Neighbors Vent
Cosmetic Prices Rise
If you haven't shopped for cosmetics lately, brace yourself for sticker shock.
I stopped by CVS Pharmacy Thursday to buy lipstick and mascara. It had been a couple of months since my last cosmetic purchase, and I was in for a shocker. $8 for lipstick. $8 for mascara. My jaw dropped. I didn't purchase. I refuse to pay $8 for a tube of lipstick. Once home, I started researching the price increase. Raw material cost inflation, price fixing, and licorice are behind the retail cosmetic price increase. China Daily reports that Estee Lauder Inc. raised the price of its brands by an average of 8 to 10 percent on July 1, a move that follows price increases by its competitors, analysts say. "There are a couple of factors contributing to the increase in prices. The first is that the cost of the commodities used to make these …
