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How the economic downturn is affecting beauty spending in Dallas
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Okay, we're in an economic crisis, and we're cutting back on quite a few luxuries and buying less expensive necessities, but to what extent? There has been one thing I have definitely not cut back on, though, and that is on my beauty products and services. I'm sorry. Some things are just too important. Seriously, though, when I set about planning this article, I wanted to know about how the "Lipstick Factor" has affected Dallas women.
The Lipstick Factor, according to Chrissy Dolezal of suite101.com, is a phenomenon in which people buysmaller luxuries like lipstick to make up for the major purchases they aren't getting to make during a recession or depression. In fact, Dolezal mentiions that Diane Swonk from Meisirow Financial told ABC News that lipstick sales actually increased during the Great Depression.
The Lipstick Factor aside, I hypothesized that Dallas women in particular would be loathe to give up their beauty products and services. Most people who live in the Metroplex know that Dallas is a high-maintenance city where women try to look their best on a daily basis. Dallas women aren't going to let their brown roots show just because of some little economic crisis.
To test my hypothesis, I looked back to my psychology classes in college and designed a simple survey. It asked women to anonymously rate how much they agreed or disagreed with fifteen statements about the economy, beauty products, and beauty services. My friend and I then took the survey to a local mall, an upscale sushi bar, a bowling alley, a North Dallas business headquarters, a community college, and also asked some friends to take it.
My results were confusing at first. I wound up with wishy-washy results that neither supported my hypothesis nor the opposite theory (Dallas women are spending less on beauty). Then, someone advised me to look at my numbers differently, and I got a much clearer picture. According to my first glance, some women are spending less on beauty products and services, and some are spending less. I should have expected that. Silly me!
However, the alternative interpretation of the survey results supported my hypothesis that Dallas women are not willing to sacrifice beauty no matter how bad the economic situation is right now. Almost every woman surveyed answered that she was quite aware of the poor state of the economy and that she has noticed the effects in her daily life. In fact, most women strongly agreed with the statement, "I am spending less money in general." They answered similarly to a question about spending less on beauty products.
Yet, the rest of the survey paints a different picture. Dallas women, as represented by the 41 women sampled, are highly devoted to their current hair product brands, no matter how pricey, and haven't switched in this new economy, though they are spending less money on hair products in general. Perhaps they are buying the same brand of conditioner but using it more sparingly, for example. One thing Dallas women will not sacrifice is the frequency of salon visits. Women strongly disagreed with the implication that they are getting their hair cut or colored less often, and they haven't switched to less expensive salons, either. Of course, this last piece of data might be explained by hair stylist loyalty. Some women feel worse cheating on their stylist than their boyfriend, after all.
As for makeup, women are not reducing how much they spend at all, and they are refusing to switch to a less expensive brand. It's the same story with skincare products as with makeup. Sacrifices are not being made.
Interestingly, nails don't seem to be nearly as important to Dallas women. In fact, most women strongly agreed with the statement, "I get manicures or pedicures less often than before."
I got a lot of great comments from my surveys. One survey-taker wrote,“I am a licensed cosmetologist who does not suffer from the economic depression we are all currently in thanks to the fact TX is 1 of the 5 states (that feels) this poor economy (less than other states). NEVER use less than the best especially when it comes to your hair.” Don't worry, we aren't!
There were some conflicting statements, as would be expected. While one woman wrote, "(the) economy doesn’t effect my beauty care products,” another told me, "“I do not have a job so I can not afford the lifestyle I did before because of my economic situation.”
Luckily, as evidenced by the results of my last survey statement that inquired as to whether or not cutting back on beauty spending has changed their personal images of how beautiful or attractive they are, Dallas women still feel gorgeous, as they should. Most women strongly disagreed with the idea that the economy is making them feel less beautiful. In fact, some women are using beauty as a sort of offset to the economy. A survey-taker commented,“spending money on beauty is cheaper than a lot of things and it makes me feel better about myself. I am NOT changing my hair routine because then I would feel worse....We still want to look pretty and we will spend a few bucks on a new lipstick instead of a lot on a new shirt or jeans.” The "lipstick factor" at work!
I hate to end with a downer, but we have to remember that the economic recession is just beginning. In this month's D, Editor in Chief, Wick Allison, predicts that "Dallas was the last city to sink into recession and will be the first to emerge from it." Even if he is correct, and I hope he is, things are almost certainly going to get tougher. Perhaps one of the most insightful comments I received was, "I expect I will curtail my spending in the upcoming months more than I have to date." Perhaps I will distribute this survey again in six months to a year from now, and we can see if that anonymous prophet is correct.
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