There’s something about Christmas that magnifies everything. The joy. The chaos. And the long lunches, where plating up a kilo of prawns comes close to covering the deposit for a small car. You know things are getting serious when even Santa is being told there are no biscuits left in the budget. Sorry buddy. Times are tough. We’re skipping cookies. Enjoy a carrot stick with your beer.
It’s exactly this festive financial squeeze that has made the long-lauded Lipstick Effect feel especially real as December rolls in. The idea that hard times make us reach for the things that help us feel more polished, more in control, and just a bit more alive first took off when Estee Lauder’s Leonard Lauder noticed lipstick sales booming during tough times. The logic was simple. When the big buys become unrealistic, people turn to smaller feel-good treats that deliver a quick mood lift. A tiny swap of cash for instant transformation. A little luxury to borrow some sparkle from.
Some psychologists even suggest it is part survival instinct, prompting us to present our most confident selves when resources feel scarce. Whatever the reason, the truth is clear. A small beauty ritual can do wonders.
Which brings us neatly to the cost-of-living Christmas compromise era we’re currently living in. Less presents under the tree. Simpler feasts on the table. Fewer spontaneous December splurges. Yet, even with all the trimming back and tightening up, there’s still that flicker of wanting to feel a bit magical. A bit indulgent. A bit you, but shinier. And that’s the beauty of the Lipstick Effect at Christmas. You don’t need a pair of Loubs, a luxury holiday, or in this instance, even a new tube of gloss to feel lifted. Sometimes all it takes is one small, glorious thing that brings the sparkle back.
Because while lipstick has long been the go-to “things are tough but I still want to feel cute” purchase, this month, mascaras have muscled their way into the spotlight. From panettone for breakfast to midnight pavlova parties for one (plus the indignity of bumping into friends you went to school with while buying wrapping paper at 8 pm), mascara has quietly become the festive season’s most practical pick-me-up. It offers the same low-cost instant lift as lipstick, just with far better survival skills. No concerns about transferring your pink pout onto Aunty Jan’s cheeks!
One particularly strong main character energy mascara is the YSL Beauty Lash Clash Mascara. Alongside staying power that promises to hold up through heat, humidity, and the emotional rollercoaster that ham debates at Christmas lunch throw at you, beauty lovers have all been calling out its ridiculously good buildable volume (400%). Plus, the formula includes Iris Extract from the YSL Beauty Ourika Community Gardens to support lash health. Basically, your lashes aren’t just pumped with pigment. They’re looked after. It doesn’t flinch.
Ultimately, whether your luxury buy is painting your lips or lashes, maybe that’s why these little beauty buys feel so comforting right now. They’re small enough to justify, practical enough to be useful and still indulgent enough to feel like a treat. A reminder that even in a season where budgets tighten, and indulgences shrink, there’s room for something that adds a touch of glamour without tipping you into financial regret.
So yes, maybe Santa won’t be getting biscuits this year. But your lashes can still live their best festive life.