Haunting Domestic Violence PSA Shows Woman Covering Bruises In “Makeup Tutorial” [VIDEO]

5:15 pm, July 2nd | by Amy Tennery

It’s not tough to get us to sit up and pay attention when someone starts talking about domestic violence. But an innovative new public service announcement riffing off of the classic YouTube makeup tutorial format is particularly arresting.

The new ad from Refuge (an anti-violence charity) stars Lauren Luke, a popular YouTube makeup guru who has hundreds upon thousands of views to her name. The spot begins like any other makeup tutorial, with Luke explaining how to use foundation and concealer — except that this time, Luke is covered in (fake) bruises, which she says are the result of a beating from a domestic partner. She’s covering up her black and blue spots so that people won’t notice she’s been beaten. It takes your breath away.

There are so many things about this ad that work amazingly. First of all, using a real woman — and minor internet celebrity with a cult-like following — is tremendously effective. Luke speaks plainly and straightforwardly, noting which blending techniques work best to conceal the black eye she got from “being pushed hard against a coffee table.” The consistency of the format here to her usual tutorials blurs the line between fake character and real person in frightening ways.

Your first reaction to her (artificially) bruised face is something along the lines of “holy f***ing sh**” — but the calmness of Luke’s delivery makes an even scarier realization sink in: The act of covering up bruises with foundation is an everyday reality for thousands of women. At the end of the spot, the viewer is reminded that 65 percent of women keep their abuse hidden.

The ad — and its haunting title, “How To Look Your Best The Morning After” — are brutally powerful.

Watch the whole spot here: