Sephora's new theme for Valentine's Day

[kaliraksha]

See for me nipple clamps did not equal domestic violence... it's not like they have a picture of a man hitting a woman and the special effects of makeup as the ad. I just think it's racey... I think it's saying... love isn't always about chocolate, flowers, and champagne. I agree with IslandGirl77 that it just may be the way some people experience sex. It's what turns them on... they could have used tons of other fetishes... foot fetish maybe?

Maybe S&M doesn't have too much to do with makeup.... but it may with love and sex. What does a cupid or flowers have to do with makeup? I'm sure the ladies of the S&M industry love their makeup... it's role playing... it's fantasy... it's a costume to some. I mean we have porn star challenges on here... it's just different.

The way I honesty feel about young girls seeing it at the store... parenting is there for a reason... a mother has a right to answer that however she chooses. She could say "I don't know".
If she's too young I'm going to say, in my opinion... she's too young to be buying makeup.

I think in all it was meant to be "sexy"... S&M--- sadism and masochism... does anyone like having their lip bitten? scratching your lover during the act? being tied up? even being teased? it covers a wide spectrum of acts. However, I'm sure that none of those acts would inspire an advertisement... it always has to be pushed to an extreme. Fashion and beauty advertising gets really wild and out there to get people's attention. Think about some of the things designers do on the catwalk...

 

[spectrolite]

I love the ad. I think it's just a bit of fun and a racy little joke to get people talking. I fail to see how nipple clamps relate to domestic violence or abuse. To me they are more a symbol of erotic pleasure! Meeeeeow!

Personally I'd love a naughty valentine... and a few goodies from Sephora wouldn't hurt either

I'm just sad that they have not yet come to Australia!

 

[queenofdisaster]

oh lord, its not even that noticeable... and im sure they dont have huge nipple clamp posters up in their windows, lol... i think it's racy and provocative, personally i like that kind of advertisement... but of course i respect other ppls opinions. but imo, its not a big deal. and it's not a symbol of pain either, some ppl are turned on by it... ive had mine pierced, it ain't so bad... lol

 

[queenofdisaster]

lmfao i just noticed 'this valentine's day, give good face'... lol

 

[Holly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spectrolite I love the ad. I think it's just a bit of fun and a racy little joke to get people talking. I fail to see how nipple clamps relate to domestic violence or abuse. To me they are more a symbol of erotic pleasure! Meeeeeow! Personally I'd love a naughty valentine... and a few goodies from Sephora wouldn't hurt either I'm just sad that they have not yet come to Australia!

ITA! I love it too. And I really don't see what's so wrong with it, it's not like the nipple clamps are being used in the picture on the website

just a picture of them, thats all. And I definitely do not relate S&M to domestic violence at all, they're completely different things.

 

[macslut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruby_soho I personally don't find the Sephora Valetines's campaign offensive. S&M is just about two consentual adults exploring/pushing their limits. Of course it's terrible if someone is not consenting to it, but that is terrible no matter the (I don't really know how to word this) type of sex. S&M or all-American plain sex someone can still be taken advantage of; nipple clamps and collars don't allude to rape. Maybe Sephora was shooting towards a seductive, dominatrix, make-him-putty-in-your-hands campaign. Also, not trying to take a shot at you or anything, just merely pointing something out... Your name is MACslut

I don't feel you are taking a shot at me because I thought about that too. And I thought about it when I was making the username. I meant it as a tongue in cheek thing. Seriously, how can you be a slut to a makeup line. I forgot that the sarcasm is lost on the net. It was obvious to me but I forgot that you can't detect moods online.

Actually, I have enjoyed the discussion on here. Thanks for the diverse opinions. I haven't changed my mind. I still don't see how pain is associated with love. The nipple clamp thing bothers me as does the woman on the front page of the website with the collar. It is sending a bad message. And considering that Sephora sells items that are marketed towards teens, they have to think about that message.

I personally like the metallic pink heart that MAC has on their website.

 

[macslut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaliraksha Although........... I agree that sure, Sephora could have gone the safe route... and made everything pretty... but hasn't that been done? Isn't that normal advertising? Isn't that everyday advertising? They accomplished their goal, they got us talking.

I think something artistic...like the New York School would have been very cool, has not been done and would have been incredibly refreshing.

 

[Shimmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by macslut The nipple clamp thing bothers me as does the woman on the front page of the website with the collar. It is sending a bad message. And considering that Sephora sells items that are marketed towards teens, they have to think about that message.

