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British makeup brand Illamasqua is coming under fire for their newly released holiday ads, one of which features a model in blackface makeup. The "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" campaign launched this week featuring side-by-side models in extreme black and white makeup. Illamasqua got angry comments on blogs and threats of boycotts, and although they issued an apology for the ad, they haven't changed the campaign at all. Since the ad is still up, some people are taking to Twitter to complain, courtesy of the company's #imdreamingof hashtag.
"#ImDreamingof a non-racist Christmas," wrote Tara Denise, who added that she's no longer buying makeup from Illamasqua.
"#ImDreamingOf a world where #blackface and #racism aren't deployed in a misguided attempt at being edgy or high-fashion," added @P0LYGLAM. He lives in Australia, one of Illamasqua's biggest markets and the place where the scandal first erupted.
"I'm dreaming of...a racist Christmas?" wrote Cathie McGinn, who authors an Australian blog called Mumbrella.
The rest of the hashtag, though? Just wish lists for Illamasqua products, so it's hard to tell if the negative feedback has made an impact on the company or if people just want to buy makeup.
· Illamasqua Causes A Not So Beautiful Controversy [CocoPerez]
· Um, No: Gap Pulls 'Manifest Destiny' T-Shirt Following a Flood of Complaints [Racked]
· This Brian Atwood Ad Was Too Hot for Madison Avenue [Racked NY]
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