Feeling chic and sophisticated? Want to channel your inner goddess? When the mood overtakes you, choose RED! Red lipstick is like a perfect black cardigan; you can never have too many. My obsession with red lipstick began at an early age, and being a history buff, I decided to research the history of red lipstick. I wanted to know more about this passionate, rich, and vibrant color. Welcome to my History for the Red Lipstick Connoisseur.
Red lips have fascinated men and women alike since 3,000 BCE. A bold, look-at- me-color that demands attention, red lipstick has been advocated by the world’s most powerful women. (This supports my theory that red lipstick is the equivalent of a man’s power tie)
In the beginning, the ingredients used to create this come-hither hue were iodine, mannite, and a purplish-red dye taken from seaweed. It’s said that ancient Mesopotamian women were the first to invent actual lipstick by using crushed precious jewels. Cleopatra, desiring a deeper red, a red fit for a queen, used crushed carmine beetles and ants. Queen Elizabeth I used a simpler recipe of beeswax and plant derived red dyes. …I would personally love a red lipstick made out of crushed rubies – talk about true decadence!
City Girl in Red Lipstick 