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Product Reviews: Methodology
Tester
The programme selected 100 women to test cosmetic products. These women were chosen to represent a wide range of ages, skin types, ethnic backgrounds and consumer types.
Production selection
The four products being tested were chosen in three categories:
1) Expensive
2) Cheap
3) Best Sellers
The programme selected 100 women to test cosmetic products. These women were chosen to represent a wide range of ages, skin types, ethnic backgrounds and consumer types.
Production selection
The four products being tested were chosen in three categories:
1) Expensive
2) Cheap
3) Best Sellers
Expensive product selection
The expensive products were chosen based on research carried out with four top end retailers: Harrods, Space NK, Harvey Nicholls and House of Fraser. The task was to find a popular product in the top end price bracket which was a non shop brand product.
Cheap product selection
The cheap products were selected through research with supermarkets and high street retailers which represent the budget end of the market. These were Superdrug, Boots, Tesco and Sainsbury. The task was to find a popular product in the budget price bracket, which was a non-shop brand product.
'Best selling' product selection
A best seller is a product which is bought more often than any other product. The two best sellers in each category were selected through extensive research with eight leading cosmetics retailers. The eight retailers were:
• John Lewis
• Debenhams
• House of Fraser
• Harvey Nichols
• Superdrug
• Boots
• Sainsbury
• Tesco
The expensive products were chosen based on research carried out with four top end retailers: Harrods, Space NK, Harvey Nicholls and House of Fraser. The task was to find a popular product in the top end price bracket which was a non shop brand product.
Cheap product selection
The cheap products were selected through research with supermarkets and high street retailers which represent the budget end of the market. These were Superdrug, Boots, Tesco and Sainsbury. The task was to find a popular product in the budget price bracket, which was a non-shop brand product.
'Best selling' product selection
A best seller is a product which is bought more often than any other product. The two best sellers in each category were selected through extensive research with eight leading cosmetics retailers. The eight retailers were:
• John Lewis
• Debenhams
• House of Fraser
• Harvey Nichols
• Superdrug
• Boots
• Sainsbury
• Tesco
We deliberately chose four "higher end" and four high street / budget retailers, to ensure a wide spectrum of products were included in the final selection of cosmetics for testing.
Once the results for the best selling products had been gathered, a frequency table was drawn up. The final products for testing were selected based on how often they appeared as best sellers in each retailer.
Fairness to brands
Sometimes products got equal ratings, i.e. they appeared the same number of times as other products. Where there was a choice to be made, we made sure the same brands were not featured all the time throughout the series, to the exclusion of other brands.
The Test
The products were then sourced from the manufacturers and shops. The products were decanted into unmarked packaging to ensure that the testers could not be influenced by any pre-existing brand loyalty and then sent out to one hundred women by post. All products were sent out with instruction documents that included all the information contained on the original packaging or accompanying leaflets. (This included instructions for use, ingredients and any warnings.)
The testers used the products for the minimum timeframe recommended by the companies and then answered a questionnaire in order to evaluate their experience of each product. These questionnaires were designed with the guidance of an independent cosmetics testing company (Euroderm Research Ltd – website: www.eurodermresearch.com).
The Questionnaire and Results
The questionnaires consisted of questions that related to the efficacy, texture, colour and fragrance of the product. It also asked the testers if they would buy this product.
Products Tested
The products tested were:
• Anti cellulite
• Bust firming
• Stretch marks
• Eye wrinkles
• Moisturiser with fake tan
• Micro-dermabrasion creams
• Dark circle under eye remover cream
• Anti-aging day moisturiser
Please note: all product prices quoted were RRP at the time of consumer test trial. RRP at time of transmission may have changed.
Once the results for the best selling products had been gathered, a frequency table was drawn up. The final products for testing were selected based on how often they appeared as best sellers in each retailer.
Fairness to brands
Sometimes products got equal ratings, i.e. they appeared the same number of times as other products. Where there was a choice to be made, we made sure the same brands were not featured all the time throughout the series, to the exclusion of other brands.
The Test
The products were then sourced from the manufacturers and shops. The products were decanted into unmarked packaging to ensure that the testers could not be influenced by any pre-existing brand loyalty and then sent out to one hundred women by post. All products were sent out with instruction documents that included all the information contained on the original packaging or accompanying leaflets. (This included instructions for use, ingredients and any warnings.)
The testers used the products for the minimum timeframe recommended by the companies and then answered a questionnaire in order to evaluate their experience of each product. These questionnaires were designed with the guidance of an independent cosmetics testing company (Euroderm Research Ltd – website: www.eurodermresearch.com).
The Questionnaire and Results
The questionnaires consisted of questions that related to the efficacy, texture, colour and fragrance of the product. It also asked the testers if they would buy this product.
Products Tested
The products tested were:
• Anti cellulite
• Bust firming
• Stretch marks
• Eye wrinkles
• Moisturiser with fake tan
• Micro-dermabrasion creams
• Dark circle under eye remover cream
• Anti-aging day moisturiser
Please note: all product prices quoted were RRP at the time of consumer test trial. RRP at time of transmission may have changed.
