50 Shades Of Broke: The 'Lipstick Effect' And Looking Attractive In A Recession

What's in YOUR wallet?

Study Says Women Buy More Beauty Products During Hard Times

Your bank account is bleeding, your job is on the line and the economy is going down in flames all around you. But, hey, at least you look good. A controversial new study says women in a recession fall into The Lipstick Effect -- the tendency to buy more beauty products to attract a mate.

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Our friends over at YourTango.com have spotted Texas Christian University's new study, titled "Boosting beauty in an economic decline: Mating, spending, and the lipstick effect," and they are none too happy about the gender biases wrapped up in the researcher's results.

According to the study, this time of economic downturn has "consistently increased women's desire for products that increase attractiveness to mates -- the first experimental demonstration of the lipstick effect."

This "effect" posits that people are more willing to buy lower-cost luxury items (lipstick, not a Lexus) during a recession -- items that make you feel better about yourself but that don't appear to have a major impact on your available funds.

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Fine, that makes sense. But it gets weird when you bring in relationships. The study's researchers claim that the increase in cosmetics sales is due to an increased desire (conscious or otherwise) by women to find a mate, someone who can take financial care of them.

In other words, a woman's only option in dour days is to find a new shade of makeup and a rich man to pay for it all. Not only is that an unfair gender stereotype, but it's one step away from saying all women turn into prostitutes when they can't afford pretty things.

Head over to YourTango.com to read more or check out any of these other interesting stories:

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