Cosmetic changes

Victims of the credit crunch are reinventing themselves as Avon ladies, selling cosmetics door-to-door to make an extra buck.

The international beauty giant's New Zealand arm has signed up a record 1514 sales representatives in the past three weeks, mirroring a trend in Australia where 7224 people have joined since February.

Although the Avon lady was traditionally a housewife supplementing her husband's income, spokeswoman Michaela Groves said "all sorts" of women were signing up, including executives who had lost jobs with six-figure salaries.

"We saw an opportunity within the market where people were suffering from the economic crisis, and we thought now is the perfect time for these women to join Avon," said Groves.

"We're seeing a varied type of woman joining, including stay-at-home mums who are feeling the pinch, people who have been made redundant, and women who are supporting partners that have been made redundant.

"We're also seeing women who feel they are not totally secure within their current job anymore - they're getting nervous and using Avon as a second income."

Avon ladies make their wages by selling makeup, fragrances and men's cosmetics door-to-door.

It is free to join and salespeople receive 15-50 per cent commission, depending on experience.

Louise Kidd, 47, was a pharmacy sales rep until she was made redundant in November.

Two weeks later her husband lost his job, and Kidd joined Avon two weeks ago to try to make ends meet.

The couple, who live on Auckland's North Shore, were halfway through building a pool in their garden and desperately needed the money.

"The hole was already dug when we were both made redundant," said Kidd.

"I didn't want to rush into another career but I still needed to make some money, so I decided I'd give Avon a go."

Kidd has had a couple of interviews, but even if she lands another role, she said she wouldn't give up the Avon gig. "I love that I go out into my neighbourhood and meet people, and I get to decide my own hours, which is ideal."

Unemployment in New Zealand soared by 10,000 people - or 10.8 per cent - to 105,000 in the final quarter of last year, a rise of almost 37 per cent since December 2007.

But the beauty industry is likely to hold its own, at least according to the Lipstick Index.

The correlation between economic gloom and strong sales of beauty products dates back to World War II and was observed after 9/11, when lipstick sales doubled in the US.