Victoria's secret: Victoria Beckham has revealed what keeps her blooming through each pregnancyUntil now, Victoria Beckham has remained tight-lipped about the impending arrival of her fourth child.
But with just over a month to go until the former Spice Girl gives birth to her first daughter, she has suddenly become keen to share the secrets of her blooming appearance - by plugging a £27.60 pot of stretch-mark lotion on Twitter.
Victoria, who is due to give birth by caesarean section on July 4, told her 1.2 million followers on the social media site last week: ‘Pregnancy tip!!!! I have used this through every pregnancy, it’s amazing!! X VB.’
And just in case any of her fans were in doubt about which product she was recommending, the wife of former England captain David Beckham added a picture of a bottle of Elemis Japanese Camellia Oil.
Elemis has been quick to take advantage of the situation. On its website, the firm acknowledges the plug and even includes a link under the words: ‘Victoria Beckham loves this product - read her Tweet here.’
The company confirmed it had been sending the 37-year-old singer-turned-fashion designer free bottles of the lotion for nearly a decade but insisted it hadn’t paid Victoria for her endorsement.
If she had received payment for the plug, Victoria would have broken strict Office of Fair Trading guidelines.
In Britain, anyone can give their backing to a product online but they must make it clear if they have been paid to do so, or received a payment in kind.
Endorsement: The former Spice Girl revealed her liking for the Elemis Japanese Camelia Oil via her Twitter pageThis is in contrast to the United States where the endorsement trend on Twitter is well-established. Some celebrities have received thousands of dollars for recommending certain products to their followers.
Elemis spokeswoman Eirinn Fuller said: ‘Victoria is not working for us. Anything she says is down to her. We sent her the products. She didn’t pay. They were free, but there’s no agreement. No contract.’
However, such a high-profile endorsement is likely to send sales of
the lotion soaring in the future.
Camellia, which is described as the ‘traditional hair and beauty secret of Japan’, is a powerful moisturiser which is thought to combat stretch marks in pregnant women. Elemis also says it can give women a ‘healthy glow’.
source:dailymail