4 reasons why red lipstick impacts our lives and the world around us.

💄 💄 💄 Today, I decided to wear red lipstick. 💄 💄 💄

Why? Well today is Monday, and I don’t particularly look forward to Mondays.

I work every day of the week, and last night I was up until 11PM writing a contract for my client.

So this morning, I woke up, and decided to put an extra spring my step, and wear some red lipstick.

Do you ever do this when you’re feeling less than ready to conquer the world? Maybe it’s not lipstick, maybe it’s just a spray of cologne or simply having a shower….especially during quarantine.

When consumers are feeling down, they usually buy something impulsive, like lipstick. Most economic crises have seen an increase in lipstick sales, regardless of other industry downturns, leading to economists coining the phrase, “lipstick index”.

However, the after effects of COVID may see a different trend.

Why you ask?

Well, we wear masks all day every day, which means our eyes are the only things on display. And who wants a lipstick smudge inside their mask?! In contrast to the 1930s, we may see that eye makeup will be on the rise instead. So maybe it’s the end of the lipstick index, but the beginning of the mascara index….

Take a look at the four points noted below, and let me know your thoughts…

1. Self care

Self care has been so important over the last couple of months. At the beginning of COVID-19, our schedules were disrupted, meaning many of us worked from home. Sweatpants became the outfit of choice. Our hair is displaced, overgrown, roots showing, frayed split ends. Showers became a weekly thing, instead of part of our daily routine. And our diets went out the window #quarantine15

It’s important to take care of yourself, and one of the quick fixes is a little swipe of lippy. Even if you’re not into makeup, a quick outfit change or even washing your face can do miles of difference to your well being.

I volunteer at a domestic violence shelter, and one of the things we provide for the affected women are nail polish and red lipstick. Typically the victims pull all of their belonging from home within an hour, and don’t grab everything they need. We offer them some cosmetics for not only for looking professional during an interview, but also to give them a sense of normalcy, routine, and self-care. It’s amazing that a tube of lipstick can lift up your spirits even when your world has turned upside down.

2. Nothing lifts you up during an economic crisis like lipstick can

Have you ever purchased a tube of lipstick, or even an impulse buy even when money was tight? You’re not alone.

This effect can be linked back to the Great Depression when there was a huge increase in cosmetics sales. It’s called the “Lipstick Index” and economists frequently look at this metric during economic crises [2].

Pre-Covid, we saw the same pattern of consumers turning to cheap thrills to increase morale during hardships.

This pattern in consumer behavior can be linked to an “ increased desire to use appearance-enhancing items to both attract romantic partners and create a favorable impression of themselves in the workplace, as both strategies can help women become secure financially” [3].

As shown in the figure below, the cosmetics industry has been pretty resilient in times of economic downturn, but is it the same case for 2020 and beyond? Can we even rely on the “lipstick index” anymore?

As Mckinsey & Co state, “even though the economic magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic on brands and retailers will be far greater than any recession, there are signs that the beauty industry may once again prove relatively resilient.” [4].

We can see that there is an increase of do-it-yourself products as well as the regular grooming products (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, skincare). Many salons offering hair care, beauty, and nail services have closed, but this is related to the fact that consumers are foregoing these services due to concerns of close physical contact [4].

Since the beginning of the stay-at-home order in March 2020, a lot of people have been feeling that there isn’t any point in making an effort or wear makeup like we did before.

According to NPD, makeup sales were down 22%, and a lot of this is because make is a high touch product. Stores have been closed, and women can’t try on the product in the store. If you’re like me, I never buy a concealer, foundation, or powder unless I’ve tested it on my skin color.

However, I feel like I can purchase a lipstick without trying it on. And although other economic crises have seen the increase in the “lipstick index”, the after effects of COVID may see a different trend. Why you ask? Well, we wear masks all day every day, which means our eyes are the only things on display. And who wants a lipstick smudge inside their mask?! L’Oreal, e.l.f. cosmetics, and Essie have reported an increase in false eyelash sales and DIY nail kits [5]. In contrast to the Great depression, we may see that eye palettes, eye liner, liquid liner, and mascaras will be on the rise instead of lipstick. So maybe it’s the end of the lipstick index, but the beginning of the mascara index….

