Blackface is making headlines for the third time in as many weeks.

The upcoming issue (#62) of V Magazine will feature model Sasha Pivovarova in dark body and face makeup, in an amorous embrace with relatively pale model Heidi Mount.

The spread is accompanied by the quote, "Black is the new black," from James Kaliardos, Creative Director, L'Oreal Paris International, who created the look as part of the feature "Beauty 2010" for which V asked the world's leading creative directors, makeup artists and hairstylists to define what's beautiful for the new decade.

"2010 sounds like the future, and this is what it will look like," touts the magazine.

This is hot on the heels of last week's "America's Next Top Model" episode which featured the contestants painted in varying degrees of dark makeup to depict bi-racial women, and last month's critically debated issue of model Lara Stone in blackface for the October issue of French Vogue.

Last week, we polled StyleList readers on how they felt about the use of blackface on "America's Next Top Model," and out of nearly 21,000 readers, 53% thought the photos were a beautiful celebration of bi-racial women and only 11% found it offensive.

We're interested to see if readers feel the same way about this instance in V, or if it brings up parallel concerns with French Vogue's use of blackface: Why didn't the magazine use a darker-skinned model instead of painting a white model black?

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