When Mary Kay chatted recently with women around the world about what they wanted in the area of beauty, one of the things they talked about was how they shopped for their skinc are and cosmetic products. For most of the women, it was "anything goes", meaning that they purchase their beauty products from all over -- supercenters, department stores, direct sellers, specialty stores and online. It's usually about what's convenient for her. So you could say that one thing women want when shopping for beauty products is EASY ACCESS. What she also wants is CONTROL over her shopping experience. She wants it to be fun, social and casual, and sees the opportunity to browse as a part of the experience. She wants to TRY IT BEFORE SHE BUYS IT . She wants the opportunity to touch and experience it before she lays down that hard-earned money. And she is much more likely to try a new product that has been recomended by a friend or family member. She wants PERSONALIZED BEAUTY ADVICE...

I bet you're wondering where I've been for the last several days, since I haven't posted anything new since last Thursday. Well, I've been out of the office, and as Murphy would have it, couldn't get the wireless device on my laptop to work. Thank goodness for the super folks back at corporate who quickly ordered me another wireless card and had it overnighted. I got it last night, so we're back in business! When we set out to learn from women around the world what they wanted out of life today, one of the topics that we knew we wanted to explore with them was the role of technology in their lives. In every single case, no matter which country we were in, the women brought up the topic long before we planned to start talking about it. Very early in the conversations, the women were eager to talk about how they used the Internet and technology to manage the social aspects of their lives, as an enhancement to their face-to-face relationships with family and friends...

Here we are again, revealing what women around the globe told us about what they wanted out of life in today's world. In addition to the five things we've already discussed, women want to have their own personal, disposable income . At this point in time, some do and some don't (have it). Women in the United States are very familiar with having disposable income, and are finding themselves coming to terms with their personal financial security issues, given the recent and continuing economic conditions. They want to be in control of their money and they want to contribute to the security of their family. Latin American women are very good planners when it comes to their finances. Because personal credit is uncommon, she cannot overextend herself; she can only spend what she has, so she plans carefully. For women in China, discretionary money is still a relatively new phenomenon. No matter how well she is cared for by her husband, she still wants to be able to spend "her...

Another of the "10 Things Women Want Now" is a fulfilling career . We heard from some stay-at-home moms in the US that they feel adrift when their kids no longer need them every minute of the day, and wonder if they should have continued to pursue their careers or completed their educations. Latina women in the US felt that a career was a vital part of being a "complete, modern woman". The Chinese women we heard from were well aware of the trade-offs of their careers, and few were completely comfortable with being stay-at-home moms. They seem to need a modern, autonomous view of themselves, apart from their family. This same desire for an element of autonomy drives women in Ukraine and Russia to pursue a career. This sense of autonomy seems to be relevant regardless of culture or geography. Our careers are a very important part of our identity, and are significant contributors to our overall sense of independence and completeness. What seems to differ regionally is how...