LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

Latinas and Relationships with Makeup Brands

Felicia Garcia
Texas Tech University

LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

Introduction
A picture is worth a thousand words, but a face can say what words
cannot. External adornment, such as the use of makeup, has been significant in
conveying a state, situation, social class, or status, to place the individual in a
gender category, to enhance role performance, and to enhance beauty (Bloch
& Richins, 1992; Rubinstein, 1985). Its been found that makeup use is intended
to affect others perceptions of the person wearing makeup (Cash, 1987; Cox &
Glick, 1986); makeup is an outward, physical statement. While women may wear
makeup to make a physical statement such as appearing attractive to romantic
partners, conforming with social norms, etc., makeup use can also be a personal
practice that goes beyond the skins surface and serve as an expression of self
(Fabricant & Gould, 1993).
The Hispanic population is easily one of the fastest-growing populations
in the United States. According to the U.S. Census, the Hispanic population had
one of its largest increases in 2000, as almost 38% more people than in 1990
identified themselves as Hispanic. Marketers are quickly learning just how
relevant and influential this demographic is becoming to media practices.
Hispanic women, specifically, also referred to as Latinas women living in the
United States with a Spanish-Speaking heritage from either the Caribbean or
Latin American countries are often stereotyped as having long dark hair,

LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

curvaceous hips and breasts, excessive jewelry, bright clothes, and red-colored
lips (Guzman & Valdivia, 2004). Outward, physical statements, therefore, are
presumed to be important to Latina women.
Research has explored consumer-brand relationships (Fournier, 1998); it
has explored women and their makeup careers, which refers to a holistic
approach to explore the experiences and relationships that women have with
makeup over a life span (Fabricant & Gould, 1993). Research has also examined
Hispanic consumer behavior (Guzman & Valdivia, 2004; Fulgoni & Lella, 2014;
Chattaraman et al., 2009), but little research, if any, has specifically investigated
consumer-brand relationships in the context of makeup careers and how they
vary within the Latina culture, specifically. This study will consider Latina women
and ask the following questions:
RQ1 -- How do consumer-product relationships with makeup brands vary
at different stages of the life course?
RQ2 What contributes to these variances more, age or life project?
Belk, in his 1988 research and classification of possessions as part of the
extended self, finds that emphasis on material possessions decreases with age.
Considering this finding, two hypotheses are developed.
H1: Younger Latina women will have stronger consumer-brand
relationships than older generations.

LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

H2: Individual life projects, more than age, will contribute to varying
consumer-brand relationships among Latina women.
Literature Review
Consumer research largely implies that consumer behavior goes well
beyond the mere purchasing and use of products. Belk, specifically, examines
the relationship between possessions and how they can act as and contribute to
parts of self (1988). Ahuvia (2005), reasons that possessions, specifically love
objects, can help to solve identity conflicts, and Fournier, takes the consumerproduct relationship further and suggests that a brand, if it serves the consumer
and provides meaning, can act as a valid relationship partner (1998).
Possessions, Belk argues, contribute to the broader existence as human
beings and can act as an extension of self. However, he does not think that a
single possession or brand can represent ones entire self; instead, only a
complete ensemble of consumption can represent all aspects of the self
(p.124). He does, however, mention collections of items as a prevalent way to
extend, expand, and strengthen sense of self (Ahuvia, 2005).
Belk chooses not to strictly identify self as a strict, concrete term, but
instead defines self as a subjective term that changes between people and over
time. If sense of self changes over time as Belk suggests, then possessions also
contribute to the development of self (p. 141). Identity formation is a narrative.

LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

Ahuvia, writes almost 20 years after Belks article, of the development of
self as a narrative story where moments and experiences are strung together to
form a story (2005). This narrative of self can also be more complicated as
people are becoming saturated with so many different choices that its difficult
to distinguish a true self. This can make representing self to others a hot topic
for consumer research. Makeup, as was discussed earlier, contributes to the
representation of self. Considering Belks perspective, makeup as a possession
can be an extension of self and contribute to identity formation (1988).
Ahuvia, although he does not necessarily agree with a core vs. extended
self, introduces the idea that some possessions are loved: love objects. Love
objects can play into the identity narrative as objects that express the self and
transform the self into a new desired form, but also as representations or
symbols of memories and relationships that contribute to the life narrative.
Furthermore, considering the narrative construct, love objects can help to
resolve identity conflicts.
In his research, Ahuvia conceptualized three strategies for the resolution
of identity conflicts: demarcating, compromising, and synthesizing solutions. If a
person is struggling between two identities and chooses to reject one, then a
consumer is demarcating a solution. If a person tries to create an identity from
both, he/she is compromising, but if a person chooses a solution that involves

LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

both identities in a more favorable way than a compromise or chooses to form a
new identity entirely, he/she is synthesizing a solution to resolve conflict.
Fourniers in-depth case studies of three women and their consumerbrand relationships, led to the formation of a Typology of Consumer-Brand
Relationship Forms, in which Fournier relates each brand relationship form to
people-to-people relationships (i.e., arranged marriages, flings, casual
friendships, etc.). This construction is used to classify each of the womens brand
relationships as discovered in in-depth interviews. Fournier, while she looked at
life projects as a whole, did not make very many specific observations or
conclusions about the role of age in consumer-brand relationships. Fabricant
and Goulds (1993) research on makeup careers does look at age as a factor that
is closely related to the trajectory of makeup use. The research argues that
makeup is directly tied to identity construction and reflection but does not look
at specific makeup brands, nor does their research account for cultural
differences. The following research will serve as a bridge between Fourniers
research on consumer-brand relationships and Fabricant and Goulds research
on makeup careers; however, this specific approach will center on Latinas and
how relationships between consumers and makeup brands differ with age.

LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

Methodology
Following Fourniers lead, six Hispanic women were interviewed to
explore consumer-brand relationships with makeup in a such a way that the
subjective meanings of consumers lived experiences could be used to
determine validity of the consumer-brand relationship. The women were
selected based on their geographic location and age. All six women self-report
daily makeup use and live in the same border town in Texas. Three of the
women interviewed are in their twenties, and the other remaining three women
are in their forties. The women were purposely selected from these two age
groups in order to observe age as a factor for differences in consumer-brand
relationships. Additionally, culture was kept consistent among the participants,
both to specifically examine Latinas and to eliminate difference in culture as a
possible factor for differences in relationships with brands.
The interviews, due to geographical limitations, were held over the phone
or via Skype, but were conducted in a comfortable setting each of the women
were at their homes when we spoke over the phone or online. No two interview
protocols were the exact same, but each interview followed a basic set of
questions that served as a guide, and was structured to, at minimum, retrieve
information about each womans life narrative and makeup consumption
behaviors. Because the women already ranged in age, there were no questions

LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

about makeup careers over time, however, such information came up naturally
and will therefore be considered in the results, as well.
Participants
Claire is a twenty-two year old college student who is about to graduate
and move to New York City. She has been living away from home for the past
four years, but has remained close to her family and maintained a long-distance
relationship with her boyfriend. Kate is twenty-three years old and is about to
complete her first year of graduate school. She is the youngest of four children,
and still lives at home with her parents. She recently broke up with her serious
boyfriend of five years and is now in a casual, but exclusive relationship. The
oldest of the participants in their twenties is Veronica; she is twenty-five and has
just been accepted into a graduate program at a large public university. For 6
years, she has lived away from home in a large metropolitan city, but has spent
the past year back home working as a homeschool teacher while she applied to
different graduate programs. She is not currently in a relationship, but is casually
dating.
Rachel, is 42 years old wife and mother to three girls ranging in age from
5 to 13 years old. She works full time as a high school guidance counselor, but
considers her role as a wife and mother to be her most important job. She has
been married to her husband for 15 years. Carmen is 47 and a divorcee/single

LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

mother to two children a 22-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy. She works as
a 4th grade school teacher and is looking forward to retiring within the next 5
years. She reports that she does not plan to date until after her youngest has
graduated from high school. The final participant in her forties, Pam, is 49 and
works as an assistant principal for a middle school. She too is a single-mom and
has two grown sons. She casually dates, in pursuit of a life partner, but is content
with her independent lifestyle.
Results
The interviews were studied and each of the womens brand preferences
were coded and categorized into Fourniers Typology of Consumer-Brand
Relationship Forms (1998) as seen in Figure 1 below.
Relationship
Form

Definition

Case Examples

Arranged
marriages

Non-voluntary union imposed by preferences of

third party. Intended for long-term, exclusive
commitment, although low levels of affective
attachment.

Pam is prescribed, or recommended to use,

specific serums and creams for the treatment
of her acne scars.

Marriages of
convenience

Long-term, committed relationships precipitated

by environmental influence versus deliberate
choice, and governed by satisficing rules.

Rachels use of Walgreens makeup; Pams

use of Maybelline mascara; Kates use of
drugstore makeup; Claires use of Rimmel and
LOreal eyeliner and mascara; Carmens use of
Revlon products and Veronicas use of
drugstore products (except for eye shadow).

Committed
partnerships

Long-term, voluntarily imposed, socially

supported union high in love, intimacy, trust,
and a commitment to stay together despite
adverse circumstances. Adherence to exclusivity
rules expected.

Claires collection of Mac lipsticks and

Veronicas collection of Urban Decay eye
shadow palettes.

Best
Friendships

Voluntary union based on reciprocity principle,

the endurance of which is ensured through
continued provision of positive rewards.
Characterized by revelation of true self, honesty,
and intimacy. Congruity in partner images and
personal interests common.

Claires use of Mac foundation; Pams use of

Mary Kay makeup remover; Carmens use of
Mac pressed powder.

LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

Kinships

Non-voluntary union with lineage ties.

Rachels commitment to Este Lauder because

her mother uses it and because it has proven
to be a quality brand. Kates commitment to
not spend a lot of money on makeup
products.

Flings

Short-term, time-bounded engagements of high

emotional reward, but devoid of commitment
and reciprocity demands.

Kates use of Babylips lipstick on occasion

when she goes out with friends.

Figure 1

Convenience
All six participants reported using at least one drugstore makeup
product, that each could name by brand, for the sake of convenience.
Convenience, however, was always paired with at least one additional
motivation: price, consistency/quality, physical insecurity, or any combination of
the above.
Rachel uses Walgreens makeup, which she quickly clarified as Cover
Girl powder to cover the large pores. Rachel particularly feels that makeup is a
chore and that it is a necessary evil to make [her] look alive and she wont
splurge on something she has to consistently buy. Pam, who struggled with acne
as a young woman and is left with facial scarring, feels similar to Rachel, in that
she refuses to spend money on a product that will only draw attention to her
facial flaws. Twenty-three-year-old Kate also expressed a lot of insecurity with
her acne, discussing how tedious and dreadful the cover-up process is for
her, but revealed that she refuses to go a single day without applying her Cover
Girl foundation, even when she is home and around only her family. I would

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LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

have predicted that insecurities would lead to higher spending on quality
products, but it seems that the participants would prefer to forget about their
insecurities more so than invest time, money, and effort into fixing or hiding
them.
On the other hand, Claire takes special care to do her makeup every day
and enjoys the process; she says, Makeup has become a hobby for me. Claire
will often splurge on products, especially lip products and concealer/foundation,
but she will purchase drugstore eyeliner and mascara. While Claire does pay
special attention to her eyes (she particularly enjoys a winged tip), she justifies
her preference for drugstore eye makeup by noting that it works as good as
any other fancy product Ive seen. Carmen, indifferent about the makeup
application process, also purchases drugstore eye makeup and finds that it
works just fine, but Veronica, contrary to Carmen and Claire, prefers not to use
drugstore eye makeup, however she will purchase drugstore
foundation/concealer and lipstick.
Favorable Brands
Every participant explicitly identified at least one favorable makeup
brand. Kate expressed that she does not particularly enjoy wearing makeup, but
she does say that she enjoys the attention she receives when she wears color on
her lips; she says color on the lips helps [her] to stand out on the occasional

