經濟衰退期 女性鍾愛化妝品

Make-up sales have risen despite the recession as women aim to look their best without breaking the bank on clothes and shoes, new figures show.

While many women have cut back on other fashion and beauty treats amid the global economic crisis, sales of cosmetics have increased.

Research shows that cosmetics enjoyed the highest growth in the expanding British beauty market with a 7.4 per cent rise to £1,200 million between 2007 and 2008.

Face and body skincare were up 6.7 per cent to £1,000 million and women's perfume rose 4.6 per cent to £667 million over the same period, according to market research specialists Mintel.

Experts claim that the phenomenon, dubbed the Lipstick factor, is a repeat of that seen during the Great Depression of the 1930s when tougher competition for jobs made women eager to look their best.

Selfridges director Anne Pitcher said that women particularly favour bright red shades during periods of economic hardship because it brings them more confidence.

She told the Daily Mail: “Anecdotal evidence shows that lipsticks are up for the first time in years.

“Red is especially popular, as Scarlet Johansson and Monica Bellucci promote the classic Hollywood make-up look.”

Research also suggests that rather than saving money by choosing cheaper products, women are treating themselves to top quality brands.

George Wallace, chief executive of shopping consultants MHE Retail, said: “A 25 to 34-year-old woman in the UK is carrying £71 worth of make-up in her handbag and there is no sign of her giving this up in the downturn.

最新數據顯示，儘管面臨經濟衰退，但（英國）的化妝品銷量不降反升，這是因爲女性想在縮減衣服和鞋子開支的情況下儘量讓自己看起來美一點。

儘管受全球經濟危機的影響，很多女性縮減了其它的時尚和美容開支，但化妝品的銷量卻有所上升。

調查表明，在2007年至2008年間，化妝品是英國不斷擴大的美容市場上銷量增長最快的商品，增幅爲7.4%，總銷售額達12億英鎊。

據明特爾市場調查公司介紹，在此期間，面部和身體護膚品的銷售額增長6.7%，達10億英鎊；女式香水增4.6%，達6.67億英鎊。

專家稱，這種現象被稱爲“口紅效應”，在上世紀30年代的經濟大蕭條時期曾出現過。當時，就業市場的競爭更爲激烈，因此女性急切地想讓自己看起來更漂亮。

塞爾福裏奇百貨公司的總監安妮•皮徹稱，在經濟困難時期，女性尤其鍾愛亮紅色，因爲這能給她們帶來更多自信。

她在接受《每日郵報》採訪時說：“事實證據表明，口紅的銷量近年來首次上升。”

“紅色尤其受歡迎，斯嘉麗•約翰遜和莫妮卡•貝魯奇把這一經典好萊塢妝容帶回了潮流。”

調查還表明，女性一般會選用質量較好的名牌化妝品，而不會爲了省錢去選用廉價產品。

MHE Retail購物諮詢公司首席執行官喬治•華萊士說：“在英國，每個25歲至34歲間的女性的手袋裏裝着價值至少71英鎊的化妝品，目前還沒什麼跡象表明她們會在經濟低迷時期捨棄這些。”

Vocabulary:

break the bank: to require more money than is available（耗盡資源，傾家蕩產）

cut back on：減低

red shade：紅色，泛紅光

anecdotal evidence：non-scientific observations or studies, which do not provide proof but may assist research efforts（軼事證據，根據傳聞，經驗或觀察而得出的證據）