Per Wikipedia, 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. 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.  The speculation was that women substitute more expensive purchases like dresses and shoes for lipstick in times of economic distress.

After years of being mocked, cat ladies may have the last laugh — at least when it comes to the beauty world. Cutesy kitties popped up on Miu Miu’s spring 2010 runway, and now they’re heading to your makeup bag. Paul & Joe have limited-edition cat-head lipsticks, while MAC’s newest collection is inspired by Burmese and Russian Blue cats. Then again, Stila’s always had a hit with Kitten, its shimmery pink cult-fave eye shadow. Feeling feline? Click the photos to check out some of the catty offerings.

BELLASUGAR

Why can’t people just use Ssscat?

A man was pulled over last week in Western New York and found to have a live kitty marinating in his trunk. It was sitting in crushed red peppers and chili and salt and he said he intended to cook and eat because it had become “possessive, greedy, and wasteful.” As the recession grows desperate, you yourself may find yourself wondering about the legality of frying up a fluffy four-legged friend. Slate probed case law state by state to find out.

Some states like New York, California, and Virginia have very specific laws barring the use of domesticated animals for culinary consumption. Others, like Missouri, have very few restrictions on how an owner might kill his pet. “In these areas,” writes Slate, “it would be difficult to lock up a cat-eater, unless his chosen means of slaughter were particularly inhumane.”

However, no matter which state you kill and eat your cat, you will go to hell.

Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty [Slate]

Consumerist

The momentum of the feline species in fashion has been steadily rising over the past couple of seasons. While they are so often the accessories — jumping over a model’s head, hanging off a celebrity arm, cuddling up to total strangers and pretending to love it against their wills just for the sake of a beautiful picture — last night at the Algonquin Hotel, their moment finally came. The cats starred in a runway show that was part of the birthday party of the hotel’s resident cat, Matilda. The result was fierce, ferosh, and perhaps a little frightening — but such is the very nature of boundary breaking.

nymag

LOOK OUT!  WE HAVE NOW ADDED TO THE SYSTEMIC RISK OF THE KITTY BUBBLE!   

We all knew that the kitty bubble has been (and probably started) in Japan…  But now there is strong evidence to believe that the Europeans have cought the kitty bug! 

It’s scary to think that analysts only see this as Europeans in a summer snooze.  These people can’t see the wood for the trees! 

NOW WHEN THIS THING POPS THE ENTIRE SYSTEM MAY COLLAPSE! 

Clusterstock:

Top of the page at Europe’s top-selling newspaper: NICHOLAS CAGE: MEIN IRRER DROGENTRIP MIT MEINER KATZE.

That’s right, the summer snooze is extreme in vacation-loving Europe.

We are WAY worse off than I thought… 

If this doesn’t remind you of people quitting their jobs to trade stocks full time during the internet bubble or becoming housing “experts” during the housing bubble, than I don’t know will!!

When this market bursts it’s going to hurt, but maybe these people deserve it??

Jezebel

Former photojournalist Jill Johnson explains how she decided to write Glamourpuss: The Enchanting World of Kitty Wigs: “I was thinking, ‘Serious journalist? Cats in wigs. Serious journalist? Cats in wigs.’ And so, I did it!” Trust us Jill, we understand.