For this eighth edition, beyond the index of desirability [1] of premium makeup brands, Promise Consulting Inc. also measured brands’ awareness. The study was conducted from 19 to 23 April 2013 on a nationally representative sample of 1,012 people aged 18 and over.

Chanel (57%), Dior (49%) and Yves Saint Laurent (11%) are the three leading brands.

Aspirational Index: Haute couture houses "make up” the face of French women
Brands are ranked in decreasing order, based on the difference between positive answers (7-6%) and negative answers (1-2%) order. Thus the desirability score for Chanel is 57% (60%-03%).

Haute couture houses lead the way

With a score of 57%, Chanel overcomes all competitors in this study. “If this legendary brand knows how to rock the heart of French women, it is due to its DNA, which is the epitome of French luxury and elegance but also to more than a century-long history. More than a brand, Chanel is part of the national cultural heritage,” says Promise Consulting Inc. in a release. Furthermore, the brand has made relevant strategic and marketing choices, whether regarding its faces or regarding new product developments inspired from the most glamorous moments of the movie industry.

With a score of 49%, Dior is on Chanel’s heels. The flagship brand of the LVMH group, which will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2016, also capitalizes on its history. This spring, the brand has chosen to pay tribute to pink, one of the favorite colours of designer Christian Dior. Dior is also putting great emphasis on innovation in particular with the "Lip Glow Dior Addict Dior Chérie Bow Edition," a gloss that reacts to the moisture rate in lips; a highly relevant R&D axis since hydration is one of women’s main cosmetic concerns.

Yves Saint Laurent Beauty (42%) ranks third. As a part of the L’Oréal group since 2008, the brand has developed "a powerful and consistent marketing strategy that is carefully implemented over time."

Perfumers follow

With a score of 41%, Lancôme ranks fourth. The brand, owned by L’Oreal since almost 50 years, now wants to create a relationship with its customers, in particular through the use of its website and YouTube page. The brand with the famous rose thus offers a page devoted to makeup tutorials, a kind of tribute to the "do it yourself" trend that drives the blogosphere.

Then Guerlain comes next (39%). The brand of the LVMH group offers real bestsellers such as the "Terracotta" powder, the "rouge G" for the lips, the "Météorites" pearly or compact powder, or the "kohl" pencil for the eyes…

Skin care makers played their cards right

"While haute couture cosmetic brands allow French women to get access to their share of the luxury world, a number of women want to associate skincare and beauty during a cosmetic purchase," says Promise Consulting Inc.

Thus, Clarins (40%) ranks 5th in the study and Clinique (25%), ranks seventh.

A promising niche for "pure players"

Makeup specialist brands, aiming at more expert customers, achieve lower scores in this study. For instance, Make Up For Ever (5%) only ranks in the 10th position, with the lowest brand awareness level (77%).

According Promise Consulting Inc., "Make Up For Ever is nonetheless a cosmetic company with a high growth potential.” Acquired by LVMH in 1999, this makeup pure player, which was originally dedicated to the entertainment worlds, now addresses the general public through the notoriety of its Artistic Director, Dany Sanz, a reference in the makeup microcosm.

"In addition to luxury brands that draw their legitimacy from their image in the ready-to-wear fashion and perfume businesses, as well as in the high quality of their products, skin care brands are betting on the clear synergy with their proven expertise in the field of hydration, in anti-aging and in the correction of the skin’s imperfections. Eventually, professional makeup brands have been able to stand out thanks to the personality of their creators or art directors and an unconventional and uninhibited conception of makeup," concludes Prof. Philippe Jourdan, founding partner of Promise Consulting Inc. and Panel On the Web.