Estee Lauder suffers as lipstick sales dive in lockdown

Estee Lauder is still being battered by lockdowns, as lacklustre demand for cosmetics stifled the make-up business’s sales. 

Demand for make-up was weak, it explained, as consumers have been stuck at home during Covid lockdowns – and when they have left the house, face masks have eliminated the point of wearing lipstick or lip gloss. 

One bright spot for the company – which also owns the La Mer, Jo Malone London, Clinique, and Tom Ford Beauty brands – was China, which has recovered more quickly from the pandemic.

Estee Lauder which counts Bond girl Ana de Armas (pictured) as the face of its flagship brand, said demand for make-up was weak as consumers have been stuck at home during lockdowns

Sales at Estee Lauder’s make-up division fell 11 per cent to £730million. 

Across the group, Estee Lauder reported sales of £2.8billion in the first three months of this year, up 16 per cent on the same time last year. 

But the figures were below expectations. Estee Lauder, which counts Bond girl Ana de Armas as the face of its flagship brand, had been buying more skincare businesses as it noticed creams and serums were becoming increasingly popular. 

Chief executive Fabrizio Freda said he expected ‘the momentum in our sales growth to build’ over the next three months.