Early history
AncientĀ Sumerian men and women were possibly the first to invent and wear lipstick, about 5,000 years ago.Ā They crushedĀ gemstones and used them to decorate their faces, mainly on the lips and around the eyes. Egyptians like Cleopatra crushed bugs (carmine) to create a colour of red on their lips. Women in the ancientĀ Indus Valley CivilizationĀ may have used rectangular pieces ofĀ ochre with bevelled ends as lipstick.Ā Ancient EgyptiansĀ wore lipstick to show social status rather than gender.Ā They extracted the red dye fromĀ fucus-algin, 0.01%Ā iodine, and someĀ bromineĀ mannite, but this dye resulted in serious illness. Lipsticks with shimmering effects were initially made using aĀ pearlescentĀ substance found in fish scales.
Women in theĀ Minoan civilization coloured their lips with bright red cosmetics. Lip paint inĀ ancient Greece was initially restricted to prostitutes and courtesans but expanded to the upper class between 700 and 300 BCE. Greek women coloured their lips with cosmetics made from dyes containing Tyrian purple, crushedĀ mulberries, and the toxic pigmentĀ vermilion.
TheĀ ChineseĀ made some of the first lipsticks that were made fromĀ beeswaxĀ over 1,000 years ago to protect the delicate skin of the lips. During theĀ Tang DynastyĀ (618-907 CE), scented oils were added to them, which gave the mouth an enticing factor.
In Australia,Ā AboriginalĀ girls would paint their mouths red withĀ ochreĀ for puberty rituals.
England Lipstick History
Lip colouring started to gain some popularity in 16th-centuryĀ England. During the time of QueenĀ Elizabeth I bright red lips and a stark white face became fashionable. At that time, it was made from a blend of beeswaxĀ and red stains from plants. Only upper-class women and male actors wore makeup.
Throughout most of the 19th century, the obvious use of cosmetics was not considered acceptable in Britain for respectable women, and it was associated with marginalised groups such as actors and prostitutes. It was considered brazen and uncouth to wear makeup. In the 1850s, reports were being published warning women of the dangers of using lead and vermilion in cosmetics applied to the face. By the end of the 19th century,Ā Guerlain, a French cosmetic company, began to manufacture lipstick. The first commercial lipstick had been invented in 1884, by perfumers inĀ Paris, France. It was covered in silk paper and made fromĀ deerĀ tallow,Ā castor oil, andĀ beeswax. Prior to this, lipstick had been created at home.Ā Complete acceptance of the undisguised use of cosmetics in England appears to have arrived for the fashionable Londoner at least by 1921.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.