February 1, 2021

How Covid Upended the Lipstick Index With A Self Care Revolution

The economy is in pretty bad shape which means the lipstick index should be going up but in 2020 COVID upended the Lipstick Index and started a self-care revolution. Makeup sales plunged and what came out of it?

A rally of skincare! Skincare sales were up 24% last year alone and are sure to go up even further as more and more people stay home and ditch their makeup bags. I haven’t quite reached the stage I’m ditching my makeup bag just yet. This morning I woke up, hopped on my treadmill for 45 minutes, hit the shower, and yes, sat down, and put on my makeup even though it’s a massive snow storm out and I’m working from home I still wanted to look pretty. Hopefully I’m helping the lipstick index to inch up a little.

In all seriousness, last year was a discovery of self-care in particular skincare has become an important part of everyone’s routine and I’m here for that as a long time skincare junkie! I love that younger girls are learning how to take care of their skin better! I love they aren’t relying on foundation to hide problems but instead looking to skincare to fix them! The fact of the matter is with so many people staying home makeup has become something we aren’t concerned with at the moment! It’s not like we’re seeing anyone so makeup isn’t necessary! Not to mention when we do see people we have to wear a mask but wearing lipgloss or lipstick under a mask is messy AF! I was convinced we’d see some increase in eyeshadow sales but it never happened in 2020 and I’m not sure it will this year either!

Allegedly sales in makeup were down nearly 40% last year because woman (and men) are wearing less makeup. I think lock down definitely contributed to this but also, the beauty bubble was breaking down already prior to the pandemic and COVID as we slowly realized we don’t have to contour and highlight ourselves to death to look great.

GME stock is rallying like the champion in an epic sci-fi adventure movie but will makeup rally as well? I doubt it. I think the world of makeup climbed too high, too fast and it caused a downfall. The market is saturated to a point we need a purge in order to regain interest and sales. I just worry that purge means more brands will be filing Chapter 11.

Which brands will go and which will stay?

Who has sustainability in this war?

What do you think?

Is makeup over?

15 Comments

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Lauren

    I purposefully haven’t bought one lipstick since the advent of masks. It just seems like an utter waste, and yet its the first thing I reach for when going on video call. My beauty spending went to high end fragrance samplers this year. I guess fragrance came out on top as something I truly wear just for me. At home, on the weekends, or on a onsite work day. Fragrance feels like a personal art composition I can contemplate throughout my day.

    • Isabella Muse

      fragrance has always been a major part of my beauty collection! It even at home I like to mist something pretty on to wear! If I want to splurge fragrance is def my splurge zone!

  • Christina

    I think makeup will slow down a little for the big established brands, but the indie brands seem to be popping up left and right still. I know I have makeup fatigue, not necessarily because of Covid, but because there are just too many brands and too many releases. It’s overwhelming and uninspiring when everyone releases the same thing at once. But then I remember that there are always people getting into makeup, so I think the beauty industry will do just fine.

    I always want to wear makeup before heading off to work, but my goodness, my cat is taking up all my morning time. He demands constant attention. Make him stop! LOL!

    • Isabella Muse

      I see some indie brands that sink a lot of cash into their development and I cringe every so slightly because if you make it on social media you’re pretty much solid. If they love you on reddit, ig, etc you’ll gain a very loyal fan base but if you don’t, it feels like you can get very lost in a sea of different brands! We all do! It started before Covid! Lucky most brands slowed down with releases but the damage was already done. I think they’ll be fine too but I do think some brands might struggle as well if they keep on the same path and don’t switch things up! LOL! AWWW! I want pics!

      • Christina

        Yes, exactly my thoughts about social media and indie brands. Instagram is where it’s at. I’ll be the first to admit that when I see some pretty swatches, I’ll click on the brand’s page to see what else they have. I 100% never buy anything because I’m not into extremely saturated duo/multi chromes and pigmented, thick shadows, but they catch my attention.

        Will text you some pics of crazy cat. What was I thinking?!!!

  • kjh

    We’ve seen brands go from Barney’s (Booooo!) to masstige; Lipstick Queen, Cargo, and theBalm come to mind. Lorac has dropped a tier, too. Downmarketing probably is a survival strategy. S & U are partnering with mass market stores. In the same time period, UHE is flourishing with Pat, Charlotte joining the top contenders. The brands we think of as solid ‘mid-end’ like too faced and UD are being acquired. Shiseido owns everybody, including Nars. L’Oreal owns whoever they don’t. Only a semi-joke. What i see happening is some brand folds, and the rest becoming more polarized. Aimed at the haves and aimed at the have nots. Ulta’s model addresses both. Sephora is scrambling. I think mid to higher end will plummet first, because that’s where I think the fat is. Lauder could decide to drop, spin off, sell off, or take a loss on too faced, depending on EL’s bottom line needs. Online shopping preference is giving a boost to the indies like never before. Maybe fewer LEs, more permanent items. Seasonal, not twice a week! It will be interesting to watch.

    • Isabella Muse

      Oh I beg to disagree on Charlotte and Pat both of which are not as top contending as they once were! Charlotte has been on the Rack and Pat is at TJ so, no, I def feel things have changed in regards to their high-end status and I think we’ll see more of it in the future and you’re right down marketing is totally a survival tactic but also, it’s a product of parent companies even prior to the beauty bubble bursting! I wouldn’t even say Shiseido I’d go with EL and L’Oreal owning 80% of it all! Total monopoly between the two of them! Watching Sephora scramble is absolutely horrifying and interesting at the same time. Sephora has literally lost one foot in the war of beauty and they are falling fast! lvmh must be slowly dying inside!

  • Kirstie

    The market was saturated prior to the pandemic. I still wear makeup every day for video calls and to feel like myself as I love the routine. But spf, concealer, mascara, blush are all I use compared to what I was before! Brands were coming out with too many low quality launches. And we consumers don’t really need all of it. For the environment, the storage space, and our wallets. We will also lose a favorite brand or product sadly.

    • Isabella Muse

      absolutely it was, I didn’t say it wasn’t 🙂 The pandemic just sort of pushed things over the edge. I adore the routine too! Even if I don’t have zoom meetings I still like putting my makeup on! It makes me feel like things are normal!

  • Eraser

    Maybe they’ll go back to the “old-fashioned” way of launching 4 seasonal color stories and possibly a few special holiday items. Back in the 80s, we would clamor for the new shades. Anticipation and delayed gratification heightens enjoyment, believe it or not! I agree that there’s just a glut of “newness” these days.

    • Dee

      I hope this is what happens. I am back into my routine of putting on makeup everyday so it will never be over for me! But there is so MUCH of it being released constantly that I got bored and uninterested in buying anything.

  • MelodyJ

    I have been focusing on skin, hair body and nail care products. I checked my makeup to see if it is still good. I love care type products they feel so nurturing.

  • Carol

    I haven’t worn makeup in almost a year other than mascara/eyeshadow. I have only purchased minimal skincare and a couple perfumes.
    Where I used to never even run to the store without full makeup on, I am okay with it now. While not perfect, I feel like my skin looks better than it has since I was a teenager. Maybe I really needed to get that stuff off my face.
    Don’t ask me about all the dip nail colors I bought though. That has been my “self care.”�

    • Isabella Muse

      haha a lot of people developed an addiction to polish during lock down!