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Red smear of matte lipstick isolated on white background. (Artem Mykhailichenko-Adobe Stock)
What do Egyptians, witches, royalty, WWII, celebrities and Chileans have in common?
Signature, beautiful, bold rouge lips.
Red lips have been donned since 3500 B.C. In ancient Mesopotamia, Queen Pubai used a mixture of crushed red rocks and white lead to stain her lips as a way to differentiate herself from her subjects and show her status in power. As with most iconic things, red lips became a trend and archeologists have since discovered many Sumerian aristocrats buried with the concoction stored in cockle shells.
In ancient Egypt, Queen Cleopatra favored crimson lips which she made from crushed cochineal bugs mixed with resin. Many lipsticks today still use ground beetles for coloring. It is said that she wore the crimson shade because she found it beautifying, but also as a representation of her affluence. Both her male and female subjects wore a slightly more diluted red ochre on their lips, made from ground stones.
Cleopatra, Ancient Egypt (Maria Ma - Adobe Stock (AI-generated) )
Beauty isn’t always glamorous, a concoction of red dye, crocodile droppings and sheep sweat was used in ancient Greece to make lipstick. It was required by law to be worn by Greek sex workers so that they weren’t mistaken for “true” ladies. The government regulation made this the first negative use of lipstick.
Like the Egyptians, in ancient Rome, both men and women sported red lips to indicate their social standing. Although, beauty and status came at a price. Ingredients to create distinctive shades included ochre, iron ore, lead, mercury and arsenic. The lower class fared better in the end as they often used more affordable wine for coloring rather than poisonous ingredients.
In ancient China, lipsticks had protective qualities, made from beeswax, oils and plant pigments as well as blood or vermillion for coloring. Patterns like one big red dot to the lower lip in the Pre-Qin and Han Dynasty, or a “cherry blossom pattern” in the Tang Dynasty were common. It was believed red lips appeased the gods; however, it also signified a person’s own spirit and well-being.
Queen Elizabeth I was a believer in the power of red lipstick possessing the ability to repel malevolent spirits. Egg whites, fig milk, gum arabic and cochineals made up her custom red hue. It is even said she was buried with half an inch of it painted on her lips. Her belief in lipstick having powerful magic during the Tudor and Elizabethan periods led to many ladies of the court donning it as well.
National Portrait Gallery, side by side portraits of Queen Elizabeth I, as middle aged and a young woman in coronation robes (Spiroview Inc. - Adobe Stock)
However, it started to attract the attention of the church which heavily associated red lips with immorality and evil. During the early Renaissance a common sin confession was the use of red lipstick. England eventually passed a law outlawing the use of makeup to deceive a man into marrying a woman. If the law was broken, the offender was tried as a witch. Wearing red lipstick during this time was considered defying social expectations and considered rebellious.
Woman’s suffrage celebration on American postage stamp (Silvio - Adobe Stock)
In the early 1900s, during the suffragette movement, a bold red lip was worn as a symbol of intelligence and independence. The hue was feminine and brazen. It became part of women’s uniform in their fight for the right to vote.
In 1915, the lipstick tube was created by Maurice Levy and by 1920, the more accessible cosmetic became popular again. In correspondence with movements of the time, the bright shade announced to the world, “We won’t stay in the shadows.”
In a statement against fascism and Hitler more specifically, as he famously hated red lips, red lipstick became a symbol of victory, optimism and morale—a vital part of the war effort. Phrases like “beauty is your duty” were coined and considered an act of patriotism. In the early 1940s, Elizabeth Arden, a famous makeup artist, was asked to create a lipstick designed for women servicemembers. She named it “Montezuma Red.” It perfectly matched the red piping and chevrons on women’s military uniforms. The lipstick, along with matching nail polish and rouge was issued to military members in an official kit.
“We Can Do It” Rosie the Riveter (War Production Co-Ordinating Committee, United States Creator, World Digital Library)
As the popularity of the shade spread, the public sought a shade of their own and thus “Victory Red” was created so all could honor their country. You may have noticed in illustrations of Rosie the Riveter that she has cherry-daubed lips. This was intentional as the cultural icon was used to recruit and embolden American female factory workers.
Since World War II, the red lip has remained iconic. Celebrities like Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe made it a staple of that “old Hollywood glam” look that is still desired today. Modern-day celebrities continue to sport the radiating look, especially at red carpet events and because of that many people desire their own perfect shade of red.
Bésame’s “1941 Victory Red” is a universally flattering reproduction of the red lipstick once issued to military women, and it comes in a beautiful vintage gold tube.
Tube of red lipstick (hadjanebia - Adobe Stock )
Even now, scarlet lips are still worn as a symbol of strength. In 2015, during a protest to have the prime minister removed, a Macedonian woman symbolically used a police shield as a mirror to apply her lipstick then kissed the shield leaving behind a print of her red lips. In 2018, Nicaraguan men and women wore it as a protest to the nation’s dictatorship. In 2019, thousands of Chileans wore it to refute sexual violence.
“Whether it is a glamorous cosmetic choice or in support of a movement, red lips are a statement. ”
