Rating:   / 5

First Impression:

Usually as all cosmetics sites, each topic is listed in category.  For example, eyes, lips, cheeks, and so on.  I find this to be very helpful so this was one of the first things I noticed when I hit the Revlon site. I enjoy finding what I am looking for right away and not having to search especially if and when I am pressed for time. 

Problems / Possible Improvements: 

Although the site seemed to be organized and helpful, it did not appeal that much to me in terms of graphics.  Perhaps another colour theme would have made the page more attractive.  The pictures of the products helped, however were not large enough. 

Navigation

Links were conveniently provided for each category of items.  For example, under make-up products there was lip glosses, blushes, foundation, etc. 

What stood out:  

For differentiation, Revlon has an award gallery to demonstrate their superiority over other companies by showcasing that top beauty magazines have chosen thier products among their favourites and the proof lies in the 'seal of approval'. I think this was a smart way to distinguish themselves from their competition.  Especially with many look-alike products, companies need to think of a way to be unique from other companies and this was a good way to demonstrate that.

Useful Applications

If customers are interested in purchasing Revlon products, there is a link provided to locate a store nearest to them.  This link will provide the store logos which carry the products. 

E-commerce considerations

In addition to providing the logos of the stores, the 'store locator' link also provides the stores which customers can purchase from online.  When clicked on, it will give you the picture, information and price for the item.

Up to date?

This site was certainly up to date with a "What's New" link detailing the latest product additions.

Additional comments 

When I clicked on 'corporate' I found that Revlon had a lot of information regarding their history starting from the 1930's until present.  In the length of time that they have been around, they have become a world leader in cosmetics, skin care, fragrance and personal care.  The length of time could also be thier strategy on how to differentiate themselves from thier competitors - to emphasize 75 years of service and experience is pretty impressive!

Rating:   / 5

First Impression:

Very striking!  As soon as you hit the site, you are welcomed with different graphics appearing constantly showing models and celebrities including Pamela Anderson, Cristina Aguilera and Missy Elliot advertising the different styles and make-up methods that MAC creates. The use of celebrities is a good way to advertise products. I found that I had to take a couple minutes to sit and observe the pictures before actually entering the site!  As soon as a website can capture a viewer's attention before they even enter has, in my opinion, fulfilled it's creative duties!

Navigation

The links were very helpful categorized in distinct categories such as: 'Looks', 'Picks' and 'Bridal'.  These links were impressive because the Mac Company creates their own looks such as "Culturebloom' reflecting the vibes of the season.  These looks are illustrated as well so that the customer can get a visual picture.

E-Commerce Considerations

At the Mac web site, there is an option of creating an account, which will enable the customer to enjoy many enhanced shopping services each time they log on.  The customer with an account will be e-mailed the latest products, news, and events which is a good strategy for customer relationship management. 

Useful applications:  

What was even more appealing was MAC's concern for aids with the MAC Aids Fund.  This certainly gave me the assurance that this company behaves in a socially responsible manner and according to my studies in Marketing, consumers tend to buy products from companies who behave in a socially responsible manner.  This company is associated with these musical stars who are dedicating thier time and energy on behalf of the Aids cause.  Very impressive.  Something unique that also appealed to me was a page dedicated to MAC's make-up artists including their name, picture, years of experience, and their favourite technique of applying make-up.  What is so convenient is that you can e-mail the artist of your choice for tips, or schedule an appointment with them.

Up-to date?

Something that I have been keeping in mind while browsing these sites is the fact that Valentine's is approaching and this site certainly had some Valentine's Day ideas.  Therefore, it is up to date in terms of occasions.  Also it lists the latest products as well.

Additional Comments

The black and white theme of the website reflecting the company's colours looks very elegant and professional. 

Rating:  / 5

First Impression:

Maybelline also presented flashing graphics of women celebrities and models.  Although testimonials by regular customers are often more credible, I feel the company gets more reason to be interested in the product once it is presented by an actual celebrity.  If young girls and women experience beautiful 'stars' using the products, it compells them to buy them as well!  The colours on the site were bright and appealing presumably reflecting the colours of the make-up products.  I was conveniently able to find what I was looking for.  For example, when I clicked on "blushes" I was given many choices to choose from along with a short description before actually clicking into it. 

Problems: 

I found a few complications while trying to enter the sites when I clicked the country and language of my choice.  I did not appear to have this problem with any of the other sites.  This problem had occured a few times while trying to enter the site.  However, after being unsuccessful with entering the link of my choice, I was given another link to be redirected to an alternate page.  It was not the initial site I chose, nevertheless, the mistake was made up for through the redirected link.

