These attempts to make something unpleasant look more attractive which, despite our best efforts, are decidedly unsuccessful, are classic examples of lipstick on a pig.
From a customer perspective, "there's no wow there," Walden says, it's more about "putting lipstick on a pig."
It has great power to influence the effectiveness and appeal of a product, but for this potential to be fully realized, visual design must not be an afterthought (i.e., “putting lipstick on a pig”), but should be thought of as an essential tool for satisfying user and business needs.
Obama questioned McCain's claim to be an agent of change, adding "you can put lipstick on a pig."
They did this not by looking at links, but by tracking the appearance of distinctive phrases—such as "lipstick on a pig"— in blog posts and articles.
