# Ethnicity a factor in how women use cosmetics



## saniyairshad (Feb 13, 2007)

*SOURCE:* http://www.rctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll.../1004/MTCN0303
*Ethnicity a factor in how women use cosmetics*


        By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL
_Associated Press _

     With hundreds of new beauty products introduced each year, one has to wonder whether there's a woman out there who still has any room left in her cosmetics case. Yet women of all ages and all skin tones still think they're missing products that are right for them.
"More than anything, what we hear from consumers is that there is a frustration with trying to find products that work for them," said Karen Grant, a senior beauty analyst at NPD, a consumer research firm.


*Who's wearing makeup?*
 According to NPD, in an online study of 5,657 women, 84 percent ages 18-64 have worn makeup in the past year.
Black women are the least likely to use makeup and skin-care products, Grant reported, and that might be because they probably have the hardest time matching these products to their skin color and treatment needs. They are, however, the biggest users of fragrance.
Overall, Hispanic women are the most likely to use makeup. The number hovers around 86 percent across all age groups. "I think it relates to a cultural point of view about femininity and dressing up," Grant said.
Among white women 18-34, 85 percent wear makeup, but that decreases to 77 percent of women 55 and older. Conversely, older Asian women — 85 percent — say they wear makeup vs. 82 percent of the younger group.
Younger black women, at 61 percent, were the least likely to wear makeup, while 71 percent of black women older than 55 reported wearing it.
There was a similar pattern in skin care, Grant said.
Less than 20 percent of black women said they used anti-aging facial products.
"It's not that they always age well, they just age differently," Grant said. "You're more likely to see moles or blotchiness than lines and wrinkles."
*Companies strive to offer perfect match*
 Direct-to-consumer sellers Mary Kay and Avon do well with black women because this way of selling provides an opportunity to see the brands' full range of colors and products instead of a limited group pre-selected by a retailer.
Poll participants were asked, "Who offers products for someone like me?" A name that showed up in the top 10 in makeup across almost all ethnic groups was Bare Escentuals. Otherwise, black women chose Fashion Fair and *MAC* as their top two, Asian women Shiseido and *MAC*, and white and Hispanic women both said CoverGirl and Maybelline.
It's become an increasingly conscious decision at Bare Escentuals to offer products that work for women of all skin types, according to Staci Wilson, senior vice president of brand awareness, who noted that three darker shades of foundation were introduced last year with black women in mind.
The company is paying attention to the lightness and darkness of its color cosmetics, too. For example, there are 10 shades of a plum lipstick to complement the fairest skin to the darkest skin, Wilson said. And the packaging for a new collection of lip glosses features women of all different races.
Also, major mass cosmetics companies such as CoverGirl and Revlon have made an effort to include models of different skin tones in their advertising. For celebrity spokeswomen, Revlon has Halle Berry, Eva Mendes, Kate Bosworth and Susan Sarandon and CoverGirl has Keri Russell and Queen Latifah.
Latifah recently launched her own collection under the CoverGirl umbrella that does target dark-skinned women. It was tested in 18 markets, mostly the country's biggest cities, but it's been so successful that it recently was distributed nationwide — including suburban and more rural areas.
However, NPD's Grant added, there isn't much in the way of consumer loyalty when you look at beauty habits. For example, in prestige skin care, products on the counter over one year decline in sales almost as fast as new launches are adding sales volume to the category.
"Women try a whole bunch, especially anything new. . . . People will try just about anything if they think it will make them look better. Hello, Botox?! (It's) actually one of the most poisonous naturally occurring substances in the world. The quest for the fountain of youth has never ended."


----------



## Artemis (Feb 13, 2007)

I'm biracial and I love make up. I have noticed that hispanic women do tend to wear make up the most as well as older asian women. I never really though of this before. that article was pretty interesting.


----------



## MiCHiE (Feb 13, 2007)

I'm black. I love color. I love eyeshadow but, besides black women here, I rarely see women like me IRL wearing makeup. I've even heard women say, "When I wanna spice it up, I put on mascara and lip gloss..."!!!! WTH??!? In that case, I'm spiced up every day, LOL. 

Even when I see women in dept. stores or at counters, they're looking at blushes or face powders and I hardly ever see them wearing bold colors on their lids. It's always browns or golds. My mom and sister didn't even wear eyeshadows unless they were going out. I wear different colors everyday. 

I think black women rely on natural beauty and see wearing makeup as "caking yourself up", not enhancing your look. I would love to see us not shy away from color and relying on genes to keep us looking good.


----------



## saniyairshad (Feb 13, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *♥MiCHiE♥* 

 
_I'm black. I love color. I love eyeshadow but, besides black women here, I rarely see women like me IRL wearing makeup. I've even heard women say, "When I wanna spice it up, I put on mascara and lip gloss..."!!!! WTH??!? In that case, I'm spiced up every day, LOL. 

Even when I see women in dept. stores or at counters, they're looking at blushes or face powders and I hardly ever see them wearing bold colors on their lids. It's always browns or golds. My mom and sister didn't even wear eyeshadows unless they were going out. I wear different colors everyday. 

I think black women rely on natural beauty and see wearing makeup as "caking yourself up", not enhancing your look. I would love to see us not shy away from color and relying on genes to keep us looking good._

 
I totally agree, i always think women of color think they won't look as good wearing color and etc, I feel that partly the media is to blame too. The media depicts the perfect girl as an all American white girl, I feel with brands like M·A·C they have loads of colors for everyone!!!! That's why I love M·A·C!!!


