During tough economic times, the lipstick index goes up, although now it is the nail polish index that goes up further. Earlier this year, Christian Louboutin was in a heated court case with Yves Saint Laurent regarding if they copied their red sole. Now they have one more place to battle it out together: the beauty counter. Will Louboutin’s red polish be as sought after as his red soles?

Christian Louboutin, who is teaming up with Batallure Beauty for the collection stated, 'the beauty adventure is the natural extension for someone like me, who likes to empower women'.

There must be many women out there who feel empowered with high heels adding centimeters to them, or being able to afford his $800 creations, but this empowerment seems like something out of the last decade.  There is a real backlash and vulgarity towards splashing branding around. The new trend is all about modern modesty, think Girls not Sex and City. We can expect Louboutin flashy red on the product and packaging, but who will it attract during austere time. Red is the flashy color of choice in China and the Middle East, the two rapidly growing markets for luxury goods.

Competing in the beauty market is just as tough as fashion, and he has Marc Jacobs to look forward to who is launching his cosmetic line to go with successful fragrances. For Jacobs the appeal of cosmetics is more towards the ritual of dressing oneself, Jacobs said 'I see make-up, fragrance - everything, really - as an opportunity. The idea of choosing a color for your lip, or an eyeliner - it's just such a delight. The ritual of waking up and making those choices is something people really enjoy.'

We can’t wait to see the final line. I can already imagine Dita Von Teese wearing Louboutin lipstick and polish when it launches in 2013.