Special report | Consumer goods

Looks good

Brazilian cosmetics and other consumer brands are powering ahead

“CAFUNÉ (N): A STROKE or ruffle of a loved one’s hair”. That Brazilians have coined such a specific word testifies to their physical warmth, sense of touch—and obsession with hair. Brazil, although only the world’s seventh-largest economy, is its second-largest market for hair-care products. The amount Brazilian women spend on primping has been growing strongly for years and now matches British women’s spending per person, though their disposable incomes are far lower. Soon Brazil will overtake Japan to become the second-biggest market for beauty products overall, after the United States.

This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline “Looks good”

The new face of terror

From the September 28th 2013 edition

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