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LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

night out with friends and names Babylips as her current preferred lip product
brand. Kate was not the only woman to associate a positive physical feature with
a favorable attitude towards a brand, in fact, every single woman did. Pam may
use a drugstore product, but she says that the Maybelline mascara, you know
the pink one with the green, thats my favorite because it works really well on my
lashes and always has. Pam likes the product for the consistent quality, but
specifically states that she enjoys what it does to her lashes. It enhances a
feature that she is happy to draw attention to, unlike the scarring on her face.
Similarly, Carmen expresses enjoying and preferring Mac pressed powder
because of how it accentuates her clear complexion. She says, my skin is ok
right now and so I dont mind spending a little bit of money on the powderit
makes me look clean and fresh but not cakey. Im grateful that my skin has a
smooth surface. Rachels commitment to Estee Lauder, the one non drugstore
brand that she uses, is closely tied to her mother. She notes that her mother is
committed to Estee Lauder products and so she finds herself making small
purchases such as eye shadow for occasional date nights or special events at
work where she feels she should step it up a notch and play with a good
feature.
Collections

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LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

Claire and Veronica also expressed favorable brand attitudes when it
comes to highlighting or enhancing positive physical features; however, Claire
and Veronica take it a level further and treat their respective favorite brands as
love objects that they collect. It was mentioned earlier that Veronica does not
purchase drugstore eye makeup, this is because she saves money and treats
[herself] to Urban Decays eye shadow palette. Veronica will purchase every
palette that is released on the day that it is released. She makes an event out of
it and will call her cousin to talk about the colors and the shades and all the
exciting ways [they] can play with it. Playing with eye makeup, Veronica
explains, is the most fun part of her me time; she finds that she can do a lot of
different things with her eyes and is often complimented on the end result.
Claires relationship with Mac lipsticks is very similar to Veronicas
relationship with Urban Decay palettes. Claire admits that she will treat herself to
a lipstick as a reward for hard work or good grades. Claire will also save her
empty tubes and return five at a time back to the store to receive a new free
lipstick. Claire is motivated to wear lipstick because she has big lips that [shes]
just now embracing. She recognizes her lips as a feature that not many women
have and as such has begun to direct attention to that part of her face. She
describes her experiences with lipstick as a way to make a statement. She enjoys
going out with friends and getting to play with different colors, bold colors at

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LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

night and neutral tones during the day. Additionally, she laughingly admits that
she has to kiss her boyfriend before applying Mac because it lasts so long and
Ive stained his face before. Each time she puts lipstick on, she chuckles at the
thought of it ending up on her boyfriends face. Now that her and her boyfriend
live in separate cities, she finds herself wearing makeup more often because
there is a far lesser chance that she will ruin lipstick will be ruined.
Discussion
Though not for everyone, Fourniers idea of the brand as a relationship
partner was found to be true for Claire and Veronica, who both indicated deeper
connections with their product usage and brand preference than the other
women. For these two, makeup products as well as specific brands are love
objects that both represent experiences, relationships with people, and a
preferred way to positively represent (and enhance) a sense of self. For the other
women, makeup use plays a large role into identity many expressed not
feeling their complete selves without it however, specific brands did not
particularly contribute to whether the specific products were considered love
objects or not. Furthermore, the degree to which the products were favored, or
not, varied among the participants and among the products. Perhaps, Belks
concept of core vs. extended self and assumption that there are varying degrees
of self is most appropriate for relationships with makeup products and brands

