Showing posts with label beautynomics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beautynomics. Show all posts

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Beautynomics: Sagging Economy and Sagging Hips

cartoon of two women sitting at a table probably having lunch, and one woman says to a woman with no wrinkles, too much botox, Mavis

According to USA Today, 53 percent of plastic surgeons say business has slowed, gym memberships fell last year for the first time in more than a decade, and the Jenny Craig diet program is down by 30 to 40 percent since the first of the year.

Guess who's saving face? Botox!


Botox injections are the growth leader in the cosmetic industry.

This $12.4-billion-a-year business is thriving, while the health-related businesses (gym memberships and diet/nutrition programs) are slowing?

What's wrong with this picture?

cartoon of men at a board meeting saying, we need a fresh, young face on the board, simpksons, get botox injected

Source: USA Today: As Economy Softens, So Do We (July 9, 2008)

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Thursday, July 3, 2008

How Does The Recession Affect Fashionistas and Beauty Addicts

cartoon of a blonde woman driving a pink carHow does the recession affect fashionistas and beauty addicts? This beauty addict used to dart here and there in my car, never giving a second thought to how much money I was spending on gas. But darting from here and there last weekend, I thought, "What does it cost for this pleasure trip?"

In case you haven't noticed, we're spending twice as much to fill up our gas tank as we were 2- to 2-1/2 years ago. I know you've noticed. I have, too, And it really hit home when I calculated that the price of admission for my roundtrip frivolous, pleasure trip for said darting activity, which was about 20 miles roundtrip, was $5 in gas. I know that doesn't sound like much, but I'm thinking about the poor souls that drive back and forth to work and the fill-'er-up is up to $70.

The U.S. consumer did not start altering their behavior until gas hit about $3.50 per gallon. In financial-speak, that is called demand destruction. I didn't take notice until gas crept to $4 a gallon. In right-brain artistic speak, that is called cash-in-hand obstruction.

How does this affect beauty addicts and fashionistas?

Beauty addicts and fashionistas have already changed their shopping habits and are looking for creative ways to cut costs because of the soaring prices for fuel. The daily trade-offs include buying drugstore beauty products instead of department store beauty products, switching from Armani to Target's Mossimo. I know. It hurts.

What's your recession strategy? Are you making trade-offs? Will you shop more online?

Beckie

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Beauteous Tuesday: 10 Things to Buy at Beauty Supply Stores

It's Beauteous Tuesday and time for another episode of beautynomics 101. Even if you aren't as well-healed as Queen of Mean Leona Helmsley's dog Trouble, you can save big on beauty products at beauty supply stores. With the economy being so ruff, beauty supply stores are brains on beauty. They can be found on main streets and in strip malls across the country, allowing everyone to feel like a Princess of Provisions.

Nationally, the big three are Sally Beauty Supply, Ulta, and Ricky's. Shopping like a professional is easy when you know what to look for in a beauty supply store. So let's go shopping:


  1. Elchim hairdryers
    Elchim silver hairdryer

  2. Hai flatirons



    picture of Hai flatiron with blue blade
  3. Babyliss curling irons

  4. Mason Pearson brushes
    picture of Mason Pearson pink brush
  5. L'Oreal Elnett Hairspray
    blue bottle of Naturelle Park Avenue shampoo
  6. Nail care.
    picture of pediments and tools for manicures and pedicures
  7. Tiny bottles of shampoo for travel or big bottles of shampoo for a big savings.

  8. Bungee-cord elastics.
    picture of black with silver knobs bungee cord elastics for hair
  9. Nonlatex sponges. Makeup artists buy these by the dozen.

  10. Empty makeup palettes that can hold concealer, lipstick, cream blusher, and eyeshadow.

picture of black, empty makeup palette



Happy Shopping.

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Thursday, June 5, 2008

Beautynomics: Is Consumer Vanity Outweighing Fear of a Recession

picture of a woman getting BotoxWe have not written a post recently about beautynomics, primarily because who wants to write about all that doom and gloom, but according to financial-istas (hot off the presses), it looks like Allergan --makers of Lumilash, Botox, Juvederm, Botox, and breast implants -- could have a good return on your investment. So you may want to add this to your stock portfolio investments, as well as your beauty portfolio.

