10 Big Recession Surprises (Clue: One Involves Sex)

Certain beauty products, like lipstick and cosmetics have lived up to their recession-resistant reputations. But others have not and the industry overall is under unusual pressure. This may be best illustrated by the sharp falloff in revenues at nail salons, long a recession stalwart. Nail salons have seen revenue plunge 25% this year, says Bill Patterson, a Mintel analyst. Even more striking, he notes, is that there has been no corresponding increase in over-the-counter nail-coloring products. Fancy nails, it seems, just have not been a priority in this recession — possibly because many struggling women aren't in the mood to be flashy, but more likely, says Paterson, because "they'd rather go without nail coloring than do a bad job themselves."

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