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Tom Ford faces backlash over ‘disturbing’ lipstick shade names
‘Gross and inappropriate’
Tom Ford Beauty is facing backlash over the “disgusting” names of some of its products after people noticed that the luxury brand sells lipsticks in shades such as “Age of Consent” and “First Time”.
Screenshots of the lipstick shade names recently circulated on Twitter, where individuals accused the brand of being “creepy” and “repulsive,” and questioned how the controversial name choices were approved.
In one tweet posted earlier this month, a user named Allison Floyd tweeted at the brand and asked: “Hey @TomFord, I gotta tell you, I love your stuff, but who the hell are you paying to come up with rapey product shade names like ‘Age Of Consent,’ and which members of your PR team went ‘Yes, this is a good idea’?”
Floyd also shared a screenshot of the Tom Ford Lip Colour Matte Lipstick shade on the Sephora website, where it is available to purchase for $58.
In the screenshot, the lipstick colour labelled Age Of Consent is described by the brand as a “true pink”.
The tweet prompted disgusted responses from viewers, who also questioned the shade name.
“WTF?! This is disgusting,” one person wrote, while another said: “Seriously repulsive. 2022 and still we are here.”
Someone else questioned why the brand didn’t just call the lipstick shade “pink,” as they noted that it would be “exponentially better”.
“It’s not too creative, but it’s exponentially better than ‘Age Of Consent,’” they added.
The brand’s controversial shade names were also acknowledged in another tweet posted by a user named Sophie on 23 February, which read: “The shade names??? I am literally begging makeup brands to just name their lipsticks like ‘Rebecca’ or something, this is so gross.”
In addition to a screenshot of Age Of Consent, the tweet also included a photo of the shade First Time, which is described as a “neutral peachy pink”.
In response to a user who asked: “What the F**K,” Sophie said that she was “actually disgusted” because she had just been trying to purchase a lipstick when she noticed the shade names.
Others pointed out that Tom Ford has a history of questionable names for its beauty products, as the brand also sells a perfume called “Lost Cherry”.
“He’s got a perfume called Lost Cherry so yup,” one person tweeted, prompting one person to sarcastically reply: “Oh excellent I was afraid it didn’t get worse and more gross.”
As of now, the brand has not addressed the backlash.
The Independent has contacted The Estée Lauder Companies, the owner of Tom Ford Beauty, for comment.
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