In this Digital Lab thought piece called Talking Beauty, Clair Croft of Proximity London summarizes the findings of an observational documentary-based research study which sought to understand how the beauty industry...

1. Talking
beautyAn insight into how women think,
feel and talk about beauty
By Claire Croft Proximity London
MARCH 2012

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Contents
Introduction 05 04
Beauty. Really? 06 08
Talking about our generations… 08 14
Under pressure 10 20
Who am I again? 12
Better for longer 14
Hope is near 16 28
A world of opportunity 18

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To uncover genuine insights we needed
to spend real time with these women,
and by using observational documentary
style interviewing we did just that. It
was important to us that the views that
women shared were not influenced in
anyway, as they might be in something
like a focus group. By being in their
homes, and spending hours upon hours
chatting to them we found out what they
really think.
Across all our conversations one
theme stood out. For women beauty
exists as a concept rather
than a reality and that concept
changes and evolves over the course of
ones life. It is always however something
which feels beyond the reach of the
individual. For young women this is
because beauty is defined primarily by
celebrity. Older women on the other
hand believe beauty is something that
exists naturally in youth, not later life.
The result? Most women are striving
to achieve something much smaller in
aspiration; they just want to be able to
feel good about themselves. It’s simply
about being able to achieve a goal
of looking the best they can,
for them. And confidence is at the
heart of how women feel about their
looks and their ability to look good.
This paper provides a summary of the
conversations we shared with women
during the time we spent with them and
also outlines some thoughts about what
opportunities there are for the beauty
industry to evolve and enhance it’s
relationship with women of all ages.
Introduction
We set out on a journey to understand what beauty means to different
generations of women. How does each generation feel about beauty, what
pressures do they face and do they feel able to achieve their ideal? And
importantly we explored how generations interact about beauty. How they
see one another, what they admire and what they envy about each other.

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One notable exception in the
conversations we had though was
Kate Middleton. Younger women in
particular are inspired by how natural
she is. Her beauty is real to women, and
this is genuinely motivating for them
hence the frenzy to achieve her look.
Retail analysts have estimated that her
influence on the British fashion industry
has generated a £1bn boost to the
economy.
So, when beauty feels obtainable
women engage and take action. Why?
Women are striving to feel like they
look good, because this gives them the
confidence they need to face the world.
Achieving the goal of “looking good”
is a really personal journey. For some
women who are naturally confident it is
a smooth ride and the beauty industry
simply provides the tools they need to
achieve their look. For most though they
really are seeking advice and guidance
for them personally.
This clearly indicates the potential
for the beauty industry to evolve and
enhance its relationship with women.
By championing the idea that
every women has the right to
feel confident about who she
is and how she looks beauty
can become something,
which is defined by each
woman and her reality of
looking good.
A starting point would be for the beauty
industry to adopt the everyday dialogue
women have about beauty. Engaging
with their more grounded dialect about
beauty will motivate less confident
women to engage more actively with the
beauty industry.
Beauty. really?
It is rare for women to describe beauty in terms of what they see in the
media i.e. celebrity. For most that is manufactured, unreal and unobtainable
beauty. Whilst it can provide some inspiration in terms of looks to try and
experiment with it is overall a distant concept.

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Key points
• “Beauty” as a concept is unreal and unobtainable
• Women simply want to feel they look good because that gives them
confidence
• Looking good is a personal journey and most would value tailored,
personal support
• The beauty industry has the opportunity to champion every woman’s
right to feel confident about who she is and how she looks
“Some people are just
beautiful. In relation to
me it’s a different idea.
It is more must looking
after myself or trying to
look good”“Good is a more
everyday word for
me than beauty.
Beauty just seems
too big”
“If you’re
happy with the
way you are
you have
a beauty”

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Younger women wish they had the
confidence derived from the experience
that older women have. To them
older women know who they are and
therefore can be more confident about
looking good. For older women they
envy the confidence derived from
actually being beautiful when you are
young.
Each generation has quite clear ideas
about what “looking good” means
for the other. They share views and
ideas. And interestingly those ideas
actually become a source of inspiration.
So for example older women strive
to achieve a natural beauty because
that’s what they think young women,
who are naturally beautiful, should
be embracing (rather than slapping
piles of make up on and covering it
up). Younger women enjoy hearing
the lessons learnt from older women
(e.g. cleanse, tone and moisturise,
always wear make up with SPF in it
etc.). Mothers provide many of these
insights but not exclusively. And older
celebrities, who are seen to be growing
old naturally, (think Helen Mirren) are a
source of inspiration for younger as well
as older women.
Talking about our generations...
Confidence, or rather perception of, was at the heart of the relationship
between generations. And those perceptions manifest themselves as a
positive envy.

