A recent "Skin Deep" in the New York Times focused on the shallow--not to mention highly alarming--trend of gifting bridesmaids with Botox over say, jewelry. Not only do they interview a variety of women who claim they've either given or received some form of cosmetic surgery in conjunction with a wedding, a Beverly Hills derm claims his business has increased by 40 percent due to his Bridal Beauty Buffet special (um, nice name! cute!) and the president of Spafinder.com says what she calls "bridal party tuneups" have increased by about 25 percent.
What the heck is going on?
The author of the story, Abby Ellin, speculates that older brides mean priorities have shifted. They and their aging friends would rather perk up their faces than get a random, more traditional bridesmaid present, the sort of thing that'll simply end up being re-gifted anyway. I say, whatever. If you and your friends want to use your impending nuptials as an excuse to get Botox, why not? Some say such a practice somehow sullies the sanctity behind the traditional wedding, but I think tacky bridesmaids' dresses, theme weddings and overdone pomp did that long ago. (Speaking of theme weddings, one overzealous bride throwing a Hawaiian-themed reception forced her bridesmaids to get perfectly matching spray tans. When two women opted out, she "fired" them, like, as friends, forever. I say those two courageous ladies dodged a bullet!) Point is, as gross as the whole idea is, I'm not surprised.
Here's what does seem shocking: The women interviewed for this story were so young! There was a 29-year-old, 32, 35. Isn't that kind of early for Botox? I have friends these ages and none of them would even dream of it--yet, anyway. Botox is like bleaching your dark hair and telling everyone you're a natural blonde. Once you start, there's no turning back. I might consider it in my forties, but let's not trip over ourselves to start getting these injections too soon--which by the way many of the long-term effects of having accumulated botulinum toxin in your system remain unknown.
Still, the injections seem really tame compared to one woman's story. She claims that she had to decline a bridesmaid invitation when the bride made an offer she assumed no one would refuse: a surgeon who agreed to perform four breast implant procedures for the price of two! "We're all Asian and didn't have a lot of cleavage," said photographer Becky Lee, as if this explained everything.
Sigh. I blame the reality TV.
So do you think pairing cosmetic surgery with weddings is super tacky or just meh, whatevs? Furthermore, at what point is a Bridezilla asking way too much of her bridesmaids? That whole boob thing really trips me out!
Want more from Product Fiend? Check out our Obsession of the Day for a daily review of the latest beauty must-haves!
More from Product Fiend and Allure:
-
Celebrity Skin
Our Product Fiends dish on the latest celebrity trends.
-
Ready to slim down, tone up, and look your best?
Sign up for allure.com's new and improved Total Makeover diet, fitness, and beauty program. Just by registering, you'll be entered to win today's prize, plus the grand prize spa trip for two. -
Being Green
Discover the latest in eco-friendly skincare products. - Subscribe to Allure right now and get a FREE TOTE BAG!
9 comments