The Power of a Red Lip

In a recent Grazia article, writer Sali Hughes delves into the enduring appeal of red lipstick. This classic beauty icon transcends trends, remaining a symbol of glamour and femininity even today. Hughes explores the bold, uncompromising nature of red lipstick, and its ability to demand attention and spark debate, along with its simplicity and efficiency, as it offers a quick and effortless transformation with just a couple of swipes. Hughes celebrates its timeless allure and its power to make a statement by examining the cultural significance and personal empowerment associated with this cosmetic.

Women have been wearing red lips for quite a long time. Ancient Egyptians, including Cleopatra, used lipstick made from crushed beetles and ants to create a vibrant red hue. They believed that makeup, including lipstick, possessed healing properties.

Here is how Hughes explains the defiant and transformative nature of red lipstick:

Men frequently dislike it (Suffragettes wore red lips to antagonise them), many women either fear it or consider it 'too much,’ whole societies have rejected it (Parliament once even banned red lipstick because of its perceived powers of wanton seduction). One probably wouldn't wear it to the average job interview, funeral or place of worship, of course. But red lipstick's ability to dominate its environment, demand attention and divide opinion is what is also so utterly brilliant about it. It is never demure and makes no attempt to mimic or enhance naturally the features of the face. The polar opposite of an Instagram beauty filter, it appears without disguise or even the slightest apology for its artifice. It is strong, uncompromising, scene-stealing, overtly sexual, lethally feminine and it quite literally repels human contact with the threat of smudge and stain.