The Foundation Report: What Beauty Enthusiasts Want in Their Base Makeup
Let’s take a look at what our Beauty Buddies have to say on the subject.
Foundation is one of the most essential components of any beauty routine. As the base of makeup application, it plays a crucial role in creating a smooth, even complexion and enhancing the overall look. Whether it's for everyday wear or special occasions, beauty enthusiasts invest significant time and effort in finding the perfect foundation that suits their skin type, tone, and personal preferences. With the ever-expanding market of formulas, shades, and finishes, understanding consumer behaviours around foundation selection and usage is key for beauty brands to stay ahead.
At Beauty Buddy, we recently conducted an in-house survey to uncover what consumers look for in foundation, their buying behaviours, and application preferences. With 204 responses, our data reveals valuable insights into how beauty enthusiasts choose and use their base makeup products.
Liquid Foundations Reign Supreme
An overwhelming 78% of consumers prefer liquid foundations, making it the most sought-after formula. Brands should continue to innovate in this category, ensuring that their liquid foundations cater to diverse skin types, finishes, and coverage needs. While powder, cream, and stick formulations have niche audiences, liquid formulas remain the gold standard.
Meanwhile, other formulations like powder (6%), tinted moisturiser (6%), cream (5%), stick (2%), and cushion (2%) cater to smaller niche audiences.
Choosing the Right Shade: A Challenge or a Science?
Finding the perfect shade is a struggle for many consumers, with 35% citing it as their biggest challenge. Additionally, 41% prioritise shade matching when purchasing a foundation. Brands should focus on expanding their shade ranges and investing in advanced shade-matching tools such as AI-driven finders and virtual try-ons to improve customer confidence in their purchases.
Challenges
The biggest foundation struggle for consumers is finding the right shade (35%), followed by preventing cakiness (28%) and getting it to last all day (20%). Other challenges include avoiding oxidation (10%), blending seamlessly (4%), and matching undertones (3%).
Top Purchasing Factors
When we asked consumers about the most important factor when buying foundation, 41% prioritised shade match, making it the top concern. Longevity/wear time (33%) followed closely, highlighting the demand for products that last all day. While brand reputation (9%) and ingredients (9%) play a role, price (3%) and reviews from others (4%) were less influential in purchasing decisions.
The Rise of Natural and Medium Coverage
Consumers are gravitating toward a more natural look, with 33% favouring a natural finish and 30% preferring medium coverage. Additionally, 29% seek buildable coverage, indicating a demand for versatile products that allow users to customize their coverage based on the occasion. Beauty brands should market their products’ flexibility and adaptability to meet these preferences.
Go-to finish
The most popular foundation finish among consumers is natural (33%), reflecting a preference for a skin-like appearance. Dewy (21%) and matte (20%) finishes follow closely, while satin (16%), radiant (9%), and velvet (1%) have smaller but dedicated audiences.
Coverage level
Most Beauty Buddies prefer medium coverage (30%), followed closely by buildable coverage (29%), highlighting a demand for versatility. Full (14%) and light coverage (14%) have equal appeal, while adjustable coverage (10%) offers flexibility for different occasions. Sheer coverage (2%) is the least favoured option.
Longevity and Hydration Are Top Concerns
The top concern for Beauty Buddies when choosing a foundation is long-wear performance (54%), followed by hydration/moisturising properties (49%) and transfer-proof/smudge-proof formulas (38%).
Other important factors include non-comedogenic properties (36%), SPF protection (29%), and oil control (23%), reflecting a strong preference for foundations that offer lasting wear while maintaining skin health.
Tools of the Trade: How Consumers Apply Foundation
Application methods vary, but the most preferred tools are makeup brushes (32%) and beauty sponges (29%). Brands should consider creating high-quality complementary applicators or tutorials showcasing the best ways to apply their foundations for a flawless finish.
A brush and sponge combination (23%) is also a preferred technique, while fingers (15%) are less common. Applying foundation directly from the applicator (1%) is the least used method.
Price Sensitivity and Shopping Preferences
Most consumers (49%) spend between £21-£40 on foundation, while 24% opt for products priced between £10-£20. Additionally, 47% purchase from beauty retailers like Sephora, indicating that high-end and mid-range brands continue to dominate. Brands should balance affordability with quality to appeal to budget-conscious consumers while maintaining a luxury feel.
How much do Beauty Buddies typically spend on a foundation?
Where do they usually buy their foundation?
Are you keen to gather valuable feedback and insights directly from your target audience? Don't hesitate to reach out to us today to discuss the exciting possibilities of running targeted surveys. Let us help you achieve your goals!
We understand the importance of knowing your target audience. Do you make assumptions about your consumers, their preferences, opinions and needs? Understanding your consumers is key to ensuring your business decisions are well-informed and effective.
AT PXBB we run targeted survey campaigns, through Beauty Buddy the app, for our clients. Surveys provide answers, generate fresh data and insights, they substantiate assumptions and also help identify new trends.
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