Lipstick No Longer an Anti-crisis Weapon – Sale in Italy Drops by 60%

The restrictive measures and mask protection in Italy during the Covid-19 pandemic have led to a drop in the sales of lipsticks by 60%, and the sales are expected to drop by 24% on an annual level, according to Nielsen.

Lipstick has always been considered an anti-crisis weapon. In other words, the worse the economy is doing, the more demand there is for lipsticks, according to the Italian daily la Repubblica.

It pertains to the so-called “lipstick index”, a term coined by Leonard Lauder of the Estee Lauder company to describe an increase in the sales of cosmetics and make-up during the early 2000s recession.

The conclusion was that, for women, buying lipsticks replaced the purchase of more expensive articles that they couldn't afford during the difficult financial period, such as dresses and shoes.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and mask protection, women are adapting to new ways of shopping, frequently done online, and are more likely to purchase eye make-up and nail polish than lipsticks.

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