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Daily English Pod
Daily English Pod is a space for learning English beyond grammar and textbooks.
During the week, you’ll learn practical vocabulary, expressions, idioms, and real-life English- the language people actually use in everyday conversations, emotions, and work.
On weekends, we slow down. Through ideas from psychology, philosophy, and real human experience, we explore language as a way to better understand life, emotions, identity, and growth.
This podcast is created by Jale, an English teacher with 13 years of teaching experience and a Master’s degree in English language and literature based in Canada, who teaches with patience, clarity, and care, and believes learning works best when students feel seen, respected, and safe to think aloud.
The goal is simple but meaningful: to help you understand English deeply, use it confidently, and connect it to your real life. English here is not just a skill. It’s a gentle companion for clearer thinking, honest expression, and deeper human connection.
Daily English Pod
The Lipstick Effect
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The Lipstick Effect
Have you ever noticed that during a difficult or uncertain period, you suddenly want to buy yourself something small?
Not a car.
Not an expensive holiday.
Maybe a lipstick.
A perfume.
A nice coffee.
A book.
Something you do not really need… but that somehow makes the day feel a little better.
There is actually a name for this:
the lipstick effect.
Have you ever noticed that during a difficult or uncertain period, you suddenly want to buy yourself something small?
Not a car.
Not an expensive holiday.
Maybe a lipstick.
A perfume.
A nice coffee.
A book.
Something you do not really need… but that somehow makes the day feel a little better.
There is actually a name for this:
the lipstick effect.
The idea became widely known after Leonard Lauder of Estée Lauder noticed rising lipstick sales during the 2001 recession and proposed what became known as the “lipstick index.” The thought was simple: when larger luxuries feel unaffordable, people may still allow themselves a smaller, more accessible luxury.
Now, it is important to say that this is not a reliable economic law. But the psychology behind the idea is what interests me.
Because maybe, when we buy a small luxury, we are not really buying the object.
We may be buying a feeling.
A little comfort.
A sense of normality.
A small reward.
Or perhaps a tiny bit of control when the larger parts of life feel uncertain.
Think about it.
When life feels unpredictable, there are many things we cannot control.
The economy.
Our work situation.
Other people.
What happens next.
But we can choose the coffee.
The flowers.
The lipstick.
The meal we enjoy.
That small choice can quietly say:
“I may not control everything, but I can still create one pleasant moment.”
It tells us something about how human beings respond to uncertainty.
We do not search only for security.
We also search for small signs of pleasure, dignity, beauty, and normality.
At times, those things matter more than we think.
A difficult period can make life feel reduced to problems that need solving.
Bills.
Deadlines.
Bad news.
Responsibilities.
And perhaps a small pleasure reminds us:
“My life is more than the problem I am dealing with.”
But there is another side to this.
Small comforts can be healthy.
Compulsive escape is different.
And from the outside, the two can look exactly the same.
You buy something after a difficult day.
Was it a conscious little pleasure?
Or were you trying to make an uncomfortable feeling disappear?
That distinction matters.
So the next time you suddenly want to buy yourself something, I would not immediately tell yourself:
“No. I shouldn’t.”
Instead, pause and ask three questions.
First:
“What am I actually needing right now?”
Comfort?
Reward?
Control?
Rest?
Connection?
A little beauty?
Second:
“Will this purchase really give me that—or only distract me for a few minutes?”
And finally:
“Is there another way I could meet the same need?”
Maybe the lipstick really will bring you pleasure, and it fits comfortably within your budget.
Then enjoy it.
But maybe what you actually need is to call someone.
Take a walk.
Sleep.
Cook something you love.
Or simply admit:
“Today was difficult, and I need some kindness or rest.”
That is the practical lesson I take from the lipstick effect.
Not that buying things is good.
Not that buying things is bad.
But that our spending can sometimes tell us something about our emotional lives.
Our purchases can become clues.
And if we become curious instead of judgmental, we may discover the need underneath the behaviour.
Perhaps that is the deeper question:
“Am I buying this because I want the thing—or because I want the feeling I hope the thing will give me?”
Sometimes the answer will still be:
“Yes, I want the lipstick.”
And that is perfectly fine.
But at least now, you are choosing it consciously.
Thank you for being here.
Take care, and I’ll see you tomorrow.