abstract:The lipstick index is a term coined by Leonard Lauder, chairman of the board of Estee Lauder, used to describe increased sales of cosmetics during the Early 2000s recession."Lip service", The Economist, January 23, 2009 Lauder made the claim that lipstick sales could be an economic indicator, in that purchases of cosmetics - lipstick in particular - tend to be inversely correlated to economic health.