Several years ago Coleman (1981) reported that in 1979 one of the many
in- ternational cosmetics companies had an annual sales figure of $2. 38
billion, nearly 1. 25 million sales representatives, and over 700
products, the majority of these being for the face. Cash and Cash (1982)
noted that in 1979 U. S. consumers spent over $4 million on cosmetic
products. They stated that, "Although this practice would seem to be a
fascinating aspect of human be- havior on the basis of its generality
and resilience, social-behavioral scientists have largely ignored the
phenomenon so plainly (or pleasingly) in front of their eyes. " Why
should people be so concerned with their facial appearance? Many
psychologists have argued (e. g., Kleck & Rubenstein, 1975) not only
that facial information is usually the first that is available to the
perceiver, but also that it is continuously available during social
interaction. Maruyama and Miller (1981) stated that "appearance is often
the first dimension upon which a stranger can be evaluated. Since people
tend to see others as integrated and consistent units, rather than as
collections of situation-specific behaviors, a potent and immediately
evident basis for an evaluation, such as physical appearance, should
intrude into and affect any overall and subsequent evalua- tion.