FASCINATING PROGRESSION OF LIPSTICKS ACROSS THE
DECADES
 Gone through various stages of metamorphisis
 Makeup staple
 Has been in the scene even way back ancient
civilizations.
*People from Sumerian civilization can be credited as the
earliest users of lipsticks. The stain was procured from
naturally occurring substances like fruits, henna, clay rust,
and of course insects. Mesopotamian women were a little
on the fancier side and used ground precious jewels to add
color and shimmer to their lips.
*Egyptians, perhaps, were the first real lipstick lovers.
Striking shades like purple and black were common.They
derived color from some rather interesting sources such as
carmine dye that was derived from grounded cochineal
insects.
* Red lips were associated with Satan worship, and women
sporting lipsticks were suspected of being sorcerers and
witches. Apart from prostitutes, no self-respecting women
sported colored lips.
*Back to the Egyptian time of Cleopatra who used crushed
bugs to decorate the lips as a sign of social status. In the
16th century, Britain the white face and the red lips was
also a symbol of social status.
 1884- he first commercial lipstick was invented by
Guerlain, a French cosmetics company. It was
created using beeswax, castor oil, and deer tallow.
It came in a round container and was applied
using a lip brush.
 1915- CYLINDRICAL METAL LIPSTICK
CONTAINERS - The first metal containers for
lipstick that came in a cylinder shape were
invented in 1915 by Maurice Levy. They were not
swivel-up though, so the amount of product in the
lipstick was limited.
 1923- SWIVEL UP LIPSTICK TUBES - invented by
James Bruce Mason, Jr in 1923. This allowed
lipstick tubes to hold more product, and whenever
the lipstick ran out, you could twist the screw on
the base of the tube to bring out more product.
This new design also made the lipstick easier for
woman to apply. This process was cost-friendly
and efficient.
As social status and culture changed so did lipstick to
reflect it.
 1916: lipstick was packed in a clay pot and to be
accepted in society were light pink colors
whereas dark colors were largely frowned upon.
 1926: The Roaring Twenties were a time of
rebellion, therefore, bringing forth dark colors
such as browns, plum and cherry colors.
 1936: Matte lips came into fashion with reddish
browns and oranges.
 1946: During the war, Women took on a lot of
confidence and independence by having jobs
and that independence was reflected through
the reds and oranges used to color their lips.
 1956: The reconstruction and post-war period
had Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth
popularize a dark red lip to express femininity
and confidence gained from the past decade.
 1966: Flower power and rebellion brought upon
women a sense of not needing to be judged by
society and that they were much more than a
pretty face. Very pale lip colors became very
popular to attract less attention to the face.
 1976: Lipgloss and disco, a new-found
confidence and fun were reflected through
burgundy and crimson colors that were glossy.
 1986: To reflect the cultural shift bright electric
colors were found in the punk era.
 1996: Lip liner became important to give the
illusion of a fuller lip.
 2006: Was all about natural beauty which
entailed having glossy lips with little to no color.
 2016: The trend of the roaring twenties of dark
matte lips makes a comeback to put forth powerful
confident women. Liquid lipsticks was also back
than ever (influenced by Kylie’s first release of
makeup brand. Liquid lipsticks make an illusion of a
fuller lip)
 2018- Liptint - lip tints will give your lips a natural
look with a slight wash of colour. They’re
comfortable to wear and will really add a pretty
finish to any makeup look! (influenced by Koreans,
smudge lip look)
 2019: Powdered Lipsticks- These innovative new
formulations, configured in both pans and bullets,
feature suspended pigment, and transform from
creams to matte powders upon application for
serious makeup magic. Get both artists' tips for
nailing blurred, messy-on-purpose lip looks, ahead
— along with the lipstick colors they say are about
to be trending hard in 2019.
 Lipsticks are for self- expression
 Women wear lipsticks because they feel
confident in it.