Beauty pro division

In an ongoing effort to better understand women's beauty routines, L'Oreal, in its 100th year, commissioned an international usage survey. The research featured some unexpected findings about how women's makeup habits are adapting in response to the recession, including how women are using makeup to get ahead at work.

The Beauty Barometer survey asked 4,000 women in the U.S. and four European countries about their cosmetic products and usage. And findings revealed that while women have changed the shades they purchase to be more "natural," they won't be giving up their favorite products anytime soon. Survey highlights include:

• Nearly half of U.S. women surveyed believe wearing makeup gives them an advantage at work and makes them feel more in control
• Four out of 10 U.S. women are wearing more neutral shades and a more natural makeup style than before the recession
• The majority of women surveyed believe wearing makeup makes them feel more self confident, and even more believe that wearing makeup improves their self image (82 percent and 86 percent respectively)
  

Proving that beauty is recession-proof, nine out of 10 women in the United States and Europe reported no change in makeup usage despite the economic crisis.

Women won't compromise on their hair either - when it comes to saving money, most U.S. women surveyed (63 percent) have not cut their hair to make it less expensive to maintain.

L'Oreal has led the beauty industry for the past 100 years through a keen understanding of consumer attitudes and preferences. The brand's goal has always been to make beauty accessible to all and to develop products that meet the cultural preferences and beauty needs of women and men around the globe.

Founded in 1909 with a single hair dye product, today L'Oreal operates in more than 130 countries, boasts more than 80,000 products from 23 leading beauty brands and creates more than 7,000 new formulations each year.