National Lipstick Day on July 29th encourages you to wear your best color. For some, lipstick is the only makeup requirement. Whether sheer and light, dark or bright, July 29th calls for all kinds of lipstick.
Throughout the ages, controversy surrounded lipstick.
- British Parliament banned lipstick in 1770 calling it a devilish attempt to trick men into marriage.
- In some circles, lipstick was associated with witchcraft.
- It is said Sarah Bernhardt created a scandal by applying “lip rouge” in public.
- Surprisingly, George Washington supposedly wore lipstick.
- While Queen Victoria considered wearing lipstick impolite, one of her statesmen had a different opinion.
- During World War II, Winston Churchill thought the lip color boosted morale in an excellent way.
- Lip paint was first used in the Sumerian region (known as Iraq and Kuwait now) around 5000 BCE.
- 80% of American women regularly wear lipstick and over 25% won’t leave the house without wearing it.
- Lipstick was seen as scandalous by most women and worn predominantly by sex workers in ancient Greece.
- During the 1960s white lipstick was a trend for a bold look.
- The first commercial lipstick was introduced by Guerlain in the form of a lip pomade in 1828.
- Give thanks to Hazel Bishop, if you love your long-lasting lipstick. She was a biochemist who invented the first long-lasting lipstick after World War II.
- Those women who apply lipstick on a daily basis unintentionally tend to eat about 4 pounds of lipstick in their lifetime.
- The average woman spends $15,000 on makeup in her lifetime—and of that amount, $1780 goes toward lipstick.
- According to a study conducted by the University of Manchester, men stare longer at red lipstick on women than bare lips.
- Clear lip balm is one of the most popular lipstick products in the modern market.
- The first swivel-up lipstick in a tube appeared in 1923.
- Lip Gloss was introduced to the public in 1930 by Max Factor Company.
- The most famous Actresses that popularized lipsticks were Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, and Elizabeth Taylor.
- Studies show lipstick sales tend to rise during gloomy or rainy days.
- Before the lipstick tubes that we have today, lipstick was stored in pots. They were eventually sold with silk paper wrapping until Maurice Levy invented the metallic containers in 1915.
- When black and white television was in use, the cameras had red filters, which made red lipstick or natural lip color look dull and pale. To get the necessary effect, actors used green lipstick.
- This is an economic theory that said that in times of a financial crisis, consumers spend more on less expensive luxury items. This was also backed by the apparent rise in lipstick sales after the 9/11 attacks.
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