----------



## Beauty Mark (Feb 13, 2007)

I think many women, particularly black women, shy away from cosmetics because of the availability. Why bother looking if you think nothing will work?


----------



## MiCHiE (Feb 13, 2007)

Well, it's harder to match foundations and whatnot (from what I understand) since we are so many different shades, but even someone like myself---my skin is OK. It's pretty even, so I wear a little powder for a finished look. A lot of women would call that "dressing up". And, don't even get on blushes. Do you know a lot of young, black women, even with the color spectrum, still think blushes give you a clownish look? 

Whenever I get dressed to go anywhere, I do my face. Nothing elaborate, except for my shadows, because I love to play my eyes up. But, I'm talking about washing my face, applying moisturizer, powder, eyes and lips (gloss). This is SO not what I was doing back in the day....But, I see so many women who look like me with nothing on and I wonder, "Damn....do they think I'm just trying to be 'cute' or something?". I get kind of self-conscious...

I know a lot of girls say, "Well, not wearing makeup is the only way I can keep my skin clear...".
I broke out from Studio Fix, but that didn't stop me from finding something that didn't break me out. I could've just thrown my hands up and said, "Nothing works!", but I didn't.

And, frankly, I don't even know very many of my peers who would buy makeup for various looks. They would have a "going out" look and that would be it.


----------



## IslandGirl77 (Feb 14, 2007)

I'm bi-racial also, and I love wearing make-up. I dont' know if it has anything to do with my ethnicity. In my opinion I think it's probably how your raised. I did notice that when I moved to SC, that there are only a small percent of african-american women who use make-up. I'm not sure what the reasons are. But, I do feel uncomfortable sometimes going out with a full face. People look at me like, where are you going? 

On another note, one day my boyfriends 5 yeard old daughter was here. I was looking at Specktra, and she was like "Make-up dont' show up on black people." I aked her why do you think that? And she said it doesn't. So I showed her some pictures of women of color who had on make-up, and she was like ooohh. I was thinking to myself who told her that? I guess it is harder for women of color to find things that match their skintones, but I dont' think it should shy anyone away.


----------



## d_flawless (Feb 14, 2007)

hmm. i have to laugh about the white woman wearing make up thing, since in my area, it's like michie mentioned, "mascara and lip gloss"...i don't think a lot of woman above 25 even bother with eye make up anyway...


----------



## MiCHiE (Feb 14, 2007)

Wow....this is so interesting. I work with women on a daily basis and I'm just realizing....I can almost put them in categories. 
I'm a manicurist and most of the women I take care of come in with some kind of face on---shadow, face powder, lips, etc. These are the working, career women that do this every week. Now, the women who are treated to this, via Gift Cards or whatnot, don't usually wear anything. So, I do think that the pampering and makeup go hand in hand. I've noticed this trend ever since I started in the industry.

And I do think it's like Feather said, also. Black women don't think makeup shows on them and don't want to spend $$$ on something like NARS, MUFE or MAC. I got the majority of my collection by way of discounts, so I know....But, I also think that we (the majority of us) haven't found our makeup niche. I don't think Fashion Fair is bold (or matte) enough for me. Their ads are not targeted to me and I really don't care to look like Billie Holliday right now. Just yesterday, I was picking up lunch at a drive-thru and the girl at the window (black) had a swipe of a slate blue color on her lids, creasing like a mutha and it just looked really bad. I just wanted to pass her some UDPP, a couple other colors to compliment the one she was wearing and a Specktra link. Bless her heart. 

I honestly think that it just takes one of us, not a Beyoncé or megastar, to rock a look and get the ball rolling. I did that with my inner circle and it happened to me here, with faithhopelove24 (this chick gave me mega-confidence). Check out her FOTD posts.


----------



## IslandGirl77 (Feb 14, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *♥MiCHiE♥* 

 
_Wow....this is so interesting. I work with women on a daily basis and I'm just realizing....I can almost put them in categories. 
I'm a manicurist and most of the women I take care of come in with some kind of face on---shadow, face powder, lips, etc. These are the working, career women that do this every week. Now, the women who are treated to this, via Gift Cards or whatnot, don't usually wear anything. So, I do think that the pampering and makeup go hand in hand. I've noticed this trend ever since I started in the industry.

And I do think it's like Feather said, also. Black women don't think makeup shows on them and don't want to spend $$$ on something like NARS, MUFE or MAC. I got the majority of my collection by way of discounts, so I know....But, I also think that we (the majority of us) haven't found our makeup niche. I don't think Fashion Fair is bold (or matte) enough for me. Their ads are not targeted to me and I really don't care to look like Billie Holliday right now. Just yesterday, I was picking up lunch at a drive-thru and the girl at the window (black) had a swipe of a slate blue color on her lids, creasing like a mutha and it just looked really bad. I just wanted to pass her some UDPP, a couple other colors to compliment the one she was wearing and a Specktra link. Bless her heart. 

I honestly think that it just takes one of us, not a Beyoncé or megastar, to rock a look and get the ball rolling. I did that with my inner circle and it happened to me here, with faithhopelove24 (this chick gave me mega-confidence). Check out her FOTD posts._

 

Girl! Talking about blue shadow creasing! My man had taken some photos of people at work. And this girl, a woman of color had on some blue shadow on her lids. It was creasing too, I was like that girl need some make-up application tips. I need to help her out. But, I also have to agree with you about the nail thing. I used to get my nails done alot, and noticed that the women who got theirs done all the time wore make-up also. It just might be coincendence. I dont' know what it is. I do know I'm the only person at work that wears make-up, which at times makes me feel strange.


----------

