Swedish women are putting on more make-up

Of all the Scandinavian countries, Swedes have always seemed to be the most "natural." It is an open secret that the country is a world leader in the use of blond hair dye, but they have been laggards when it comes to mascara, blush and lipstick. Until recently, that is. New reports indicate that Swedes are increasing spending on makeup, with particular attention focused on fingernail polish. According to the market research firm Marketline, the country's growth in makeup sales have lead the region for four years running, up by more than 8 percent per year. By contrast, makeup sales in Norway have gone up 4 percent during the same period while France has increased a measly 1.4 percent. Despite this trend, the image of the natural Swede has a long way to go before it disappears: In Japan, the average woman uses 15 makeup products in her daily routine while Swedish women only use 3 to 4.