Navigation:

The links seemed different and interesting such as: 'MNY Club' that, when creating an account with Maybelline's web site, the customer is automatically entered into contests to win prizes and enjoy exclusive access to the company's Make-Up Studio.  The prizes serve as incentives for the customers to visit often and customers enjoy being 'rewarded' for thier purchases. 

E-Commerce Considerations:

There was a link that the customer could use to choose a certain product name, be provided with it's benefit and taken to a description and picture of that particular product.  However, I did not see a place to actually purchase the item.

Useful Applications:

Maybelline offered a link where visitors could choose thier skin type from 'Light to Medium Skin' and 'Tanned to Dark Skin' and be offered hints of which shades of make-up to use on thier skin type as well as hints on how to apply it.  There was also a seperate link which consisted of frequently asked questions (FAQ) along with their answers.  Something very interesting was a 'make-up' station which consisted of a virtual store where the visitor could get a better look at the products by placing their mouse over the counters. 

Up to date?

This time I did not see any gift ideas for Valentine's Day but they were certainly up-to-date emphasizing the latest products and colours under the "What's New" link.

Additional Comments:

The virtual make-up 'playground' was definetely unique, and not to mention, fun!  It was an impressive way to get visitors to interact on the site and possibly to visit back frequently. 

Rating:  / 5

First Impression:

The information provided was useful and detailed.  The pictures of the products along with the price and location at which to purchase the product was very useful information. The products were suitably listed down a colomn and shown there image and price when clicked on the product of choice.  Along with the picture and price, the consumer could also select a shade from the ones provided next to the product. There was even a link that took you to an expert for advice.  There were also questions listed along with their answers before asking an expert. 

Problems / Possible improvements: 

The colour did not appeal to me as much; there was a lot of 'white'.  Sometimes white on a web site can look great if it is coupled with graphics and/or pictures but it was simply not the case here.

Up to date?

This site was certainly up-to-date with gift ideas just in time for Valentine's Day.  There was even a link dedicated to 'gift ideas'. 

Useful Applications:

Unlike the other sites, this company also dedicates some products towards men, thus dedicating a section on thier website to men's products.  Therefore, not only women can benefit from the information on this site, men can find helpful information as well. 

Navigation:

Finding my way around the web site was a bit confusing since thier was too much 'script'.  I felt that there was just a large amount of reading to do before I actually found what I was looking for.

E-Commerce Considerations:

A 'Store Locator' link was provided, however finding whether the product would be able to be purchased online was a challenge.  As previously mentioned, too much script did not motivate me to look for how to purchase the product.

Additional Comments: 

I do not believe this site appealed to me overall due to the excessive use of script.  It should have been kept to a minimum or perhaps only the important parts could have been provided.  It was as if the web site was trying to write a story book!

Rating:  / 5

Impression:

The web sites seem to share a common theme of displaying welcoming pictures by celebrities.  When hitting the Cover Girl site, the viewer is greeted with re-appearing graphics including Queen Latifah who is a spokesperson for the product. In addition, beautiful shades of light blue mixed with light purple gave this site a colourful effect. 

Up to Date?

The 'What's New' link provided the latest products, news and special offers such as entering a contest to be the VIP at the 2006 Miss USA Pageant.  By visitors filling out a form, Cover Girl would be able to keep track of the visitors by storing thier information into a data base which is commonly used in the marketing field and a growing strategy to maintain existing customer's profiles, trends, and buying patterns.

Useful Applications: 

Something creative that caught my attention was a 'beauty quiz' that the viewer could take in order to find 'which shade flatter's you most."  This was the first time I had seen something like this after observing the four other sites.  Something uncommon always catches the eye and I was interested in seeing how this particular quiz worked so surely I clicked on it.  Moreover, there was a page dedicated to 'tips and tricks' of applying make-up, including 'minute make-overs' which was the first I had seen on any of the sites.  From being a fan of cosmetics, I can certainly say that this link really appealed to me and will be kept in mind for future emergencies!

Navigation:

Finding my way around the site proved to be effortless provided that the links were categorized simply and clearly.

E-Commerce Considerations:

The 'Smartshop' link took me to the e-store where shades, products and prices were listed for the customer to shop.

Additonal Comments:

I was impressed by the fact that cover girl's opening page had a quote by celebrity / model Christie Brinkly about using Cover Girl.  This also may build credibility in the customer's mind when they view proof of a celebrity's experience with using their product.