According to Bernstein Research,


  • The most important development presented yesterday was the unveiling of the Lumilash program. Lumilash makes eyelashes longer, darker and fuller and has minimal side-effects (it did not, as we feared, cause a change in eye color). We expect strong uptake and peak sales approaching $500M. (Girl-Woman will be one of the first bloggers to be testing and reviewing Lumilash.)

  • The other key development was the announcement AGN is pushing forward the Juvederm with Lidocaine program where it now expects approval by YE09. This is a next generation dermal filler that could help AGN break the tie with MRX's Restylane – a largely equivalent product. Between Lumilash, Juvederm w/ Lidocaine and the Clinique products, Allergan is building a lead over other aesthetic companies, notably MRX -- Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. It is difficult to see aesthetic physicians being unhappy with AGN given the assortment of new products. (See Girl-Woman's comparison of Restylane and Juvederm). Additionally, according to my derm's office, there is a new kid on the block -- Radiesse. Radiesse is one of the longest-lasting dermal fillers available. Once it is injected, it actually stimulates the production of collagen. Girl-Woman will test Radiesse in the future and compare it to Juvederm and Restylane.
  • There is also solid mid term progress which may come to fruition around 2010. The FDA may consider reducing the number of cycles required in the Botox-OAB clinical trials. There were also no delays in follow on Lap-Band programs in adolescence and lower BMI patients.
Although Botox's reputation was in question when Italian scientists discovered that Botox goes to the brain and when the Food and Drug Administration linked the product to side effects that caused deaths in some children being treated for cerebral palsy, many have postulated that the large dose used to decrease the spasticity in the children was the cause for the deaths.

On the flip side, doctors are advising “There is no need for alarm because even though Botox is transported along the nerve fiber as far as the brainstem, it is biologically metabolized and broken down along the way and simply has no other place it can act other than where it got absorbed, at the nerve terminal."

The breast implant market is also dominated by Allergan, and some analysts believe that although the fears of a recession will slow the growth of the implant market, sales will continue to blossom.

Although this could be a good stock for your portfolio -- investment or beauty --if financial sacrifices have to be made, do you think luxury consumers will forgo Jimmy Choo shoes so that they can continue their $500 to a $1,000 Botox and Juvederm habit? How about the $7,000 price tag associated with breast implants?

Source: Bernstein Research, Alan Gal

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Saturday, March 8, 2008

Women Over 50 Have "Cha-Ching" Power

model winner of More magazine's model search

Women over 50 have a substantial amount of cash to indulge in all facets of beauty and fashion. After years of carpooling or competing in the business world, they are treating themselves to spa vacations or pampering themselves with anti-aging products or reinventing their style. Even in a "recession," these gals still have spending power (cha-ching) and advertising companies have responded with a bevy of 50+ models.
  • Kim Basinger has been the face of Prada and Miu Miu.

  • Sharon Stone became a face of the Dior skin care range.

  • Twiggy's union with Marks and Spencer is credited with attracting customers who had defected and sought clothing elsewhere.

  • Madonna modeled for Versace.

  • Dove used a woman of 95 in their last campaign which featured the skin of ordinary women.

  • More magazine, Celebrating Women Over 40, conducted a model search for women from the age of 40 to 51. (Don't even get me started on the age cutoff.)

As a result of television --makeovers featured on Oprah, What Not To Wear, beauty and fashion segments on the morning news shows -- and the result of magazines and blogs, women over the age of 50 are reinventing how they look.

They are throwing caution to the wind and trying styles that their daughters are wearing, trying new hairstyles, new makeup trends, and often are the ones perched on the stool at the department store beauty counter getting a makeover. Advertisers have learned that they should never underestimate the spending power or personal power of women over 50. Cha-ching.

Have a great Saturday,
Beckie

(Image: More)

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