The ultimate recession proof lipstick

I read in an article that City economists follow lipstick sales to monitor potential upturns or downturns in the nation's fiscal wellbeing. Curiously, when things get tight, apparently (according to the Mail on Sunday) women spurn expensive designer dresses in favour of more modest retail therapy, which has resulted in increased lipstick sales in US department stores over the past few months - a time when other areas of department store spending have experienced significant falls.

Nicola White, 23 who works at House of Fraser department store in London's Oxford Street explained that although she was watching her finances, she still wanted to indulge herself: "Buying an inexpensive treat like a lipstick gives me instant satisfaction and lifts an outfit without my having to purchase a new pair of shoes or a bag which can be expensive".

We've come up with an even better solution to those cravings for luscious lippy - it's called Colorsport lipstain. It's so damned inexpensive that you can afford to buy a few at a go and still have change to spare to go towards that stylish bag or those smart new shoes. Even better, there's no need for frequent money wasting applications as this lipstick lasts for up to 12 hours.

This strikes me as the original sort of stuff that glamorous Hollywood filmstars have been wearing for years... And I can also personally vouch for this lipstick - the colours are fabulous and it really does work. But best of all it's curiously cheap and chic. Will you?

Do you ShopCurious?

• Are you ready to buy something you really like, rather than something you want to be seen to have, because it’s supposedly the current ‘in thing’ that everyone else – especially the press – is raving about?

• Do you identify with the trend away from mass-market branded luxury goods. Are you more discerning, more aware of original-yet-timeless style?

• Will you forget the hype, ignore celebrity endorsements, go with your gut feel, take responsibility for what you choose – even use your taste as an extension of your personality?

James Martin, writing for Live Magazine (The Mail on Sunday, March 2008) says: “This is a disposable world. Fridges, phones, TVs, cars: everything’s made to be scrapped. High-street chains sell £20 copies of the latest designer clobber that conveniently fall apart before you’re bored with them. That’s fine – stitches put in by a Chinese 12-year-old aren’t designed to last. But these days I’m interested in stuff that is.”

“....these days. Everything looks nice. Everything looks Italian. And modern. And a tiny bit retro without being old-fashioned. With one of those cowhide rugs thrown in front of the HD plasma…And this is why the sharp end of the market has moved on.. The forward-looking bods in the interiors market no longer shop anywhere you or I shop, because if they did there would be the chance they might buy something someone else might own. No, the fashion these days is for one-off pieces that aspire to art..” says Dylan Jones, editor of GQ Magazine in Live Magazine (Mail on Sunday, March 2008).

“After a decade of an increasing obsession with brands, glitz and sleek style, accompanied by a faux cheer … a new era has begun…The result is a shift in values. When it comes to lifestyle and design, practicality and comfort merge with style. Life’s objects are chosen because they delight the eye and lift the spirit, not to impress others…this era of exploration involves discovering, honing and embracing ones own tastes, making them less contrived, truer – even if they run counter to trends.” Shelley von Strunckel, Elle Decoration, February 2008

Couldn't agree more! And you?
Are you? Will you?