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makeup was largely important to some women and not to others, and some
products/brands were largely important to the women and others not so much.
The hypotheses were neither entirely supported nor entirely rejected. The
two women with the strongest consumer-brand relationships did happen to be a
part of the younger group, however, the remaining young woman, Kate, showed
fairly weak relationships with brands. It appears that differences in life projects
contribute more to consumer-brand relationships than do age. Its also
important to note that culture specific themes, such as the stereotype that all
Latina women wear red lipstick, did not appear to be a major theme only one
of the women interviewed reported wearing red lipstick. Makeup, whether
considered a love object or not, proved to be a large part of each of the
womens daily lives. Consumer-brand relationships for Latinas, therefore, can be
argued to be an important factor, large or small, when it comes to forming a
complete sense of self.
Limitations and Implications for Future Research
As with any qualitative study, this research was not intended to make any
broad generalizations. However, in order to get a better idea of makeup brand
relationships and the Latina culture as a whole, a further study might include
more than one geographic location and more than two different age groups. A
quantitative survey in conjunction with in-depth interviews may also provide

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more generalizable findings, as well as a comparative analysis of two different
cultures.
Five of the six women interviewed, mentioned either emulating some
part of their mothers makeup style or adopting some part of their mothers
consumption habits. This information was not probed, nor did it appear to be
voluntary behavior. Perhaps taking after mom in the Latina culture is more
inevitable than it is intentional. Further research may find it suitable to explore
the role of mothers and their effect on makeup consumption behaviors for
Latinas.

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LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

References
Ahuvia, A. C. (2005). Beyond the Extended Self: Loved Objects and Consumers'
Identity Narratives. Journal Of Consumer Research, 32(1), 171-184.
Belk, R. W. (1988). Possessions and the Extended Self. Journal Of Consumer
Research, 15(2), 139-168.
Bloch, P. H., & Richins, M. L. (1992). You look 'mahvelous': The pursuit of beauty
and
the marketing concept. Psychology and Marketing, 9, 3-16.
Cash, T. F. (1987). The psychology of cosmetics: A review of the scientific
literature.
Social and Behavioral Science Documents, 17, 1-62.
Chattaraman, V., Rudd, N. A., & Lennon, S. J. (2010). The malleable bicultural
consumer: effects of cultural contexts on aesthetic judgments. Journal Of
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Cox, C. L., & Glick, W. H. (1986). Resume evaluations and cosmetics use. Sex
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51-58.
Fabricant, S., & Gould, S. (1993). Women's makeup careers: An interpretive
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color cosmetic use and Face Value. Psychology and Marketing, 10(6),
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Fournier, S. (1998). Consumers and Their Brands: Developing Relationship
Theory
in Consumer Research. Journal Of Consumer Research, 24(4), 343-373.
Fulgoni, G., & Lella, A. (2014). Is Your Digital Marketing Strategy In Sync with
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Guzmn, I. M., & Valdivia, A. N. (2004). Brain, Brow, and Booty: Latina Iconicity
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Rubinstein, R. P. (1985). Color, circumcision, tattoos, and scars. In M. R. Solomon
(Ed.), The psychology of fashion (pp. 243-254). Lexington, MA: Lexington
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U.S. Census 2003. Population Estimates Reports. U.S. Census Bureau.
http://factfinder. census.gov

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LATINAS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAKEUP BRANDS

Appendix
Interview Questions Guide
1. What is your day-to-day lifestyle like?
2. How old are you?
3. What is your occupation?
4. What or who is most important to you in life?
5. What is your style like? Clothing and music, etc.
6. How often do you wear makeup?
7. Why do you wear makeup?
8. How do you feel when youre not wearing makeup?
9. Do you enjoy the process of applying makeup?
10. How often do you switch makeup brands?
11. Show me your makeup bag what do you use most often and why?
12. What is your favorite makeup product and why?
13. How long have you been wearing makeup?
14. How important is your appearance to you?
15. When do you wear the most makeup? When do you wear the least?
16. Do you tell people about your makeup?
17. How long does it take to apply makeup?
18. What are your overall feelings about makeup the process, the products
and brands you use, and the way it makes you feel?

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