears makeup and clothing for everyday life, not for runways and fashion campaigns.

I am a real 19 year old woman with flaws and experience with the devastation that ideals can cause. I am here to advise consumers and critique the beauty industry on its campaigns and image. I'd love comments and help, since this is my first dedicated blog ever, so advise away!