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Key points
• There is a positive envy between the generations.
• Young women envy the confidence older women have because of their
experience
• Older women envy the natural beauty that exists in youth
• Each generation has clear ideas about what looking good means for
the other
• And they talk to each other A LOT!
“Once you get older you
are more experienced in
what looks good on you
so I think that is why a lot
of older people actually
look better”
“I wear a lot more
than she would
on a night out
(mother)… she’d
look like a
hooker”
“I have a friend
who’s about
60 who I guess
I see as a role
model”
“Its just part
of getting
older mum, but
there’s things
we can do!”
“It (beauty) is
youth… it is sort
of effortless
not having to
bother”
Carly and Cindy
Daughter / Mother
Single / divorced
Hairdresser / Beauty therapist
Aged 23 / 47
Maddy & Sandy
Single / Divorced
Student /Manager
Aged 21 / 42
Sally & Shakini
Mother & daughter
Married / single
Aged 33 / 16

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It is their love of digital socialising, which
is proving to be a double-edge sword
in terms of where they face pressure.
Social sharing is natural and habitual for
this generation and so on the positive
side it is very easy for them to gather
opinions and advice but also to share
their own “pearls of wisdom”.
They are highly aware however that the
social space means they are on show
24/7 and this presents the downside of
social engagement. Young women are
exposed, and are constantly being
judged. The commentary which social
media inevitably invites means they
receive both positive and negative
feedback about how they look. And in
terms of impact negative opinions far
outweigh positive opinions. For many
this means social media both facilitates
and suppresses experimentation, and it
directly influences how confident they
feel about themselves.
Under pressure - Young women
As one might expect younger women feel the most pressure to look good.
This is a real challenge for them because the pressure is highest when they
are trying to establish their identity and build confidence in “their look”.

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Key points
• They face the most pressure just when they’re trying to build confidence
in how they look
• Social sharing is a double edged sword
• They feel they are exposed to judgment 24/7
• Any hint of negativity in the comments they receive directly affects how
confident they feel about themselves
“If another girl had
a bad pic we would
be going ‘OMG have
you seen blah blah’s
picture’ and I don’t
want to be that girl”
“She wouldn’t
upload that picture
to FB because she
didn’t want people
thinking she ate
pudding”
“I have this
pressure that
I now have to
have a different
outfit every
time I go out”
Ebele, Single,
Unemployed, 27
Maddy, Single
Student, 21
Lavetta, Single
Hairdresser, 19
Holly, in relationship
Stable lass, 20

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They talked about the fact that whilst
their looks become less of a priority they
still need to find time for some sort of
beauty routine. And equally they want
to be able to feel like they look good for
their partner and interestingly their child
(for when they are older and are aware of
mum’s looks). The psychological benefit
of achieving this is not to be under
estimated, as it actually affects their
confidence about being a mother.
But we did uncover a sense that mums
to be/ new mums do feel slightly
abandoned by the beauty industry
at a time when they would really
appreciate support and advice. They
are working it out for themselves or
through the experiences of others.
Their approach to beauty
mirrors their approach to
motherhood, they learn
through trial and error.
Who am I again? - Motherhood
As a life stage becoming a mother is known to significantly change ones
identity and as a result confidence. The conversations we had did not
challenge this “truth”. But they clarified what it means for beauty.

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Key points
• Mothers need time for some sort of beauty regime. It protects identity
and therefore confidence
• Mums to be and new mums feel slightly abandoned by the beauty
industry when they really need support
“I’m trying to get my
routine down literally
because in know
when the baby comes
I’m not going to have
much time to myself”
“Putting my make
up on takes five
minutes. But to me
that’s a minimum
to still feel
like me”
“My baby’s going
to grow up one day
and I don’t want
them to think god
my mum’s really
old and ugly”
Julia, Married
New Mother, 34
Natalie, Married
Mum-to-be, 32

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Their language is slightly different to that
of the beauty industry. They perceive
the treatments, therapies and routines
they engage with as simply slowing
the ageing process as much as they
possibly can. So they express it as
better or best for longer. And it is this
ambition that means they continue to
invest (quite significantly in many cases)
in being experimental.
And indeed those who are young don’t
see older women as being beautiful. This
is not a negative though because the
language they do use to describe older
women includes, elegant, natural and
graceful. It comes back to the positive
envy. Older women are well established
in their journey with beauty and outside of
the media, in and amongst consumers,
this is something which is to be
celebrated.
Importantly we didn’t experience any
sense of older women actively engaging
with the beauty brands beyond making a
purchase. They get their inspiration and
guidance from beauticians, cosmetic
clinics, doctors and to some degree
magazines. Given that they most
strongly engage with the idea of “hope
in a bottle” this generation presents a
significant opportunity.
Better for longer - Older women
Younger for longer is a well-trodden phrase when it comes to 50+ women. It’s
the hope the beauty industry has been offering them for some time now with
a whole new category of products flooding the market. However whilst their
actions indicate a desire to stay young most do not express it in these terms.

