Featuring: Ann
Summary
Ann embraces a Clean Girl make-up aesthetic, particularly for the office, with a routine built almost entirely around Irish cosmetics brand Sculpted by Aimee. From moisturiser and primer to foundation, concealer and liquid blush, she favours a consistent collection of products, with Makeup by Mario contour providing the main exception. While she prefers shopping online, she still visits stores for shade matching. Her dream product innovation is a wider selection of miniature make-up products, allowing her to carry her favourite cosmetics in a more compact, travel-friendly bag.
Meet Ann: The Clean Girl Aesthetic
Ann describes her everyday make-up style as probably Clean Girl, particularly when getting ready for work.
Her approach centres on a consistent routine using products she knows and trusts rather than frequently switching between different brands.
For Ann, make-up needs to fit comfortably into her working day while remaining practical and easy to manage.
Pull quote: “Probably Clean Girl, especially if I’m in the office.”
A Routine Built Around Sculpted by Aimee
Ann’s make-up collection is dominated by Sculpted by Aimee, the Irish cosmetics brand.
She uses several products from the range, creating a routine that combines skincare preparation with complexion coverage and colour.
Her everyday routine includes:
- Sculpted by Aimee CloudCream Moisturiser – to prepare and hydrate the skin
- Sculpted by Aimee Primer – as the next step in her complexion routine
- Sculpted by Aimee Compact Foundation – for foundation coverage
- Sculpted by Aimee Concealer – for additional complexion coverage
- Sculpted by Aimee Liquid Blush – to add colour
- Makeup by Mario Contour – the main product she uses from another brand
Her preference for using multiple products from one brand highlights the appeal of a coordinated cosmetics range.
Pull quote: “It’s fully Sculpted by Aimee, which is an Irish brand.”
Brand Loyalty Shapes Her Make-Up Routine
Unlike consumers who regularly experiment with products from numerous brands, Ann has developed a strong preference for Sculpted by Aimee.
Her moisturiser, primer, foundation, concealer and blush all come from the same brand.
The only product she specifically mentions swapping out is her contour, which comes from Makeup by Mario.
Her routine illustrates how a brand offering products across several categories can become central to a consumer’s everyday make-up habits.
For cosmetics manufacturers, this highlights the potential value of developing complementary products that encourage customers to build a complete routine within one brand.
Moving Away From Make-Up Tutorials
Ann previously watched make-up tutorials when she was younger but no longer relies on them to guide her routine.
She occasionally watches TikTok videos when a particular make-up trend catches her attention.
However, she no longer regularly follows YouTube make-up tutorials and has never used virtual try-on technology.
Pull quote: “Maybe the odd TikTok if there’s something trending, but I don’t YouTube make-up tutorials anymore.”
Her experience suggests that as consumers become more familiar with their preferred products and techniques, they may rely less on detailed instructional content.
Shopping Habits: Online Convenience with In-Store Shade Matching
Ann usually purchases her cosmetics through shopping apps.
Online retail is her preferred channel for products she already knows and uses regularly.
However, when she needs to purchase a new shade or try something unfamiliar, she prefers visiting a physical store.
This allows her to assess the colour before buying.
Her approach combines the convenience of digital shopping with the reassurance of in-person product testing.
For brands and retailers, it highlights the importance of maintaining both accessible online purchasing and physical shade-matching opportunities.
What She Wants From Make-Up
Ann’s dream product innovation is a wider range of miniature cosmetics, particularly for products that are not necessarily a brand’s bestsellers.
She explains that brands often offer travel-sized versions of their most popular products but provide fewer miniature options across the rest of their ranges.
For Ann, this creates a practical problem when trying to carry her everyday make-up in a smaller bag.
Her ideal offering would include:
- Miniature versions of a wider selection of cosmetics
- Travel-sized products beyond the bestselling ranges
- Compact versions of her regular make-up essentials
- Packaging suitable for smaller make-up bags
- Convenient formats for everyday use while travelling or commuting
Pull quote: “Most companies have minis of their most popular products, but I’d prefer minis of specific things I use.”
For Ann, the opportunity is not necessarily a new formulation but a more convenient format for products she already loves.
The Opportunity for Miniature Make-Up Beyond Bestsellers
Ann’s preferences highlight an opportunity for cosmetics brands to rethink how they approach miniature product ranges.
Travel-sized cosmetics are often positioned around discovery, gifting or bestselling products.
However, Ann wants miniatures that support an established routine rather than encourage her to try something different.
Her comments suggest that consumers may value smaller versions of everyday essentials, including products that receive less attention within a brand’s miniature assortment.
For manufacturers and retailers, expanding mini formats could support:
- Greater convenience for consumers on the move
- More compact everyday make-up routines
- Additional purchasing opportunities within existing product ranges
- Stronger loyalty among consumers who already have established favourites
- Broader access to travel-sized versions of specialist or less popular products
Ann’s ideal make-up bag is not filled with new products. It contains the cosmetics she already uses, simply in smaller, more practical packaging.
Key Takeaways for NPD Teams
- Clean Girl make-up remains relevant for consumers seeking practical, polished everyday routines suitable for the workplace.
- Strong brand loyalty can develop when a cosmetics company offers complementary products across multiple categories.
- Consumers with established routines may rely less on make-up tutorials, using social media primarily for occasional trend inspiration.
- Online shopping is convenient for repeat purchases, while physical stores remain important for unfamiliar shades.
- Miniature cosmetics represent an opportunity beyond bestselling products, particularly for consumers who want smaller versions of their regular essentials.
- Expanding travel-sized assortments could help brands meet demand for compact, convenient make-up routines.
