Abstract

The market for natural makeup has been substantially increasing, primarily because many consumers believe that natural makeup is healthier and higher quality than unnatural makeup. However, perceived health hazards of unnatural makeup have been debunked, and, while there is no evidence disproving the perceived quality superiority of natural makeup, the manipulability of chemical ingredients suggests that unnatural makeup would be superior. Therefore, the question arises as to whether consumers choose natural makeup not because it is actually superior in quality, but because society has led them to believe it is healthier and more effective. A blind consumption test involving four popular brands of lip gloss - two natural and two unnatural - was conducted to determine whether consumers actually prefer their self-identified favorite makeup brands and how influence from the natural product movement affects how closely their self-identified preferences match their blind consumption preferences. Ultimately, it was found that consumers’ self-identified preferences rarely matched their preferences under blind consumption conditions, regardless of how influenced they were by the natural product movement. Thus, the results suggest that makeup consumers make decisions predominantly based on their emotional perceptions of certain brands, as opposed to actual sensed quality differences between makeup products; and, while the natural product movement may be one factor that affects consumers’ perceptions of makeup brands, it is by no means a sole or primary influence in forming consumer opinions.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

One Trimester Down, Two to Go

11/13/2016

We have all submitted a polished version of our lit reviews, a task that seemed daunting a month ago, and now it is time to dive into writing our methodology section. Before I reset and begin to tackle this new task, however, I will take a moment and reflect on what I have accomplished thus far and where I still need to put in a lot of thought going forward.

I feel as though I put together a solid lit review that clearly outlines a gap in our knowledge regarding the natural versus unnatural makeup market: we don't know whether or not the shift in demand toward natural makeup is due primarily to unwarranted societal influence or an actual quality superiority in natural makeup products. My lit review also put me a little bit further ahead in the game because, to successfully arrive at my research question, I had to justify the method I am using (blind consumption) and the makeup brands I am testing within the lit review itself.

Nevertheless, while I feel confident with my lit review, I feel a little uneasy going forward into the methods section, as I have one of the more complicated methods (mine actually involves people). What concerns me most is how I am going to select a sample size that is appropriate and doesn't seem contrived but is still feasible given my resources (e.g. how much money I can spend on makeup samples, how many people I could actually get to participate). I am afraid that the viability of my results may be damaged by a small sample size or a biased sample (i.e. selecting people from only one group/place).

As far as the ethics section that is required for a method involving people, I imagine that I will need to formulate some sort of waiver for participants, perhaps one that lists all the ingredients that are in the makeups they will be testing. This way, if a participant feels uncomfortable applying a certain ingredient or has a certain allergy, they can choose not to participate and do not face the risk of applying completely unknown products to their skin (although they will still not know the exact brands they are using). There is probably a lot more I will need to consider as far as ethics goes, but I figure that I will learn more throughout this upcoming week analyzing more blind consumption methodology.

Overall, I feel as if I have the basics down regarding what I need to accomplish (all outlined in my lit review). It's the logistics regarding how I am going to carry out my research that is currently concerning me. However, I am still optimistic going forward, and I believe looking more into blind consumption methodology with the methods assignment may help me get a better idea for ideal sample size and selecting participants.

(478)
Posted by at

4 comments:

  1. UnknownNovember 14, 2016 at 9:41 AM

    Hi Audrey!
    I'm happy to hear that you feel confident in your lit review. I too think you did an amazing job finding a gap and clearly articulating that for the reader.

    I understand your concerns with the following section, however you have time and support and you will kill it as always.

    Your waiver idea is very thoughtful especially with allergies and such. I think this would be a great way to achieve consent from participants without revealing too much information. Choosing a sample size will be difficult. Would be possible to use contacts to get a variety of ages (your mom's friends, college students, teenagers)? I think the biggest part is acknowledging your limitations you do have, but controlling the variables you can (like age). Hopefully looking at blind consumptions will you give you a better idea of what conclusions can be made from different samples.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Catherine O'NeillNovember 14, 2016 at 9:43 AM

    Audrey you are so lucky to already have gotten some of your methods section out of the way. With all the research you are going to do in the methods assignment I am sure that you will be fine in finding out how big the sample size will be, how much you will spend on resources, etc. You can always cut down on the price of resources by choosing a certain type of makeup. Are you going to focus on lipstick, foundation, etc or chose multiple types? In my opinion, to cut down on the amount of money you have to spend and to keep the makeup sanitary you should probably go with something like lipstick or eyeshadow where anyone can wear any color and it is very easy to use new makeup sponges/ applicators (I'm sorry I don't know the correct terminology). Good luck and you are so ahead of the game!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Catherine O'NeillNovember 14, 2016 at 9:44 AM

    Audrey you are so lucky to already have gotten some of your methods section out of the way. With all the research you are going to do in the methods assignment I am sure that you will be fine in finding out how big the sample size will be, how much you will spend on resources, etc. You can always cut down on the price of resources by choosing a certain type of makeup. Are you going to focus on lipstick, foundation, etc or chose multiple types? In my opinion, to cut down on the amount of money you have to spend and to keep the makeup sanitary you should probably go with something like lipstick or eyeshadow where anyone can wear any color and it is very easy to use new makeup sponges/ applicators (I'm sorry I don't know the correct terminology). Good luck and you are so ahead of the game!

    ReplyDelete
  4. mrslyndsayhaagNovember 18, 2016 at 7:33 AM

    Audrey -- don't worry about working within your resources. Everyone understands that you're a highs schooler doing the best you can. As long as, as Grace pointed out, you acknowledge your limitations, it's OKAY to have some. In fact, if you didn't have limitations, I'd be MORE concerned, as it would seem like you were hiding something. Every research project is flawed, so don't fret over it too much. Get the participants you can, and then we'll work within that.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)