When Was Lipstick Invented?

Can you imagine a world where your favorite cosmetics didn’t exist? Makeup is a modern invention that has improved our lives tremendously. From soft pinks to bold reds, lipsticks allow us to subtly enhance our natural beauty or create a striking look. Yet, we often take them for granted.

The term “lipstick” was first used in the late 19th century, with the first commercial lipstick being sold in 1884. But people were coloring their lips long before then. Like most makeup products, lipstick has been around for centuries, having been invented by ancient civilizations thousands of years ago.

The lipstick that we know and love today is completely different from what it started off as. If you want to know more about the history of lipstick and when it was invented, keep reading.

The History of Lipstick

Ancient World

The earliest use of lipstick can be traced back to 5,000 years ago. The Ancient Sumerians and Indus Valley men and women were believed to be the first inventors of lipstick. In 3500 BC, upper-class Mesopotamians used a mixture of crushed gemstones, wax, and tallow to add color and shimmer to their lips. Lip stains were also made from naturally occurring substances such as fruits, henna, clay rust, and insects. The trend would later spread to neighboring civilizations.

In ancient Egypt, men and women used various forms of makeup to show social status. They made lipstick from red ochre, resin, and gum in shades of magenta, orange, and blue-black. In 50 BC, Cleopatra wore painted her lips using a red dye derived from crushed bugs. This pigment is known as carmine and is still used in makeup products today. Crushed fish scales were added to the mixture to achieve a pearlescent finish.

The ancient Egyptians also extracted red pigments from fucus-aligin, iodine, and bromine mannite. Unfortunately, these contained harmful substances like lead that resulted in serious illness or death.

Ancient China and Japan

In ancient China, lipsticks were made of beeswax, animal blood, minerals, and plant dyes. More similar to a lip balm, this lip cosmetic was used by both men and women to help protect the delicate skin of the lips. Lipsticks were originally used for religious rituals but were eventually used for purely cosmetic purposes.

Vermillion was added to the mixture for color, but this red pigment contained mercuric sulfide which, unbeknownst to them at the time, was toxic and could lead to health issues. During the Tang Dynasty, scented oils were also added to make lipsticks more appealing.

In the neighboring country of Japan where geishas sported a stark white face and bold red lips, lipstick was made by mixing tar and beeswax.

Middle Ages

Lipsticks and other forms of makeup fell into disuse with the advent of Christianity during the Middle Ages. The use of makeup was condemned and banned by the church, as painting one’s face was considered to be an insult to god’s workmanship. Red lips were associated with sin, an idea that was emphasized in secular paintings that depicted the devil coloring a woman’s lips red.

Lipstick was only typically worn by prostitutes, though the use of lip salves was acceptable. However, that didn’t stop women from secretly adding a bit of color to their salves. They would also resort to biting, pinching, or rubbing their lips to make them appear redder naturally.

Elizabethan Era

Lip coloring started gaining popularity in England during the 16th century, thanks to Queen Elizabeth I who was known for her pale skin and crimson lips. Lipstick was made from a blend of beeswax and red dye from plants, and it was believed to help ward off illness. Although red lips were fashionable, the use of lipstick and other cosmetics was reserved for upper-class women and male actors.

19th Century

Although lipstick briefly came back into fashion during the Elizabethan era, it waned in popularity until the late 1800s. Throughout most of the 19th century, the obvious use of makeup was associated with actors and prostitutes. Thus, it was deemed uncouth and improper for respectable women to wear lipstick.

By the 1850s, many reports were made about the dangers of using lead and vermillion in cosmetics. At this time, lipstick was still created by women at home. It wasn’t until the end of the 19th century that lipstick was manufactured and sold commercially.

The first commercial lipstick was invented in 1884 by Guerlain, a French perfume and cosmetics company. Their lipstick was made from beeswax, castor oil, and deer tallow.

In the 1890s, carmine dye was mixed with an oil and wax base, which gave the lipstick a more natural look that was deemed more appropriate for women to wear. By the late 1890s, the Sears Roebuck catalog started advertising and selling this mixture as “lip rouge.”

These earlier forms of modern lipstick were not yet packaged in the familiar tubes we have today. Instead, the lip cosmetics from this time were wrapped in silk paper, packaged in paper tubes, or sold in small pots, and were applied with a brush.

