The topic of this week's HomeTrend Forecast is "The Lipstick Effect".

According to Nancy Upton, assistant marketing professor at Northeastern University College of Business Administration, we're seeing similar patterns today as were seen during the Depression.  Cosmetic sales, especially lipstick. increased during the Depression as women splurged on small, relatively inexpensive purchases like lipstick that cheered them up.  Color cosmetic sales are on the increase now for the same reason.  

It's called the "the Lipstick Effect"--the theory that holds that in rough economic times, a woman may not buy shoes, diamonds, or sofas, but she will comfort herself with lipstick and other affordable splurges. 

Housewares manufacturers and retailers should be taking advantage of "The Lipstick Effect".  After all, inexpensive housewares items, especially kitchen tool and gadgets, are affordable splurges, too, just like lipstick.