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| Sunday, 10 April 2005 |
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The story of lipstick : Read my lips by Lionel Wijesiri From wrecking relationships to pepping up a woman's morale and finally to a symbol of sensuality, it has been a long journey for this stick of colour known as lipstick, which is more than merely a beauty aid for countless women.
For the next two millennia we do not have much information about its progress. However, down the line of history, lipstick has not always held an accepted place in society. In fact, it has travelled a bumpy road to acceptance. Documented history tells us that by 300 BC, the Egyptian women had make-up kits consisting of little pots where they could mix up colours (like artists palettes). They favoured orange-magenta for lips. The paint made out of henna was applied with a wet wooden stick. * Cleopatra (69-30 BC) had her lipsticks made from finely crushed carmine beetles, which made a deep red pigment. This was then mixed with ant's eggs as a base. * Greek women of that period didn't wear as much make-up as Egyptian women did. But, they did colour their lips. The lipstick solution came in a pot. It was made from red dyes and strong wines. Popaea, the wife of Emperor Nero, AD 37 -68, was obsessed with her looks and had no less than 100 attendants to help her maintain them. She also did beauty rituals around the clock that would be considered bizarre today. She'd paint her lips with a reddish purple mercuric dye from a plant called the Fucus-algin, combined with sediments from red wine. Then we reach the period known as Dark Ages from 476 - 1000 AD, during which life was comparatively 'uncivilised.' This period pretty well eliminated not only lipstick, but also make-up in general. The look during early medieval times was just sick, literally. They had an obsession with the afterlife, so it was very chic to look dead. During this period, women who wore any make-up were looked down upon. They were either thought of as prostitutes and women of bad character or ones with evil powers - witches. Hence, no sane woman wanted to invoke the wrath of the society and risk being burnt for a witch. But the few brave women who defied the church, put on make-up that was lacking in colour. They painted their lips with the colour of a mild rose. They created their rose lip colour by blending sheep fat with red roots. Things changed when Queen Elizabeth I (1533 - 1603) came into power. Here was a lady who was obsessed with make-up and was credited with giving it new respect and value in society. So much so, that it was sometimes substituted for money in trade. Her lipsticks were a blend of cochineal and beeswax, and occasionally a stain made from dark red plant dyes. The queen's look was still immense white skin, but she included more vibrant colour on her lips, eyes and cheeks. During this time, make-up sellers were considered to be part magician. So, make-up was rumoured to have magical powers to the degree that wearing it could protect you from death. Believing this, Queen Elizabeth-I just piled that make-up on her face. When she died, it is said that she had close to 1/2 inch of lipstick on her mouth. In 1670 an English pastor and writer- Thomas Hall led a movement declaring that face painting was "the devil's work" and that women who put brush to mouth were trying to "ensnare others and kindle a fire and flame of lust in the hearts of those who cast their eyes upon them." In fact, in 1770 the British Parliament passed a law condemning lipstick, stating that any women found guilty of seducing men into matrimony by a cosmetic means would be tried for witchcraft. In her book, Lipstick, Jessica Pallingston points out that Queen Victoria publicly declared makeup (including applying lipstick) impolite. It was viewed as vulgar and something that was worn by prostitutes. In 1814, beauty expert for the Saturday Evening Post Review said that lipstick was insincere and a form of lying. Lipstick again took a backseat for almost a century. There were a number of other instances where lipstick has led to the issue of some freak laws in countries around the world. There was once a ban on its application by the Malaysian government on the basis that it encourages promiscuous sexual activity. German and American Governments unsuccessfully tried to curb its use. Even Hitler had to bow to the wishes of women who stopped working when he forbade them from using lipstick. It was not until recently that safety became a priority in cosmetics. Lipsticks that women had been using for over centuries were potentially fatal. They were made using chemicals that were dangerous even in small amounts. Over a period of time they not only lost their looks to disfiguring ailments but also poisoned themselves from inside out. As awareness increased, people realised the need for lipsticks that could be produced on a mass scale and were not hazardous to health. The lipstick we buy today is a firm fatty substance in a tube and contains a variety of waxes, oils, pigments and emollients. The oils and fats include olive oil, castor oil, cocoa butter, lanolin and petroleum. In recent years, ingredients such as moisturizers, Aloe Vera, collagen, amino acids and sunscreen have been added to lipstick. Then there are a variety of lipsticks available on the market: frosted, mattes, stains, glosses, shimmers --- you name it. How about the future of lipstick? It will be more dramatic in colour and sparkle. There will be mirror lipsticks, lipsticks that change colour according to body heat and moisture and lipsticks that attach themselves to the lips and not glasses. Whatever way we look at the history of lipstick, it is definitely here to stay. Lipstick is big business. In the US alone the size of the market is US$ 1.5 billion. And, in India it is estimated to be Rs. 116 crore. (Incidentally, a crore is Rs. Ten Million). Because it is a consumable product, it is likely to remain in high demand. |
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It seems to have a long history. The very first lipstick that we know
of was discovered in the Sumerian region of Ur. The province - Ur was
approximately 200 miles south of Babylon (marked today as an area of 200
miles south of Baghdad). This lipstick is believed to be 5,000 years old.
