Lipstick Effect Counteracts Our Depressing World

Are you as depressed as I am? The World is a pretty dark place right now!  You know, what’s really depressing me ? For one thing, tonight was the first night of Passover. Usually, I have a big family sedar at my house. Unfortunately, this year, due to the health crisis, we are “social distancing”. Hence, we’re trying to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. There is so much illness, and so many deaths.  I feel like having a good cry.  So, I cooked a holiday dinner for my kids, anyway. Yet, we can’t see them!  So, I feel like indulging myself.  I am gonna go online and buy me a lipstick!!!!  And there you have it: The Lipstick Effect! 

The Lipstick Effect And The Financial Crisis

Furthermore, we are having a financial crisis.  As a result, the country was forced into a recession. Life as we knew it, just a few short weeks ago, no longer exists.

Lipstick Effect During Economic Crisis Graph

Moreover, the Coronavirus, it projected to have the steepest decline the beauty industry has ever seen. However, compared to other industries, the beauty market has been fairly recession-proof in the past. For example, during the Great Depression, lipstick sales kept the beauty industry alive.  Again, in the 2008 recession, lipstick and eyeshadow were best sellers.  Two things will keep beauty alive. First, a lot of beauty products will still be”must haves,” to meet the consumer’s basic needs. Second, the Lipstick Effect, or The Lipstick Theory, is when we (women) indulge ourselves when the going gets tough.  

During A Recession The Lipstick Effect May Keep Women Consumers Coming Back

Lipstick Effect Graph

There Are Four Beauty Categories we need to discuss here.  They are the Rescue Category; The Everyday Basics, Soothing Solutions, and Fragrance and Color Cosmetics.

The Rescue Category

First, the Rescue Category includes things such as hand sanitizers, and liquid hand soaps.  Naturally, the Rescue Category is experiencing spiked levels right now.  The reason for this is easy to figure out.  First, the country was not prepared for a pandemic on this level.  Therefore, the hospitals, and health providers need all the face masks and gloves they can find.  Naturally, there would be a shortage on these items.  As a result, the public doesn’t have access to anything that would protect them from catching the virus. 

As a result, the only thing we have been told, time and time again, is to wash our hands.  Not only wash our hands, we need to wash them in a certain way.  First, we need to wash our hands for at least 20 seconds.  And, we can’t forget to wash between our fingers, and our thumbs.  Also, if we need to get groceries, we need hand sanitizers to wipe our hands, and the shopping cart handle.  And that’s it.  Rescue items are limited.  I can’t find Clorox Bleach anywhere. 

Face masks have to go to the health providers.  Therefore, now it is mandatory we wear a mask to go outside.  Yet, there are no masks.  So, we are told to make our own masks.  Yet, we are also told that the masks we make really aren’t that effective.  Would you want to go outside after all that?

Everyday Basics

To begin with, everyday basics are just that.  They are the basic things we use every day.  For example, shampoo and deodorants are things we use every day.  These items should stay about the same level they were before the pandemic.

Soothing Solutions

Soothing Solutions include facial and skin care products.  Furthermore, nail polish is supposed to be soothing.  These soothing solutions are projected to decline.  However, consumers may turn to them to maintain, or establish a part of their old routine.  The reason for this is, maintaining things like your face, skin, and nails, and I would add hair color, are parts of your routine.  Additionally, now that we have no routine, these soothing solutions are things in your old routine, that you still can control.

Fragrance and Color Cosmetics

Last, Fragrance and Color Cosmetics are expected to decline sharply during  the social distancing from the health crisis.  And, it is projected that they will continue to suffer during the economic fallout in the years following the crisis.  However, there is always the Lipstick Effect, or, as some call it, The Lipstick Theory.

The Lipstick Effect (The Lipstick Theory)

Tough economic times have a tendency to decrease a consumer’s desire to purchase most items.  However, these tough economic times also increase a woman’s yearning for products that will boost their attractiveness, and cheer themselves up!  So, if you feel like cheering yourself up during these dark times, pamper yourself with a treat.  One of the least expensive ways to pamper yourself is to buy lipstick.  Just the act of swiping a new lipstick on your lips, and looking in the mirror, can send you away, into a harsher world, with a spring in your step!

As a result, the lipstick effect is no more than a woman’s natural instinct to counteract the depressing effects of what’s going on in the world.  And, if a lipstick can do it, hurray for lipstick.  Because, things are really dark right now.  Not only are we social distancing, we are afraid of getting sick, afraid of dying, and afraid of the recession.  

Indulging In Little Luxuries During Recessionary Times

Although The Lipstick Effect doesn’t have to be lipstick, theoretically, it relates to all cosmetics, or anything that enhances a woman’s appearance.  Yet, lipstick, in particular, is unique in its ability go immediately and dramatically transform your appearance.  Although, During the 2008-2009 recession, not only did lipstick perform extremely well, eyeshadow did too!  Maybe another cosmetic product will join lipstick and eyeshadow during this recession.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

My Final Thought On The Lipstick Effect (Lipstick Theory)

First of all, rising beauty sales has been a consistent pattern during hard economic times.  It started during the Great Depression, when even food was a shortage.  However, women managed someway, somehow to buy lipstick.  The reason is, in times of economic troubles, as well as a health crisis, women indulge in “little Luxuries.”  So, instead of purchasing an expensive Chanel suit, or handbag, women would still purchase a Chanel Lipstick.  Although, Lipstick is considered a self-indulgent purchase during difficult times.  Yet, whe, including myself, would still choose a lipstick rather than totally give up a self-indulgent purchase!!!!

PS

I’d love to hear how you are doing during this difficult time in all our lives.  Even more so now that it is Passover, and Easter this week.  And, we have to give up being with our families.  It’s really difficult for me.  How about you?  Let me know what you think in the comments below. And, go buy a lipstick!  Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, Beautylish are all opened on line for shopping!

xo

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Sookie and Sylvie reside in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We created our mother and daughter in law partnership because we MUDDLE THROUGH really well together (highly unusual for a mother-dogter relationship), we share many interests and love the same things. read more

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