Essence Panel Explores Beauty Purchasing

[Blue_Tires]

African-American women are vibrant shoppers of prestige beauty brands, but their biggest challenge is finding products that are effective and effectively marketed toward them. Such points were revealed last week at Essence’s Smart Beauty panel, which discussed the African-American woman’s shopping experience in the prestige beauty market.

Essence beauty and cover director Mikki Taylor led a discussion on the findings with celebrity makeup artist Sam Fine, dermatologist Rosemarie Ingleton and Candace Corlett, president of WSL Strategic Retail, at a breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental in Manhattan.

African-American women spend $7.5 billion annually on beauty products, but shell out 80 percent more money on cosmetics and twice as much on skin care products than the general market, according to the research. That difference comes as African-American women sample many more products to find the ones that are most effective on their skin.

“She spends a lot, but there’s little satisfaction. What keeps us buying is the hope that this product will do what it’s supposed to do,” said Fine.

The type of beauty goods she’s searching for, according to the findings, are brands she trusts, that reflect her personal style and offer high-quality ingredients. She’s also more likely to buy products from aspirational labels — Chanel lipsticks and Versace perfume, for example — than brands that are associated with celebrities.

http://www.wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/essence-panel-explores-beauty-purchasing-2139829

[Number23]

1. Nice article, Blue.

But any sister who thinks it's hard buying stuff for us in America should come to Australia.

I have to go on e-bay to buy satin sleep bonnets because the stores have never sold them. They've never even HEARD of the hair dryers that you sit under to dry your hair. And I can't tell you how many makeup counters I had to walk away from because they're deepest shade of makeup was still 5 shades too light for me.

If it wasn't for e-bay, I could not live here.

[firedupdem]

2. Wait!

I'm almost in the same boat in Nebraska! LOL

Well, I do have to take a drive to get stuff. I'm about 45mns from Lincoln and even there I have to search for stuff. I don't know what I would do without the ability to order stuff on the internet, and thank God my husband cuts he and our son's hair.

[Number23]

3. You know what? I COMPLETELY believe that it would be the same way in NE

Firedup, we need to get to more sista-friendly locales!! ;)

[firedupdem]

4. Girl! Here I am born and raised on the southside of Chicago...

lived in Detroit and the surrounding burbs the last 20yrs and then here since last summer. I feel like I'm in the twilight zone! At least my husband has a job...however, he's on notice! As soon as my youngest graduates high school in 2yrs....I'm out!

[cyndensco]

5. Where did you live around Detroit?

We lived in Farmington Hills years ago and I was so happy to leave. My oldest had just started Kindergarten and the teachers there were trying hard to (low) track him. We moved to CT and, with the help of Demographics by Zip Code, found a diverse city outside of Hartford.

The most chocolate cities are the most segregated.

[firedupdem]

6. I lived in Soutfield, Oak Park and then Chesterfield. Chesterfield

was the only diverse area. My boys went to Oak Park public schools but they were quickly heading downhill...we moved when the youngest was in 4th grade. I miss michigan but we probably won't move back there due to the economy. I just want to leave here. I can't do Nebraska much longer unless we move to Omaha. I am NOT a country girl. I need malls, museums, etc.

[kwassa]

12. Born in Detroit, lived in Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, B'ham ...

Detroit was highly segregated when I was a kid.

I have cousins, uncles and aunts there, but none of my immediate family live in Michigan anymore, including my parents. My dads entire career was with GM, soon to be defunct.

We all live in the east, now.

[firedupdem]

16. It's completely segregated and unfortunately the actions of

Detroit leadership is an embarrassment. The schools are in bad shape. It's really a sad situation.

[Number23]

7. Too funny. You a Southside Chi girl; me a SWATs girl

Living in the whitest of the whitest places! lol

If someone had told me when I was a teenager that I would be living all over the world and would wind up in AUSTRALIA, I'd have said they were crazy. Girl, when I was a kid, black folks considered themselves "world travelers" if they'd been to Jamaica twice. :)

[Karenina]

9. The Africans moved into my Veedel about 5 years ago

merchant classes from war-torn areas... Today there are 4 places within a 3 minute walk with produce, cosmetics and the most exquisite textiles. I LOVE INTEGRATION!

[Number23]

10. Okay, Karenina

I've looked up "Veedel" on Wiki and dictionary.com. Everything is in German!

What's a veedel?? Are you in Germany??

[Karenina]

13. Ja!

:hi: Veedel=neighborhood. All have names and traditions.

[Number23]

15. How cool!

I've never been to Germany but it's on my list. I have to see the castles there and in Austria before I'm dead and in the grave. :)

[Blue_Tires]

8. what do you do in Australia?

how long have you lived there?

[Number23]

11. Been here 3.5 years

And let's just say, I'm not in the military. I couldn't handle it and neither could my superiors. :)

[Number23]

14. Whoops! wrong spot

[SemperEadem]

17. I buy Chanel lipstick because the dyes don't fade in 30 minutes

most other lipsticks are trash.

[Chovexani]

18. Black women sample more products because we HAVE to

Especially foundation...I hate Fashion Fair because it's too old school and cake-y in consistency but I really didn't have a choice for the longest if I wanted something that matched my skin tone. I'm not really high yella but I'm not really dark either, and I have some weird ass red and yellow undertones thanks to my crazy genetic makeup that make it damn near impossible to find makeup that works.

I liked Iman's line a lot but I can't find it anymore. So it's MAC for me. I live and die by that stuff because they seem to be the only non-WoC specific company that actually has foundation that matches my skin. I got a sister at my local Sephora to hook me up, she mixed some stuff for me that works perfectly.

As an aside, a lot of people like to say there's no difference between mid-high end cosmetics and drugstore stuff but I beg to differ. Eyeshadow for one thing, is of far higher quality once you get out of Walgreens and into a department store. They use higher quality pigments, so you don't have to use as much, and the color is more vibrant. I find myself actually spending less on makeup than I did when I shopped exclusively at the drug store.