Celebrity status not enough for today’s make-up consumer
According to new research from Mintel, 44% of UK consumers would side towards this, followed by an individual who is known for being a strong female role model (28%) and one who is known for their beauty (23%).
Although celebrity influences such as Kim Kardashian and the contouring trend have helped boost blusher and bronzer sales, only 7% say celebrity status is an attribute they look for in a make-up brand ambassador, compared to 15% who say they look for a figure with a successful career.
“Celebrities still spark beauty inspiration, but beauty shoppers are sceptical when they’re used for advertising campaigns,” explains Roshida Khanom, Senior Personal Care Analyst at Mintel.
“Women are still somewhat hesitant about advertising and there is desire for greater diversity in campaigns. Brands can take advantage of this by using models and brand ambassadors that are more relatable to the colour cosmetics consumer.”
Mintel’s research shows that there are still sceptical attitudes when it comes to advertising in the colour cosmetics category.
Half of women who use colour cosmetics say that photoshopping makes it difficult to know what a product will look like in real life; and a third say they don’t believe looks in adverts are created by the cosmetics they advertise.
Targeting older consumers
The Mintel research also shows that two in five colour cosmetic users agree that there are not enough older women in beauty advertising, rising to 63% of over 55s.
It also shows that usage of colour cosmetics drops significantly with age; as overall, 88% of women use face colour cosmetics, rising to 93% of 16-24 year olds, and dropping to 81% for 45-54 year olds compared to 91% of 35-44 year olds.
“Older women may find that product formulations no longer suit their skin type, highlighting rather than covering imperfections, as skin gets looser and less hydrated with age,” continues Khanom.
“Changes to skin and hair tone can also result in previously favoured shades no longer proving suitable, while a loss of dexterity in the hands can make product application more difficult over time.”
According to the beauty expert, brands can do more to target older consumers, from product formulations suited to older skin, advertising featuring older models, and older sales assistants at beauty counters.
