How the Beauty Industry Influences our Self Esteem

Why do women think they are not beautiful without makeup?

 Social media is a big part of that answer. Especially in this day and age with all these platforms, there is a lot of pressure on women to look good twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Social media is centered around selfies and women define their self-worth based on how many likes they get on a single picture. Their feeds are full of beauty gurus promoting the latest products all with thousands of views and hundreds of complimenting comments, especially from men, that make it seem like the only way to be liked and appreciated is with makeup on. If a woman does not have makeup on, people may think she looks tired or like a zombie.

Also, there are all these makeup products on the market that promote “anti-aging” “anti-wrinkle” or younger looking skin. The makeup world puts a stigma on looking older and women nowadays will find every reason to not look their age. There are teenagers that look like they are in their mid-twenties because of makeup. I feel like they are not taking the time to appreciate childhood or adolescence because they want to grow up too fast. A woman may not want to go out of the house without concealer or foundation to cover up her acne scars because she is so self-conscious about them being seen.

The beauty industry has a product for every single feature of a woman’s face to improve it. It is hard for women to be comfortable in their own skin when there are so many people, ads, and companies offering multiple ways to cover it. Being surrounded by those kinds of messages can really take a toll on a woman’s self-esteem. Women today may see makeup as something to cover up their flaws rather than enhance their natural beauty.

How We Influence Consumers Through Their Perception

“Is the glass half empty or half full?” Is an everyday question we ask each other when we have to decide on things about life. It is a general test to determine how ones thought process works. Most people that are optimistic are a half full type of person and the pessimistic are a half empty type of person. 

Buyers perception is a key factor in having a successful business. Knowing your buyer's perception can be very impactful and influential to their buying decision. Put yourself in the costumer's shoes and see the world from the buyer's perspective. Know what they are looking for in terms of prices and in terms of importance. 

A good way to learn about buyer's perception is by doing surveys and asking for the buyer's feedback on what they would like to see in their stores. “What works for you?” “What can we change?” those are a few questions that businesses should start asking their customers.  

Perception is a process that we do to decide, select, and finalize our thoughts and logic in terms of buying and selling things. Customers try to understand the decision they are about to make. Whether it is the right thing to buy or how this will help them or how important this decision is.