3. Wear red lippy, and get a boost in your career

Although every woman knows that they get dressed for themselves and not for the opposite sex, it can be noted that wearing red lipstick can result in getting higher tips and commissions from men. #alwaysbeclosing This effect was only seen for red lipstick, and none of the other colors [7].

This is interesting because in neuromarketing, red is usually a no-no for branding, unless you’re targeting men. And it’s commonly seen in brands related to love, sex (tinder), sports, energy drinks, and cars.

In 2011, Proctor & Gamble paid researchers at Boston University & The Dana-Farber Cancer institute to design and execute a study to evaluate the perception of women and makeup [6].

The study had 25 female subjects, aged 20 to 50 and White, African-American and Hispanic, who were photographed barefaced and in three looks that researchers called natural, professional and glamorous. The participants were not allowed to look in a mirror, lest their feelings about the way they looked affect observers’ impressions [6].

One hundred forty-nine adults (including 61 men) looked at the pictures for 250 milliseconds each. Then 119 different adults (including 30 men) were given unlimited time to look at the same faces [6].

The participants judged women made up in varying intensities of luminance contrast (fancy words for how much eyes and lips stand out compared with skin) as more competent than barefaced women, whether they had a quick glance or a longer inspection [6].

However, there is a lot of backlash from this study, such as questions like, “Whether or not to wear makeup in the first place, and why should the quality of my job depend on my shade of lippy?” Would have loved to have seen them use biosensors to drive deeper insights (maybe there could be a part 2 @P&G?!)

However, the social constructs around wearing makeup have changed from wearing it to attract a man, to a more feminist perspective of “this is my own choice, I’m wearing this for me”. We not only take control of how we look, but also how we feel. And maybe that’s why we are perceived as performing better and earn more tips while wearing makeup, because we’re more confident overall.

4. Be more confident in yourself

Even if I don’t have any other makeup on, I feel instantaneously more confident if I put on red lipstick.

A big important part of wearing lipstick is how you feel wearing it. It can be a big part of your signature look, and can make you feel comfortable and identifiable. One of my friends, Wafae, mentioned that, “Wearing red lipstick makes me feel like I stand out from the others around me.”

It doesn’t have to be red lipstick, as I know it can be daunting for people to take on a new look, especially one so bold, and one that needs to be applied often. So why not try a new eyeliner, a colored mascara, or even a patterned mask to make an impact. Change can be good, and you might actually notice other people treating you differently.

Contact me at chloechristoforou@icloud.com if you’re interested in diving deeper into human behavior. I can show you how biosensors can answer your questions without even asking them!

Sources:

[2] Netchaeva E, Rees M. Strategically Stunning: The Professional Motivations Behind the Lipstick Effect. Psychol Sci. 2016;27(8):1157–1168. doi:10.1177/0956797616654677

[3] Hill SE, Rodeheffer CD, Griskevicius V, Durante K, White AE. Boosting beauty in an economic decline: mating, spending, and the lipstick effect. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2012;103(2):275–291. doi:10.1037/a0028657

[4] Mckinsey & Co. (May 5, 2020). How COVID-19 is changing the world of beauty. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/how-covid-19-is-changing-the-world-of-beauty#

[5] Parija Kavilanz. (May 9, 2020). Makeup sales take a hit as interests shift in the work-from-home era https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/09/business/makeup-sales-decline-coronavirus/index.html

[6] Etcoff, NL, Stock, S, Haley, LE, Vickery, SA, House, DM. Cosmetics as a feature of the extended human phenotype: modulation of the perception of biologically important facial signals. Plos One. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0025656

[7] Red Lipstick Gets Waitresses Big Tips From Men, Study Shows https://www.huffpost.com/entry/red-lipstick-waitress-tips-men_n_1511366