The Role of Implicit Theory of Beauty and Appearance Orientation on Consumers’ Perceptions of Multi-Purpose Products

Cosmetics brands are increasingly offering “multi-purpose” products that serve multiple functions at once, such as an eye cream that could also be used as a lip moisturizer. Yet, there is little research on consumers’ perceptions of multi-purpose products and the brands that offer these products. This research examines the impact of consumers’ own theory of beauty. We find that endorsing a strong incremental (vs. entity) theory of beauty (i.e., believing that one’s beauty is changeable through one’s effort rather than innate and unchangeable) reduces consumers’ preferences for multi-purpose products, particularly among those who are highly appearance oriented. These consumers’ reduced evaluation of multi-purpose products also spills over to their overall brand evaluation. The findings suggest that brand managers should consider consumers’ implicit theory of beauty and product preferences when managing product knowledge.