In the United States, the look of colored lipstick was considered unnatural, and wearing lipstick in public was still generally frowned upon. During this time, only actors and actresses could get away with wearing lip cosmetics. However, stage actresses like Sarah Bernhardt began applying lipstick in public, which would help pave the way for lipstick to be used for everyday wear.

20th century

With the turn of the century, lipstick became acceptable for fashionable American women to wear. With its rise in popularity, many innovations were made to lipstick during the 20th century.

In 1915, Maurice Levy invented the first metal tube container for lipstick. It had a tiny lever attached to the side of the tube that would push the lipstick up. This innovation was further improved later in 1923 when James Bruce Mason Jr. created and patented the first swivel-up tube that we know today.

As the lip cosmetic became more widespread, women started to wear lipstick for photographs, which also helped make lipstick acceptable among women. Renowned cosmetics companies like Elizabeth Arden and Estée Lauder would also begin selling lipstick in their salons.

Years later, the Second World War erupted. In America, lipstick became scarce due to a shortage of petroleum, castor oil, and other essential ingredients used to produce lipstick. The metal lipstick tubes were also replaced with paper or plastic tubes to save on valuable resources.

Despite the lack of materials, lipstick was indispensable to the war effort; American women were encouraged to wear red lips to help boost morale during these grim times, and it became a symbol of girl power and patriotism. Red lipstick was everywhere from factory dressing rooms to official kits issued to military women.

Many beauty brands capitalized on this trend by releasing shades of red lipstick like “Victory Red” and “Regimental Red.” Red lipstick was so crucial to the war effort that the American government requested Elizabeth Arden to create a lip and nail color that matched the red piping and chevrons on women’s military uniforms. “Montezuma Red” was created in 1941.

While men were sent out to war, women began entering various fields that were previously dominated by men, including science and engineering. Hazel Bishop, an organic chemist from New York, would create the first long-lasting lipstick formula in the late 1940s. Two years later, she established her company Hazel Bishop Inc. to promote and sell her ‘kiss-proof’ lipstick, which quickly gained commercial success.

Lipstick Trends

The 1950s was the era of Hollywood glamor where icons like Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe popularized red lipstick. Towards the end of the decade, cosmetics companies were producing lipsticks in pale pink, peache, lavender, and white shades.

Although it was common for women to wear red lipstick, it wasn’t yet acceptable for teen girls to follow suit, as the hue was considered inappropriate for their age and frowned upon by parents. Not to be left behind on beauty trends, teens opted for pink and peach lipsticks instead.

The 1960s were dominated by girl groups like the Ronettes and Shirelles that helped popularize whitish lipstick shades. Women began applying white lipstick on top of pink lipstick to achieve the pale pinkish-white hue. Lipsticks were available in matte, sheer, or slightly glossy finishes.

By the 1970s, cosmetics brands began introducing more unusual shades of lipsticks, such as Revlon’s frosted lime green lipstick called “Conga Lime” and Biba’s  sparkly navy blue lipstick called “Metallic Grandma.” Black lipsticks that were used in horror films during the 1950s also saw a revival due to the rise in goth and punk subcultures.

The 1980s were dominated by shimmers and gloss in vibrant, unnatural shades. From hot pink to bold red, lipsticks were applied to make a statement. Mainstream makeup brands also began selling mood lipsticks that changed hue based on the skin’s pH and supposedly reflected the wearer’s mood.

In the 1990s, the grunge subculture hit the mainstream. Makeup was kept relatively simple, with brown and semi-matte lipsticks becoming trendy partially due to the popular TV show “Friends.” Dark lip liners paired with lighter lipsticks also marked this decade.

By the 2000s, lipsticks were available in a dizzying array of shades. Shiny lips and lip glosses were seen on all the celebrities during the aughts.

The 2010s saw a variety of lipstick trends that were influenced by pop culture. Bright and saturated lipsticks in hot pink, orange, and neon colors were popular around 2012. American singer Taylor Swift also boosted the popularity of red lipsticks. By 2015, color was out — it was all about nude and matte lipsticks.

source https://degreesofvanity.com/when-was-lipstick-invented/