Featuring: Bonnie
Summary
Bonnie takes a simple, affordable approach to everyday make-up, relying on Essence concealer and Maybelline Sky High Mascara for her regular routine. For parties and special occasions, she experiments with a cuter aesthetic, incorporating eyeliner and pink eyeshadow. While she occasionally turns to online tutorials for help with techniques, she prefers shopping in-store and would love to see a more effective freckle pen that recreates her natural freckles during the winter months.
Meet Bonnie: A Cute, Playful Approach to Make-Up
Bonnie describes her everyday make-up routine as relatively simple, with just a few products forming the basis of her look.
Although she doesn’t feel that any particular make-up aesthetic fully describes her personal style, she enjoys experimenting with a cute, playful look when attending parties or special occasions.
For Bonnie, make-up is something she can adapt depending on where she is going rather than a fixed routine.
Pull quote: “If I’m going to a party or something, I’ll go for more of a cuter look.”
An Everyday Routine Built Around Affordable Essentials
Bonnie’s daily make-up routine focuses on two products: concealer and mascara.
She uses Essence concealer, choosing whichever option is most affordable rather than seeking out a particular premium formula.
For her lashes, she uses Maybelline Sky High Mascara.
Her everyday essentials include:
- Essence Concealer – for everyday complexion coverage
- Maybelline Sky High Mascara – for lash definition
Her approach demonstrates how affordable cosmetics can form the foundation of an everyday routine without requiring an extensive collection of products.
Pull quote: “I use Essence concealer, just whichever one is cheapest, honestly.”
Pink Eyeshadow and Eyeliner for Special Occasions
When Bonnie is getting ready for a party, she enjoys creating a more playful make-up look.
She experiments with eyeliner and pink eyeshadow to achieve a softer, cuter aesthetic.
Rather than following a specific trend, Bonnie chooses products and colours that suit the occasion.
Her preferences highlight how consumers may move between minimal everyday make-up and more expressive looks without identifying with one particular aesthetic.
Tutorials Help with Difficult Techniques
Bonnie occasionally uses online make-up tutorials, particularly when learning how to apply eyeliner.
She admits that eyeliner can be difficult to master and has searched for tutorials to improve her technique.
Pull quote: “I’ve looked up eyeliner tutorials because they’re really hard.”
However, virtual try-on technology does not appear to play a role in her make-up routine.
When asked whether she uses virtual try-on apps, Bonnie simply says no.
Her experience suggests that practical tutorials may be more useful to some consumers than digital product simulation.
Shopping Habits: Convenient In-Store Purchases
Bonnie primarily purchases make-up in-store, often visiting retailers when she happens to be passing.
She mentions Sephora and Boots as places where she will stop to purchase the products she needs.
Rather than describing an extensive research or discovery process, Bonnie takes a convenient, needs-based approach to shopping.
Her habits highlight the continuing importance of accessible physical retail for everyday cosmetics purchases.
What She Wants From Make-Up
Bonnie’s dream product is a freckle pen that can accurately recreate the appearance of her natural freckles.
She explains that her freckles become less visible during the winter, and she would like a product that allows her to maintain their appearance throughout the year.
However, she has been disappointed by existing freckle pens, particularly their performance and limited colour options.
Her ideal product would:
- Recreate the appearance of natural freckles
- Offer more realistic freckle shades
- Provide colours suited to different complexions
- Deliver reliable application and visible results
- Help maintain a freckled look throughout the year
Pull quote: “I really like my freckles, and they kind of go away in the winter.”
For Bonnie, the appeal is not about creating an entirely new feature but enhancing something she already likes about her appearance.
The Opportunity for Better Freckle Cosmetics
Bonnie’s preferences highlight a potential opportunity within the colour cosmetics market for more effective freckle-enhancing products.
While freckle pens are already available, her experience suggests that existing formulations do not always deliver the colours or results consumers want.
For brands, the opportunity lies in developing products that create a more convincing natural appearance through improved shade selection and application performance.
Her comments also reflect a wider interest in make-up that enhances individual features rather than concealing them.
For Bonnie, the perfect product would celebrate her natural freckles and allow her to enjoy their appearance even when they become less visible during winter.
Key Takeaways for NPD
- Affordable make-up remains central to everyday routines, with consumers such as Bonnie prioritising price when selecting essential products.
- Consumers may adopt different make-up aesthetics depending on the occasion rather than identifying with one particular trend.
- Online tutorials remain useful for learning practical techniques such as eyeliner application.
- Physical retail continues to appeal to consumers making convenient, needs-based cosmetics purchases.
- Existing freckle pens may not fully meet consumer expectations around realistic colour and performance.
- Products that enhance natural features offer opportunities for innovation within the colour cosmetics category.
