Lip Service

Lipstick adverts are everywhere today. For most women, lipstick is a mandatory accessory and comes in a variety of pleasantly fragrant shades. In ancient Egypt however, lip colour consisted of seaweed, bromine and iodine. Cleopatra’s lip colour was made from crushed carmine beetles. Nice huh?

Lip colour can have certain connotations. In ancient Greece, the difference between a proper lady and a prostitute was marked by lipstick or, technically, lip colour; only prostitutes boasted lip stain. Lip colouring is common throughout history but there is no single reason why lips were significant. At certain points, even men painted their lips. With the exception of female impersonators, lipstick wearers today are generally women. In spite of the lengthy history, there is no universal answer to the question pertaining to the reason behind painted lips.

All I do know is that lipstick is fun to put on and it’s fun to experiment with.

Below are some of the most gorgeous/sensual/sleek/sophisticated lipstick commercials and to the left, a vintage Max Factor advert featuring the gorgeous Rita Hayworth.

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