Just Wing It. Surviving The Pandemic, With A Little Help From Makeup
The famed ‘Lipstick Effect’ may be getting replaced by the ‘Eyeliner Effect’ or the ‘Moisturizer Effect’ amid the pandemic.
Just wing it. Life. Eyeliner... Everything.
What is one of many free floating quotes on the internet, may actually reflect the mood of many consumers amid a pandemic and a recession. Feeling down and out, consumers are taking to small value purchases of makeup. Particularly eye makeup.
The confidence-boosting abilities of makeup are well documented. Back in 2001, Leonard Lauder, chairman emeritus at Estée Lauder, is quoted as saying that his company sold more lipsticks during the American recession of 2001. Women were shopping for lipsticks as an affordable indulgence.
The phenomenon he spoke of is known as the ‘Lipstick Effect’.
Consumers often turn to affordable luxuries for comfort and a mood boost in difficult periods, said Rohan Vaziralli, general manager at Estée Lauder, India. “Consumers connect with the power of beauty products in an emotional way – in the way it lifts your mood, one’s sense of confidence, self-expression and creativity,” Vaziralli said.
While lipsticks continue to sell, foundations, concealers and eye products are also getting added to shopping carts.
With mandated mask wearing, consumers have favoured complexion-enhancing products such as foundations, concealers and eye products that allow for some creative expression.Rohan Vaziralli, General Manager, Estée Lauder, India.
Let The Eyes Talk!
Sales of eye makeup, led by mascaras and eye liners have bucked the trend, according to Vivek Bali, chief executive officer of Sephora India.
A spokesperson from Hindustan Unilever Ltd., too, said consumers are experimenting more with their eye makeup as masks are becoming more prevalent. “We have noticed eye makeup and nail paints making a comeback much faster than lipsticks,” the spokesperson said.
According to Uma Talreja, customer care associate, chief marketing and customer officer at Shoppers Stop, shopping for eye makeup rose by 33% compared to pre-Covid levels, making it the largest category in makeup from a volume perspective. Considering the affinity Indian women have for kajal, Talreja said that the pick-up can seen as a modern extension of a cultural effect.
India enjoys a young demography, so it’s not surprising that the penchant for looking good in the mirror remains strong, said Aurodeep Nandi, India economist at Nomura. The festive period would also most probably add to the impetus, he said.
The Nomura India Business Resumption Index has risen through August and into early September, in part reflecting a recovery in retail & recreation related mobility and driving traffic. As Indians increasingly rediscover mobility in the post-lockdown phase, the ‘eye-makeup impact’ may find some support.Aurodeep Nandi, India Economist, Nomura
Relax-Rejuvanate-Refresh: The Covid Mantra
It’s not just eye make-up that’s attracting buyers.
The bigger theme is consumers focusing on themselves and their well-being, said Talreja. The renewed focus on personal care and well being has also pushed up sales in several other categories. At Sephora, for instance, the share of skin care products and fragrances has risen risen, while nail polish sales maintained their share.
Men’s grooming has seen an even bigger bump in comparison to pre-Covid times, Talreja said.
Skincare is becoming a big theme globally. Vaziralli quoted Fabrizio Freda, chief executive of the Estée Lauder Group, who recently said the Lipstick Index may even have been substituted with the “Moisturiser Index”.
Ultimately, Nandi said, all of this is representative of pent-up demand. So there is a risk that the durability of the recovery comes under risk, especially as job and income cuts start to bite.
In other words, moisturisers, eye liners and lipstick may cheer you and me up, but it’ll take a lot more than that to add pep to the economy.