Lipstick Recession Meter

After a NYTimes article about how lipstick purchases can be used to measure a recession, Slate decided to come up with its own recession meter...

"It seems that every day now there's a trend piece on the way women are spending—or not spending—our increasingly meager earnings. That's why we're introducing the Lipstick Level, an occasional Recession-o-Meter in the mold of Slate's Change-o-Meter rating how the economic downturn is shaping the way women make purchases."

http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/xxfactor/search.aspx?q=Lipstick+Level&p=1


Here is the original NYTimes article:

"After the terrorist attacks of 2001 deflated the economy, Mr. Lauder noticed that his company was selling more lipstick than usual. He hypothesized that lipstick purchases are a way to gauge the economy. When it’s shaky, he said, sales increase as women boost their mood with inexpensive lipstick purchases instead of $500 slingbacks."

Hard Times, But Your Lips Look Great
by Kayleen Schaefer
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/fashion/01SKIN.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all