Lipstick sales say a mouthful about economy.

Byline: Paul Brinkley-Rogers

Published Wednesday, December 12, 2001

The economy struggles and war rages, but women are buying more lipstick, a fact borne out by increased production, sharply higher retail sales, and acknowledgement by fashion houses that this is no myth.

It may sound implausible. But ever since the Great Depression of the 1930s, female lipstick buying patterns have been the reverse of market indexes. The index plunges, lipstick sales soar. A variation of this trend occurs in war, when sales of blood-red lipstick suddenly take off, although no one knows exactly why.

Lipstick, from $1.95 to $25, is a quick feel-good fix that allows females to shop without having to buy a new outfit, many experts say. ``When things get tough, women buy lipstick,'' says Leonard Lauder, chairman of the Estee Lauder Companies.

They are buying more lipstick --…