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Key points
• The desire is to stay young but they don’t express is like that.
Older women say they want to look better for longer
• The ambition is to look natural, elegant and graceful not beautiful
• This is a quest, one which drives significant investment in products and
therapies
• Little indication of genuine engagement with the beauty industry
“…As you get older…
[you don’t feel] that
you’ve got to slap
more on…you can
take more off because
you feel more sorted”
“At my age the
most I aspire to
is looking like I’ve
just come back
from a really good
holiday”
“As you get
older you so
realise less
is more”
Kerri, Married
Cleaner, 50
Nicky, Married
Housewife, 52
Gill, Mother
Divorced, 36
Kate, Single
IT Director, 44

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We were surprised by how strong the
need for immediate gratification is.
Products are given little opportunity to
work, some only giving it one try before
they decide whether it’s good or not.
And it is this desire for immediate
results, which meant that almost
universally women see cosmetic
surgery as a genuine option in helping
them achieve their goal. The stigma
of “having work done” is disappearing.
It really is becoming an everyday thing.
And importantly women discussed
treatments like Botox and facial peels
like they were an integral part of their
beauty regime. They see it as part
of the steps they are taking to make
themselves look as good as they
possibly can rather than to make them
look beautiful.
Hope is near
As we have shown it is the journey through confidence that explains why
across the generations they are all experimentalists. The hope of
feeling like you look your best drives all women to keep on trying new
products, new regimes and new options like cosmetic surgery.

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Key points
• All generations are experimental
• Immediate gratification leaves products with little opportunity
to impress
• Cosmetic surgery is widely accepted and desired
• Many treatments are seen as an integral part of a beauty regime
“…. Definitely
wouldn’t say no
to facial surgery
at some point”
“I had a breast
enlargement
done… it was
a confidence
thing”
“…. Would
definitely
have anything
done”
“Botox [is] no
effort at all –
just pop into
the doctors”

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A (primarily social) CRM strategic
framework, where interaction is
grounded in women’s everyday
perspective and language, would enable
the beauty industry to provide women
with the support they need as they move
through their personal journey.
There are some specific opportunities to
consider along the journey:
Young women
Championing the idea that every woman
has the right to feel confident about
who she is and how she looks resonates
most strongly with this generation.
Young women are at the very
beginnings of their journey with beauty.
Using a CRM social media strategy
there is potential to enable young
women to establish a core confidence
in themselves. To do so will cement a
positive and dynamic relationship with
the beauty industry for the years ahead.
Motherhood
For mums to be and (indeed mums in
general) the specific opportunity is two
fold. Firstly by being there at a time
when they really need it the beauty
industry should seek to help women
to adapt and evolve their relationship
with beauty before a baby arrives.
This would be of great value to them.
Yes their identity and confidence will
still be challenged but women could feel
more prepared to cope with and manage
the change. Social media engagement
provides a platform not only for the
beauty industry to give advice but also
to facilitate sharing of advice amongst
mums to be. This would work for both
new and second (even third) time round
mums.
Secondly our insights hinted at the
potential for new products to be
developed, specifically for this audience.
There are a lot of specific pre-pregnancy
products out there but few post-
pregnancy. Mums are looking for simple
effective beauty solutions, ones which
A world of opportunity
Our observational documentary approach to engaging with women about
beauty has uncovered one simple fact, which could provide a platform for
the beauty industry to evolve and enhance its relationship with them.
“Beauty” is a personal
and ever changing
journey for women.
The opportunity is there
for the beauty industry
to partner them on their
journey so that they can
feel confident about
the way they look.

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cut corners! Like one woman said, she’s
now adding oil to her baths so that she
doesn’t have to moisturise when she
gets out. Helping mums to look their
best quickly would again deepen the
relationship they have with the beauty
industry, because it would be helping
them to feel more confident about
themselves.
Older Women
It is older women who most strongly
engage with the idea of “hope in a
bottle”. They experiment just as much
as youth and often on higher quality
products and brands. Therefore there
is commercial benefit to closing the
distance that exists between them and
beauty brands. An engagement strategy
grounded in delivering the beauty
therapy experience and support within
the home would help to establish a
genuine relationship.
It is worth noting once again that
adopting the language used in
communications can provide older
women with more confidence to engage
with the beauty industry and embrace
their lifestage positively. They can enjoy
looking better for longer.
And something which
applies to all
To address the impatience shown by
all women, the beauty industry can use
social engagement to provide better
information and education about how
to use products. Expectations can
be better managed to drive longer-
term usage and fuel more positive
conversation.
Women are clearly more comfortable
with cosmetic surgery as an option. By
embracing this shifting relationship the
beauty industry can actually partner
women along this new journey they are
on. Through advice and information
and perhaps product innovation women
could be enabled to make the very
most of these treatments and maximise
their chance of achieving the desired
outcome, to look as good as they
possibly can.

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Key Points
Young women
• A CRM social media strategy to establish a core
confidence and create dynamic relationship with
the beauty industry for years to come
• Educate about routines and how to use products
Motherhood
• Support them through the biggest challenge
to their identity and confidence
• Create products to meet their very specific needs
Older women
• An engagement strategy grounded in the beauty
therapy experience they adore
• Help them to celebrate their lifestage, use their
language

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Contacts:
Simon Bond, Chief Marketing Officer, Proximity Worldwide
simon.bond@proximityworld.com
Chris Slough, Managing Director, Proximity London
slough.c@proximitylondon.com
Claire Croft, Planning Partner, Proximity London
croft.c@proximitylondon.com

22. NOTES