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For many women, the act of putting on makeup gives them the opportunity to enhance their natural features and make themselves look more attractive. For anyone short on time, though, busting out the makeup kit before heading to work or out to meet friends can also be rather bothersome. With this in mind, reporter Anji, over at our sister site Pouch, did a bit of research to see if the process could be made any easier. What she found was a product called “Uniface” which is a mask that is designed to look exactly like a woman’s beautifully made-up face. Well, that’s the idea anyway…

The manufacturer describes this bizarre product on its website thus:

“Giant anime eyes, long lashes, a high nose bridge, and narrow chin and cheeks are all in one product for a lifetime’s worth of confidence.”

The same site goes on to say:

“It’s time to be free from painful and dangerous plastic surgeries or tiring makeup, gadgets and circle lenses. With Uniface mask, it’s only one step to become an ideal beauty.”

▼ Time saving? Yes. Creepy? Oh you betcha!

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As for how the mask compares to a real face, from afar it looks just about authentic enough to pass as the real thing. However, while it is undeniably a well-made product, observing it close up, it’s clear that there’s still some way to go before science can produce something completely indistinguishable from a human face.

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Even if you were able to fool those around you into thinking that the mask is a real human face, problems will undoubtedly arise when it comes to, well, doing anything from blinking, laughing, showing any kind of emotion and eating. Some of these problems could arguably be resolved by removing the mask for a moment and then fixing it back into place. But the mask is supposed to be a replacement for makeup – indeed, makeup can apparently be applied to and removed from the mask as if it were normal skin – and so removing it in public places could be a bit embarrassing for many women. And you’ll have to forgive us, but if we were waiting in line in the bank and someone walked in wearing one of these things we’d most likely think there was about to be a hold-up…

▼  Directions for using the Uniface.

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▼ Before and after:

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▼ Gorgeous, right?

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I’m sure, though, that many of you are already wondering whether anyone would seriously consider throwing out their makeup bag in favour of one of these things. Could we all be falling for some hugely elaborate practical joke here? Well, yes, there’s actually much more to this product than meets the eye. 

Zhuoying (Joy) Li, a design and technology graduate of Parsons The New School for Design in New York, created and markets the mask as a tool to “…ironically communicate how media has manipulated women’s desire to have the same extreme facial features.” Therefore, the sad news for anyone who was hoping to kiss their makeup kit goodbye is that the product does not actually exist, despite the makers’ gloriously detailed product descriptions and user guide and maintenance instructions on displayed on its homepage. Rather, its maker is sending the world a clear message here by not only creating a product, but marketing it in a so-professional-it’s-almost-believable fashion and no doubt pulling the wool over a lot of people’s eyes in the process.

Bravo, Ms. Li. Bravo.

Source: Uniface Mask CNet