Women's use of cosmetics: psychosocial correlates and consequences

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Abstract
Few systematic studies have examined individual differences in women''s use of facial make-up or the possible psychosocial effects of such use. Several measures of the amount and the situational and temporal patterning of cosmetics use were developed. Among 42 female college students, differential use was associated with a number of selected personality variables: public self-consciousness, public body-consciousness, social anxiety and various body-image factors. Through the imagery-induction of cosmetics use and non-use conditions, cosmetics users'' self-evaluative responses were studied. In a variety of imagined situations, subjects reported being more self-confident and sociable when wearing, as opposed to not wearing, their customary cosmetics. Findings were discussed in the context of the role of cosmetics in self-image enhancement and social impression management.

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