In 2001, Leonard Lauder, then chairman of Estee Lauder, coined the term ‘lipstick index’. He was referring to what he saw as the resilience of makeup sales in times of economic hardship, an affordable indulgence for women who otherwise might be cutting back.
After all, when things are tough, women feel that a dash of lipstick can do wonders for their morale – and I am no exception.
But this time, women have bucked the lipstick index. Early in the pandemic amid the growing economic difficulties, sales of lipstick started to plummet. After all, if you're staying home, who needs lipstick and makeup?
As the new normal set in and face masks became the norm, there was talk of a 'mascara index’. With sales of eye makeup rising, women seemed to shift their beauty focus to the area of their face that was actually visible.
In the context of the pandemic, Estee Lauder’s current chief executive has said that the lipstick index has been substituted by "the moisturiser index".
The view is that while the current period may not reflect a huge interest in people's desire to stock up on lipstick, moisturisers still remain a reliable index of consumption trends.
Moisturisers, however, fill a very different need in women’s grooming routine. It is one of those cosmetic products that are not about the gaze of another. Moisturisers have nothing to do with how women present themselves to the outside world. It is more personal, it is about care for oneself.
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In many ads for moisturisers though there is still the shameful message conveyed that using moisturiser can stop ageing, as though growing old is the great crime of our era.
Despite some of these ageist campaigns, during the pandemic, something radical started to happen with regard to women and beauty.
We are seeing the beginnings of an important shift – women are discarding unattainable beauty standards, to which they are constantly subjected and to which they would, in a pre-pandemic world, have had to strive to achieve at all costs.
This year has caused, however minor, a shift in perception – to not judge women based on their appearance. If this perception gained wider acceptance, it would free women from all the pressure and judgment that comes with adhering to these unattainable standards of beauty.
Trying to keep up and appearing constantly beautiful can be a second career for a lot of women, especially those who have more public-facing jobs. It costs money and time, and the payback is often poor self-esteem and constant, unwarranted judgment. Many of us women accept this and spend our lives too conscious, if not ashamed, of our faces and bodies, feeling as if our looks define who we are, our worth and the success we will achieve in life.
Critics of patriarchy describe this as commodifying women, ascribing value based on looks. Critics of capitalism say that the market benefits from women being kept in this state of anxiety; self-doubt as a way to keep up sales of cosmetics and makeup.
At the intersection of the capitalism and patriarchy, there is talk of how women being encouraged to enter the workplace provides companies with a stream of cheaper labour as men famously, in several if not most industries, are paid more than their equally-competent women colleagues.
Add to this the pressures women face to be well-dressed and well-groomed. This essentially means women, as compared to men, put disproportionate amounts of their income back into the consumer economy.
This is the opportunity for women to take control of their image and reject the pressures placed disproportionately on them
One can't help but think the system is rigged so that the majority of women do not rise to the same ranks of power as men, and many continue to be judged on their looks rather than on their work or talent.
Now, given the pandemic, there is no longer a physical workplace as we knew it. As a result, working women, broadly speaking, don't need to ‘put their face on’ or wear uncomfortable high heels to the office.
In these past few months, they have been freed of such constraints and have been able to, for the most part, do things for themselves, look beautiful and feel good for themselves rather than out of a societal expectation of how they should appear.
Going back to negative perceptions of ageing, hair is a great example. At least anecdotally, I know many women who this year decided to go grey rather than keep dyeing their hair, and they expressed this as a form of liberation.
For so many women, their chances of living a successful life are so utterly defined by their looks, that this shift – from presenting oneself in a certain way to the outside world to focusing more on self-care – is a significant moment.
This is an opportunity for women to take control of their image and reject the pressures placed disproportionately on them. It is a chance to think about the self rather than others, something that too many women are socialised out of from a young age. It is a chance for women to assert that it is who they are that matters, rather than what they look like.
Shelina Janmohamed is the author of Love in a Headscarf. Her latest book is The Extraordinary Life of Serena Williams
Honeymoonish
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Company%20Profile
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Company%C2%A0profile
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
