If you believe those stylish ladies who are interviewed in our weekly LifeStyle at various trendy hangouts in Moscow, it appears that quite a few women in modern Russia spend as much as $500 on cosmetics per month. I must say that the LifeStyle research results have shocked not only me but also each and every expat woman on our staff, natives of the United States, Canada and New Zealand. After all, according to official statistics, the average wage in Russia currently equals $134 per month, and even unofficial sources, which are widely believed to be closer to reality, report monthly incomes of most Muscovites to be under $400. How does it happen that, in an economically depressed country, so many people indulge themselves with items that would make even the richest Americans think twice before buying? Here it is appropriate to recall the famous words of Winston Churchill, made in a radio broadcast in October 1939: "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."

In the not-so-long-ago Soviet times, the choice of cosmetics was limited to less than a dozen varieties of domestically produced lipstick, powder and perfume, the quality of which left much to be desired. Of course, with luck or by spending half a day standing in line, one could get better items imported from Bulgaria, Poland, Yugoslavia or other countries belonging to the so-called socialist camp. I recall when the first more-or-less nice-smelling perfume appeared in the Soviet Union in the mid-1970s, the first line of the attached informational sheet read: "Perfume is a thing of luxury." Apparently, this was designed to justify its price of 50 rubles (30 percent of the average monthly wage), which was absolutely exorbitant according to the public perception of that time. And it was only 30 percent, not 370!

For better or worse, the last decade has witnessed the birth and growth of a whole new stratum of the Russian population. It is much broader than just show-biz celebrities and the wives and mistresses of so-called New Russians. In Moscow alone, there are more than 200 trendy nightclubs, 800 beauty salons and 100 fitness centers, and I would venture to say the majority of their regulars belong to this category, not even mentioning the customers of the widely publicized Moscow Country Club, with its golf course fit for a king. Of course, in terms of percentage of the population, the figures are not so impressive – they hardly exceed 1 percent. But they are here, they are with us and they are visible – successful businesspeople, lawyers, economists, designers and creative types. They are trendsetters and, at the same time, the object of envy, scorn and even hatred from the masses.

Moscow stores and boutiques have a lot to offer these days, and temptations must be running high. In addition to such famous foreign labels as Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Estee Lauder, Lancome, MaxFactor, Avon and others, domestic manufacturers are breaking in with quality products.