Beauty goes bare

Published on Monday 25 May 2009 20:31

THEY say that when the financial going gets tough, women everywhere reach for a pillar-box red lipstick to help them smile their way stylishly through a recession. The theory goes like this: with the world and his wife reining in their spending, a Chanel suit might be off the cards, a Chanel bag might be the stuff of dreams, but a Chanel lipstick? At less than £20, it's a relatively affordable way to treat yourself at a time when treats are few and far between.

However, recent research from Mintel suggests that in this particular recession, those red lippies are languishing at the bottom of our handbags as women invest in skin and hair care instead. Just three per cent of women surveyed said that they have purchased a lipstick to make themselves feel better, with the same percentage giving the same answer for skincare, haircare and fragrance. Lip colour came top of the list of products women would be most likely to spend less on or stop using. Only one in four of the women surveyed, though, said they have stopped going for beauty treatments.

Sadie-Jean Sloss, a professional make-up artist and owner of the Edinburgh beauty boutique DollyLeo, says that she has noticed a distinct change in buying habits since the credit crunch kicked in. "Women are still spending but they have definitely changed what they are buying," she says.

"There has been an incredible upsurge in clients booking in to have eyelash extensions, eyebrow threading and facials, while cosmetic sales have dipped slightly. Women seem to be after a very groomed but natural look at the moment. In the way that a lot of women are looking at 'investment' pieces when it comes to fashion in this downturn, I think that they are also very keen to invest in their skin."

It's the same story at the beauty counters in Harvey Nichols. "We've seen sales of skincare rise by 50 per cent since last year," says Lauren Gray, the manager of the Laura Mercier counter. "People are keen to achieve the best possible canvas for their make-up by investing in skincare. And when it comes to make-up, they're becoming increasingly interested in products that will create a 'flawless' look – primers and foundations, for example – over things like lipsticks or eyeshadows."

"Skincare and make-up are becoming increasingly interwoven," adds Kevin Stewart, a stylist at Harvey Nichols. "The concealer pens from La Prairie are a great example; make-up and an eye treatment in one."

Make-up to help create the illusion of a make-up-free look may be on the up, but truly bare-faced chic could become a bonafide trend for cash-strapped fashion followers this summer. Last month's French Elle magazine featured eight female celebrities – including cover stars Eva Herzigova, Monica Bellucci and Sophie Marceau – all without any make-up or digital retouching, while a trend for nude shades and natural make-up were seen all over the spring/summer 2009 catwalks, with designers including Chloe and Derek Lam sending models out in very minimal slap.

And it's not just faces that are going nude. Witness Angelina Jolie turning up at the Cannes Film Festival last week in a floaty, pale-peach Versace dress.

The nude trend was big at the Oscars this year, with everyone from Anne Hathaway to Penelope Cruz turning out in skin tones, and designers such as Stella McCartney, Valentino and Derek Lam have all embraced the trend for spring/summer 2009.

"Nude shades and natural make-up are huge this season, and it just so happens to be perfect timing, with people thinking more carefully about how they spend their money," says Jane Cunningham of beauty blog Beautyandthedirt.co.uk.

"If you've got fantastic skin you can often bypass foundation, powder and concealer, so it can make sense to invest in good skincare products rather than expensive make-up. At the moment, people seem to be downgrading on products that are trend-focused, like bright eyeshadows, and investing in good skincare."

The irony of the flawless 'no make-up' look is that from facials to eyebrow threading it can require rather a lot of maintenance. Can't be bothered putting in the effort and want to achieve a flawless finish without the legwork?

Products with a light consistency but a dense pigment will even out your skin tone without looking heavy, while an illuminating primer will give you a subtle glow and help your foundation to hang on all night long. Eyes and lips should be kept to a minimum and a cream or gel blusher will complete the look.

And if you really want to keep slap to the bare minimum, you can't beat a slick of Vaseline, which recently took the top spot in a poll of 2000 women by Superdrug of the beauty products that British women can't live without.

This tried-and-tested favourite is great for taming eyebrows, moisturising lips and highlighting eyes and cheekbones, all for plenty of change from a fiver.

And it's not just high-maintenance skin that's in. The Velcro hair roller – loved in equal measure by Margaret Thatcher and Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria-Parker – appears to be back. Trevor Sorbie is reporting an 80 per cent increase in sales of rollers – which help maintain your style between salon appointments –- since last August. Vogue magazine has also reported on the return of semi-permanent make-up for eyebrows, lips and the eye-line. Of course, if you truly want to embrace bare-faced chic and save a penny or three at the same time, you could always consider forgoing the slap altogether, ditching the skincare regime in favour of an extra 15 minutes in bed and leaving the house make-up free. Radical, we know.