Designer coats and crystal glasses can be hard sells in a tough economy. But lipstick is another story. At least that's the thinking behind the "lipstick index," termed by Leonard Lauder, chairman emeritus of cosmetics company Estée Lauder, in 2001 to explain the surge in lipstick sales during that recession. Lately, the lipstick theory hasn't been holding up. Lipstick sales – on the decline since 2007 – continued to fall in 2010, according to the latest data on the product released by market research firm Mintel. That throws lipstick out the window in the hunt for measures of recessionary spending in the Great R ... (full story)