Website Review: The Divine Yourself Makeover
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What Parents Should Know
Panels advertising Venus Divine razors and skin care tips
frame the game. While preteens don't need the product now, use
of the site builds mindshare for future purchases. That said,
the makeover interactive game is interesting to manipulate. But
do girls really need lipstick and eye shadow? It would be nice
if Gillette added a "no makeup" choice to the mix.
Common Sense Media Review
Click out of any pop-over windows that show up first, and
get to the good stuff underneath. Listen to the instructions,
and then select one of the eight models to makeover. Note that
you can zoom in to magnify a face so that you can better see
the effects of changing her eyes, hair, and makeup. What's
trippy is that the model's eyes follow your mouse movements
around the screen.
You can choose eye, hair, and skin color, as well as shades of lipstick and eye shadow. And you aren't limited to just one, either; you can pinpoint a choice on a gradient color wheel with thousands of permutations. When you're through experimenting, move on to change the model's features. You can make her tall and thin or Rubensesque plump. This section is also where you tone down her make-up or pump up its volume.
In the next part of the site, try on some accessories: jewelry, clothing, glasses, or even other hairstyles. Finally, choose a voice for your model, or record your own voice, if your computer has that capability. Select from a series of canned phrases ("It's the coolest thing since hair spray!" "Girls just wanna have makeovers!") or write your own pithy quote. Then click to listen to "Audrey" coo your favorite rock star's name or trendy slogan.
The last decision to make is whether you're going to email the finished model to all your friends. It might seem like a good idea, but remember, that will give the company your email address as well as all your friends' addresses. Gillette's current privacy policy is something you need to read before you decide, and unfortunately it is not available from this window. Go to the home page of the site http://www.gillettevenus.com/ to find it.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
