A Cosmetic Connection: A Guide for Designing Color Cosmetics to Women that are Emotionally Appealing

Abstract

This thesis reports on an interpretive study of women’s views towards cosmetic usage and how this relates to their response to various forms of packaging for these products. The focus of the study is on the communicative functions of a product’s appearance through packaging. This study examines how various package forms (the packaging is the structure that houses the chemical filler that is applied by the user) of the product is related to their motivations and expectations associated with purchasing cosmetics. Fifty women were studied in a two-part qualitative and quantitative evaluation. The first part of the study examined factors that previous studies have indicated are the primary motivating factors for why women purchase cosmetics. Based on prior studies that identified factors important in product selection by users, the primary factors considered were gender identity (Phillips & McQuarrie, 2009), body image (Moschis, 1976), and product interest (Petermans, Cleempoel, Nuyts, Vanrie, 2009). Various attempts have been made at capturing the emotional connection between consumers and products, but not in the field of cosmetic packaging with respect to psychographic segmentation, the categorization of people with respect to their attitudes, psychology, and behaviors. When purchasing a new cosmetic product, consumers derive their opinions of the filler product based in part upon the packaging. This study evaluates which characteristics women cognitively apply to various forms used for the packaging and presentation of color cosmetic products (any cosmetic product that contains pigment that are used to alter or manipulate the users appearance) and which characteristics motivate women in their cosmetic purchases.