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分享一个知识点。 Reader question: Please elaborate on the meaning of “lipstick effect”, from the article ‘Lipstick effect’ in full swing, economists say (Telegraph.co.uk, December 22, 2008)? And how do we put this in Chinese? My comments: Lipstick is the sticky oily thing women smear – oops, wrong word, perhaps – their lips with, ostensibly to make them look better. But how can they make them look better when they have perfectly good lips in the first place. I’m talking about teen-age women and even young girls wearing that thing, you know. Anyways, let’s get stick with “lipstick effect”, and this has nothing to do with Sarah Palin (See my column “Lipstick on the Campaign Trail”, September 23, 2008). It has to do with how women and men in general spend their money during an economic downturn. In short, lipstick effect refers to the phenomenon wherein cosmetics sales continue to grow while sales of most other luxury goods take a beating in an economic recession such as the one we’re experiencing right now. Why? Because women want to use a little lipstick to brighten themselves up even when times are hard. It’s the feel-good factor at work, I guess. Men are the same. Even though they may scrap plans for another car or a villa in the country, they will continue to buy smaller luxury items such as an electric shaver, a Rolex wristwatch or an IPod player. | 
