by Leonore Dicker
“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a red lipstick” – Gwyneth Paltrow
Human beings have been coloring their lips since the dawn of time. 5000 years ago, ancient Sumerians used to crush gemstones to apply them onto their lips. In Ancient Rome, the upper class used to spread homemade lip color on their mouths while Cleopatra enjoyed crushing ants and carmine in a base of beeswax to color her lips a red shade.
In the Middle Ages, red lips were considered more of a lower-class trait, until Queen Elizabeth I revived the look and paired it with a pale white face. The 18th century saw another turn as the British Parliament considered made up women to be sorceresses who lured men into marrying them.
When movies started being made in the late 1800’s, lipstick made a comeback. At the time, lipstick was made of carmine dye taken from cochineal insect scales.
The real turn was in 1915 when Maurice Levy invented the absolute first metal lipstick tube –something we are all very grateful for! Before this moment, lipstick was wrapped in silk paper, which made it very inconvenient to carry around.
This turning point truly popularized lipstick as every big brand –from Chanel to Guerlain– started producing its own and women began being loyal customers.
In the fifties, most women were wearing the cosmetic, which became Marilyn Monroe’s trademark. It’s only in the sixties and seventies that other shades –other than the classic red– started being produced. Nude lipstick was particularly popular at the time. The eighties embraced full red lips with Madonna rocking the look.
Nowadays, tinted lips continue to be celebrated. From black to purple, thousand of shades exist.
