With the world struggling in the clutches of one of the deepest recessions in history, women are trying really hard to keep their spirits up .....by kissing goodbye to lipsticks and welcoming flawless skin.
A large number of women are dealing with economic crisis with liquid foundation, and thus supplanting lipstick as the essential item in make-up bags in the recession.
Cosmetic experts claim that British females are far more likely to plump for foundation, reports "The Scotsman".
Estee Lauder Chairman coined the term "Lipstick Index" during the 2001 recession to highlight the link between economic downturns and lipstick sales.
"When lipstick sales go up, people don't want to buy dresses," he said at the time.
"When things get tough, women buy lipstick."
However, L'Oreal, the world's largest beauty company, has found in the UK market that foundation has edged out lipstick as the "must-have" product for women, with more than one third of 18 and 19-year-olds citing it as their most essential beauty product against 8 percent opting for lipstick.
In the UK, foundation sales rose 15 percent last year, against 2.5 percent for lipstick, according to market research group Nielsen.
TNS Worldpanel, another consumer research body, reports foundation sales are up 25.3 percent in the year to February against a 5.7 percent decline in lipstick sales.
