L'Oreal advert featuring Rachel Weisz was 'misleading'

A L'Oréal advert featuring the actress Rachel Weisz has been banned for being "misleading".

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the company had "exaggerated the performance" of Revitalift - an anti-wrinkle cream.

L'Oréal told the regulator they had wanted to represent Weisz as favourably as possible.

But the ASA has now ruled, external the advert must not be printed again in its current form.

The original double-page magazine spread for the product stated: "Wrinkles appear reduced, skin looks smoother, complexion looks more even. It's not a facelift, it's Revitalift."

Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson challenged the advert, claiming it digitally manipulated images of Wiesz and misrepresented the results that the product could achieve.

The regulator upheld her complaint and said: "We considered that the image had been altered in a way that substantially changed [Weisz's] complexion to make it appear smoother and more even."

A spokesman for L'Oréal said: "We do not believe the ad exaggerates the effect that can be achieved using this product."

Swinson, who is the co-founder of the Campaign for body Confidence, has previously complained about L'Oréal advertisements featuring Julia Roberts.

Last year the ASA upheld a complaint from Swinson that a Maybelline advert featuring the actress had been digitally enhanced.

At the time, Swinson said: "The beauty and advertising industries need to stop ripping off consumers with dishonest images."