What exactly is the "bad message"?

Quite bluntly, it sounds as though you're saying that because of your perception of something you're not experienced with, there is something wrong with that experience.


Using your logic, it would be fair to say that Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens, even Spencer's, shouldn't sell lubrication, condoms, sensual massage oils, etc., because they sell items marketed towards children and teenagers.


It's unrealistic.


Your response, while you've disavowed it as kneejerk, is rather interesting.

What does "slut" have to do with makeup? The same thing nipple clamps do.

They're both a little edgy.
Both a little 'on the border'.
Both seem a lot tougher than they really are.


The difference is you have no experience with nipple clamps, collars, etc., to formulate a real reaction when you see them.

There's nothing wrong with that.

But there's also nothing wrong with the number of people who like those very things and who, BTW, are in extremely healthy, happy, wholesome, realistic, honest, communicative relationships.

And, I'm still curious, what is the "bad message" you're talking about?

 

[bottleblack]

Wow, am I missing something on Sephora's page? I see the picture of the lady with the dog collar and the nipple clamp (which I probably wouldn't have even picked up on if it hadn't been pointed out here). Is there something more I am missing?

If that is it, then the ad campaign is rather subtle, imho.

I'm curious, of the people who find this offensive, what then, is your opinion of MAC's relationship over the years with transexuals (RuPaul), gays (Boy George, etc.), and "strippers" (Dita - who aside from being a burlesque queen has posed for many BDSM style photographs). Eddie Izzard, Playboy for MAC, shall I go on? That's fine if you feel the need to boycott Sephora for this advertising, but I wouldn't have been shocked to see something like this from MAC in their pre-Estee Lauder days. It just doesn't add up to me...

 

[IslandGirl77]

Are you offended by the names that Nars named their make-up, which was on the same page as the Nipple clamps? Deep Throat Blush, Striptease Lip Gloss, Multiple Orgasm. If that isn't selling sex. Women and teens buy Nars cometics, are they wrong for that? They blatenly have sex on their minds.

 

[kaliraksha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by macslut I still don't see how pain is associated with love.

Indirectly, I would say...pain can be associated with sex and then sex is associated with love.

On a purely physiological level-

BDSM often involves inflicting pain even without inflicting injury. Pain releases endorphins resulting in a sensation like runner's high or the afterglow of orgasm. The regions of the brain that control sexual stimulus and pain overlap, resulting in some people associating pain with sexual pleasure as the reactions are intertwined.

I think we could say that the pain enhances the pleasure...



I'm honestly just very confused... BDSM is between two consenting adults... the submissive person likes this and asked for this. Who are we to tell them they are wrong and how to experience sex?

 

[f1rewater]

Do you happen to have data that proves the link between the practice of BDSM and domestic violence?

You are making a rather sweeping generalization and so far it's been based on opinion rather than fact.

 

[asnbrb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lara Not forgetting the bit that everyone always overlooks - the sub holds all the power.

True.

In a S&M experience, the dom is basically working for the sub. The dom doesn't break past the barrier of what the sub has between consensual and nonconsensual- they may push it, though.

In many experiences, there is what is called a safeword. Because "no" and "stop" could be misconstrued very easily in a relationship where conjoining pain and humiliation with pleasure, it's often a word that wouldn't be yelled out in the middle of the scene, like say "elephant" or "red". Sometimes, there's two words- one to slow down and one to say "stop, get off me".

What keeps the dom from breaking this law? Easy- They're not rapists. They get off on this consensual relationship as much as the sub does. They're giving pleasure (i.e. like giving a blowjob) to the other person.

As for using this as an ad campaign-- so what? Remember the Gucci ad where the girl had the G shaved into her pubic hair? What about Ambercrombie and Fitch's "clothing catalog" filled with naked people? Or all the violence on TV? They're all "art" (as tasteless as some might find it) and honestly, society is becoming that much harder to shock. After seeing something like Janet Jackson's nipple on TV or Britney Spears's coochie- or hell, even Saddam's dead body, it takes that much more to grab a person's attention (and in turn, hopefully their wallet).

 

[asnbrb]

Ha.

I just went to the Sephora website to go look at these pics. I thought that it was pretty tasteful. I was actually expecting way worse.

And fifty bucks says that my girlfriends wouldn't know what the nipple clamp was. They would've thought that it was just a chain.