Lipstick Shines In Down Economy
MIAMI (CBS4) - Lips, whether they are red, pink, shiny or matte, ladies are loony over lipsticks.
"So a lipstick to a woman means what," asked CBS4's Lisa Petrillo.
"Everything!" exclaimed Tara Solomon. "Shoes lipsticks , glasses...I can be stark naked if I have good shoes and a good lipstick, I'm done. I'm set!"
Nina Rudolph agreed. "It makes me look younger."
"I'm definitely obsessed with lip gloss," said Alison Levin.
From Saks Fifth Avenue at Bal Harbour shops to Bloomingdale's in Aventura, the makeup counters are filled with every shade, brand and style of lipstick.
Elisabeth from Brazil made a beeline for Bloomingdale's and the cosmetics counter as soon as she landed in South Florida.
"I feel more sexy, more comfortable, more beautiful, of course," she told Petrillo.
And in tough economic times, ladies long for luscious lips even more. In fact, after 9/11, Estee Lauder Companies reported an increase in lipstick sales, theorizing that women get a boost when they buy lipstick.
Deborah Slack is Vice President and General Manager at Saks in Bal Harbour. "We haven't seen a slow down, not seen a slow down in cosmetic at all, across the board. No matter what happens the lipsticks are always gonna be selling."
And department store lipsticks can be pricey. The newest line to hit Saks is Tom Ford's, a top seller at $48 a stick.
While shooting this story, I ran into my sister Nina shopping for lipstick.
"Let me see how many you have in your bag?" Lisa asked her sister.
"I have quite a few lipsticks," replied Nina.
"Would you say you're lipstick obsessed?" Lisa inquired.
"I am not lipstick obsessed!" laughed Nina.
But Alison Levin won't leave the house without her gloss. "I have about 50 there in my car, my purse, my makeup bag..."
And when it comes to finding the right shades, makeup artists say it's up to you.
Justin Cessac is the National Makeup artist for Laura Mercier. "It's about what you enjoy. There really aren't rules anymore."
Now one of the most expensive lipsticks here at the Bloomingdale's counter is Sisley's long-lasting LipsTick. It's $55. But there is a special Mango Butter inside.
"I treat myself to one per week. On an especially tough week, I go for a Tom Ford lipstick.
