A new report finds women are still relying on expert advice to get their beauty information – but friends and family are most influential.
The latest Emma Cosmetics and Toiletries Insights Report, titled FaceTime! has just been released. It has found that women are more savvy and informed about their beauty products than ever before – and better informed means more discriminating tastes.
“Australian women are increasingly informed and sophisticated in their cosmetics and toiletries purchases,” says Simon Wake, managing director at Ipsos MediaCT.
The report confirmed that, with more products and new segments on the market than ever before, there is great opportunity for women to discover and try out new products.
“They expect their choices to reflect who they are as individuals, making it essential for brands to understand and speak effectively to their target market,” says Simon Wake.
One key finding of the study was the way in which younger women embrace social media and style influencers (in case you’ve been living in a broom cupboard, this is a trend that is set to boom). The data also shows that women under the age of 30 have a comparatively higher interest in beauty products; they enjoy shopping for beauty products more than other ages groups and spend more on an average shopping visit.
The heavy use of social media, makes this under 30 group more conscious of their appearance says the study, which found that they are 10 per cent more likely than women on average to agree “makeup is an essential part of my daily routine”. According to the Emma study, they claim to care about their appearance more than all other age groups, except for women aged 65 and over.
The study found that while women under 30 seek out organic products, older women place a higher priority on scientifically proven benefits and are much more inclined to read product labels.
The Emma study also found that women of all ages expect value for money from their cosmetics with younger consumers actively seeking out bargains. Older women – particularly those 65+ – place a higher value on quality than price.
When at the counter, younger women spend slightly more on an average shopping excursion than their older counterparts on every beauty category aside from fragrances, and spend big on hair care products compared to other age groups too.
In terms of product choices, while women of all ages are buy the essentials (think toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner) the younger age group are more likely to wear makeup – every kind except for lipstick, which approximately 70 per cent of women use regardless of age.
In terms of brand loyalty, the study also found that older women are more loyal to favourite brands than their younger counterparts who tend to trial different brands in order to establish their preferences.
Women under the age of 30 are 31 per cent more likely to experiment with different beauty products and brands. They are also 20 per cent more likely to follow trends, and 11 per cent more likely to try to look stylish. But when it comes to brand loyalty, it is the older groups that says that brands are important to them.
About Emma
Emma (Enhanced Media Metrics Australia) is Australia’s cross-platform audience insights survey developed for The Readership Works (TRW) by independent research company Ipsos MediaCT. Emma interviews 54,000 people a year, seven days a week. Emma is independently audited by Dr Rob Hall.
Have your say: what do you think of these findings by Emma?