Not Just a Pretty Little Face

Today’s young beauty consumers know exactly what they want, but how does a brand know which age of girlhood to target?

By Jonathan Ford, Pearlfisher

All little girls want to be big girls. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about with two of my own. Girls are growing up more—and maybe too—quickly, and even the very young are now focused on their looks. But it’s not just about what they wear. It’s also very much about what products they use on their hair and skin. From fragrances for babies to blemish creams for teens, there is a phenomenal opportunity for beauty brands to capitalize on an increasingly diverse and beauty-hungry audience. But, even though there is more and more choice, today’s young beauty consumers are very discerning and vocal about what they do and don’t want. Which is? Actually, so much more than just a pretty face…

Tinies, Tweens and ‘In-betweens’

Probably one of the most difficult decisions for the beauty brands to make is which age of girlhood to target. Brands such as Miaj have brought out very grown-up looking cosmetic ranges for the very young girl. Of course all “tinies” watch and mimic their mums’ makeup application but the danger is

Trendy and original, Too Faced’s Mood Swing changes lip color from cotton candy to deep fuchsia depending on body heat, pH or mood swing.

designing for and marketing to them as adults, encouraging them to become their parents immediately rather than encouraging them to take part in adult behavior. There has also been much made of the “tween” (8-12) market, with brands trying to capture the attention of this sector in an attempt to hopefully garner an ongoing and loyal following. But, with both the tinies and the tweens, brands are managing a delicate balancing act. They need to find a way to attract the kids, but also keep the mums happy, as it is the mums who likely have the ultimate say in purchasing decisions. What is a more interesting proposition, but undoubtedly the hardest of all to target and market to, is the late teens or what we are terming the “in-betweens” —those 16-19 year olds who are virtually adults with ideas and money of their own.

A Walking, Talking, Living Doll?

The in-between group is probably more contradictory than any other as they want to be fun-loving and girly one day, but try their hand at being totally grown up and a sexy siren the next.
  
There are a couple of new products on the market that are trying to tap into this by playing to their different mood sensibilities. Sugar Cosmetics’ Daily Diary Make-Up Palette, with six lipglosses, 12 eye shadows, blush and Sugar’s signature Tropic Tan Bronzer, contains “a shade for all moods,” locked away in a personal diary with an additional secret diary providing beauty hints and tips. It’s very young and fun, but gimmicky, and may end up attracting a far younger girl than it sets out to. And, in general, today’s smarter and more sophisticated teen/in-between is not necessarily buying into these “sugary,” fussy and stereotypical design approaches.
  
More interesting and original is Too Faced’s Mood Swing— a pink lipgloss that changes color from cotton candy to deep fuchsia depending on body heat, pH or mood swing. A novelty product in many respects, it’s also a very individual one with subtly graded color on the packaging that highlights the product benefit, contrasted against a bold yet pretty illustration that exudes femininity and style.
  

Sugar Cosmetics’ Daily Diary Makeup Palette contains “a shade for all moods,” locked away in a personal diary.

For now, Mood Swing may just be a trendy product that does not have staying power, but we need to remember that this audience is probably also the most concerned with being bang on trend. And, the overriding trend this fall is for the essential smoky eye.
  
Bare Escentuals has come up with the most fantastic offer with its Bare Escentuals Tutorials: Lesson 1–Smoky Eyes, which consists of an eye shadow, glimmer and double-ended brush. It gives instructions in simple steps and gives teens the license to experiment—and helps them do it—without patronizing them. It is both compact and fun, but also chic and timeless. And it is actually not just pitching to teens and in-betweens, but to any and every female who may not want to spend a lot, but wants to perfect the look of this season.
  
Brands today—even beauty brands that are about injecting some fun and experimentation into life—need to take (more) responsibility and find clever and arresting ways to help these in-betweeners indulge their ambition to be adults without pressuring them into being adults before they are truly ready.

Sassy with Style and Substance

So, girls sometimes want to be girls and sometimes want to be women…Women want to be women, but sometimes want to be girls… Admittedly, it’s hard to keep up, but the teens and in-betweens are a mighty force to be reckoned with in terms of the power they hold over their peers—and the grown-up girls for that matter—when it comes to brand choice and recommendation. And brand owners should take the time to really get to know what makes them tick rather than just trying to stereotype them by age or look.
  

Bare Escentuals hit it “spot on” with its Smoky Eye tutorial.

By and large, this group is smart, stylish, sophisticated and sassy. They are also extremely creative in their day-to-day lives and influenced by blogs, social networking sites, etc. They are very visually driven creatures looking for visually creative solutions to problems and, as they inevitably become even more vocal about what they want, brand design has no choice but to learn to speak their language.
  
Although perhaps not the most glamorous in the marketplace, the problem skin sector is booming. For teens who don’t want to be singled out by their problems, new products in this sector are successfully using personality and humor in their designs to address a sensitive subject. Dermadoctor’s Ain’t Misbehavin Medicated Emergency Acne Spot Treatment has an overall clean and clear feel without being overtly clinical, and just uses a small script pad motif to reinforce efficacy. It’s a simple and straight-talking design and tone of voice, but one that remains friendly and reassuring.
  
The brands that continue to succeed in creating desire are the ones that hold deep understanding of the attitudes, aspirations, emotions and behaviors of this group. It’s about being real and authentic, taking ownership of the brand and the audience it is trying to attract; de-cluttering design and remembering that these girls buy into style and substance just as much as the next woman.

About the Author
Jonathan Ford is creative partner of Pearlfisher, a future-focused design
consultancy in New York and London. [email protected].