Japanese women wearing brighter shades of lipstick means economy is doing well, study finds

If the economy is on the up, expect Japanese women to be wearing brighter shades of lipstick and to have bolder, thicker eyebrows. But if the nation is in the financial doldrums, they will be wearing more natural tones and pluck their eyebrows pencil thin, according to a new study by cosmetics giant Shiseido.

The report calls on statistics concerning make-up trends that go back 100 years and reflect the numerous ups and downs in the Japanese economy.

In the 1970s, for example, when the oil shock put a severe crimp in Japan's economy, women opted for thin eyebrows and lipsticks that were muted.

The same thing happened after Japan's economic bubble burst in the early 1990s, the author of the report determined.

"Women are sensitive to the atmosphere of the times," Setsuko Suzuki, Shiseido's senior hair and make-up artist, concluded.

"When society is in a bright mood, they prefer bright and lively make-up," she said. "When society is in a dark mood, they tend to use less lively and simpler make-up."