The eyes don't have it: Cruz make-up ad was faked

Her Latin looks have seduced cinema audiences worldwide, but when it came to an advert for mascara, a leading beauty company decided her natural beauty needed enhancing - earning itself a reprimand from the advertising watchdog.

When the French cosmetics firm L'Oréal shot a television advertisement for mascara featuring Penelope Cruz, it boasted that the product could achieve "out of this world lashes".

In a sense, the extraordinary claim was correct because the Spanish actress's eyes had been enhanced with false lashes. Unfortunately, L'Oréal neglected to mention that in the commercial for "Telescopic" mascara, and in a ruling today the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) decided the advert misled viewers.

The ruling - which pointed out that Cruz's sultry looks were an exaggeration of nature - has shown up the black arts used by make-up artists. According to industry experts, actresses routinely add lashes to the sides of their eyelids to achieve the kind of fluttering effect associated with Audrey Hepburn.

L'Oréal - whose claims for a wrinkle cream promoted by Claudia Schiffer were banned by the ASA two years ago - should have taken greater care.

Cruz was seen standing on an apartment terrace next to a telescope that pointed towards the night sky. On-screen text promised: "High precision" and "Up to 60 per cent longer". The former dancer gushed: "For out of this world lashes. Astronomical... Take your lashes to telescopic lengths."

A viewer suspected that Cruz had been wearing false lashes and complained to the ASA. The company eventually admitted that Cruz had worn individual false lashes.

Although tests suggested the mascara could make most eyelashes look 60 per cent longer, there was no difference to the actual size of the lashes. The ASA said: "While Penelope Cruz may not have been wearing a full set of eyelashes, the images of her wearing individual false eye lashes... nevertheless exaggerated the effect that could be achieved."

In a separate judgment, the ASA decided that adverts for Nivea's DNAge misled the public because scientific tests did not support the claim that the face cream increased cell renewal. The German company Beiersdorf was told not to repeat its television ads, which promised a "revolution in face care".

Although there was evidence that the turnover of the surface layers of the skin was improved, there was no sign that the skin renewal cycle was improved. Tests on the face cream had been conducted on the arm, upper arm or forearm, which was not a good model for facial skin, the ASA ruled. It said: "Because the evidence provided by Beiersdorf did not support the 'cell renewal' claim we concluded it was misleading." The advert breached rules on misleading statements, evidence and implications.