The XX Factor: What women really think.

Lipstick Level: The Foundation File?

According to the Financial Times (via Jezebel), lipstick is no longer the recession-related financial indicator: It has been supplanted by liquid foundation.

"L’Oréal, the world’s largest beauty company, has found in the UK market that foundation has edged out lipstick as the 'must-have' product for women, with more than one third of 18 to 19-year-olds citing it as their most essential beauty product against 8 per cent opting for lipstick.

"The only age group which still appreciates the glamour of painted lips is the over-60s, with 40 per cent surveyed citing lipstick as the most treasured item."

What does the shift from lips to skin quality mean?! Is it a nod to the ubiquity of digital cameras among the under-20 set? Has gloss become ascendant in the post-recession world? So many deeply important and unanswered questions.