According to a new study from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), cosmetic users buy products for purely emotional reasons. We’re more keen on buying products for their effectiveness or more logical purposes, but that’s just us. The study, published in the African Journal of Business Management examined face makeup and moisturizers, as well as anti-aging, body firming and anti-cellulite creams.
A total of 335 women were selected at random for the study, all between the ages of 18 and 50. The women were asked to evaluate their level of satisfaction with the cosmetics they used as well as their opinion on the functional and emotional factors of the products.
Results revealed that most women purchase and use cosmetics for psychological reasons like self-esteem and boosting their attractiveness to men. Findings show that “consumer satisfaction is greatest when the cosmetics brand helps to strengthen positive emotions through the perception of ‘caring for oneself’ and removing feelings of worry and guilt about not taking care of one’s appearance,” said Vanessa Apaolaza, researcher and main author of the study.
But to cause such satisfaction brands must cause consumers to have negative feelings about their appearance. According to Apaolaza, this is often achieved by advertisements featuring supermodels and above-average-looking women.
Do beauty advertisements give you negative feelings about your appearance? What’s the real reason you buy cosmetics?
