Lipstick History

 Hi all, I’m a member of BABTAC the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology and last month in our monthly magazine BABTAC had a great article on Lips Through the Ages….here are some of the main points to share with you as we continue our look at LIPS. Today lipstick is probably the most popular cosmetic product which a huge number of colours, finishes, brands and textures. People and society cultural attitudes vary widely, so where did it all begin………

In the Beginning 

The first known creation of lipstick was carried out by Mesopotamian women around 3100 BC, who ground up precious gems and used the dust to decorate their lips to create a glistening finish.

Archaeological finds indicate that between 3000 BC and 1500 BC women of the Indus Valley civilisation, which was located in modern day Pakistan and north west india, used lipstick. This culture traded with the Mesopotamians, so it’s thought this is how the practice spread.

It was the ancient Egyptians who created the first lipsticks with a creamy consistency which were kept in little lidded post. Bright red shades were used by royalty and the upper ranks of the clergy to show their status. A carmine colour was made by crushing beetles and ants, which is known to have been favoured by Cleopatra.

Another popular shade was a purple-red, which was made from seaweed,iodine and bromine mannite. Unfortunately bromine mannite is poisonous and even the small amount used in the lipstick receipe was probably enough to kill the wearer and anyone who kissed them!

Ancient Greek prostitutes were expected to have a made up look so they didn’t trick men or pass themselves off as ladies and would be fined if they were found working without wearing lipstick.

Around 5000 years ago in Ancient China, reddening of the lips was popular. Painting the lips was practiced to please the gods and was carried out by both men and women.

During Medieval times red lipstick was banned by the church, but natural pinks were deemed acceptable. But only by 16th Century was lipstick widely used. Cosmetics were expensive and the right the person, the less natural the look: Queen Elizabeth I favoured red lips, which became a trend. Elizabethan lipsticks were made using beeswax and plant dyes. In the late 17th Century, lipstick became on trend for men. During the reign of Charles II in England and Louise XIV in France, lips were rouged heavily by both men and women, with inspiration coming from actors. Carmine and grease were used to colour the lips and even men with a moustache and beard would wear lipstick.

In 1656 Parisian rosary-maker Francoise Jaquin created a pearl essence from fish scales to be used in lipsticks. This substance is known as crystalline guanine. Guanine is still used today, as a synthetic ingredient to create a pearly shimmer.

Lipstick was first commercially produced in the 1880s, advertised in 1890s and sold in paper tubes. Isn’t it interesting to see the different attitudes through the ages and I think the same diversity of thinking is still apparent today.

Next time: The 1900s to the present day 

 Further reading Lisa Eldridge; Face Paint - The Story of Make Up