Dark Secret of Red: How Lipstick Became the World’s Most Iconic Beauty Symbol

Have you ever wondered if the small lipstick tube we see today holds thousands of years of mystery and terrifying secrets? The red on a girl's lips was not just a color; 

Just imagine... a time when someone could be branded a witch and burned alive just for wearing lipstick! Or a deadly poisonous lipstick where a kiss could be your last breath. Does it sound like scenes from a horror movie? But these are not just tall tales. The lipstick we see today has a 5000-year-old blood-stained history. The story of lipstick was written by Egyptian queens who risked their lives for beauty, priests who saw lipstick as the mark of Satan, and revolutionaries who used red lipstick as a weapon to challenge Hitler. Sometimes it was the 'kiss of death,' and at other times, it was the flame of revolution. The small lipstick tube in your handbag today has some shocking, mysterious truths to tell the world. Let's take a look at those stories...

Gem Powders in Mesopotamia: The First Color of Nobility

The history of lipstick begins in ancient Mesopotamia around 2500 BC. In the region that includes modern-day Iraq and Syria, women would crush precious gemstones to color their lips. This was not just for beauty but to show that they belonged to the upper class of society. They believed that gems had more shine than natural dyes. It can be said that this was the first 'luxury cosmetic' in history.

Cleopatra and 'Beetle' Lipstick: The Cruelty Behind Beauty

When it comes to beauty, the biggest historical reference is Queen Cleopatra. By 2000 BC, lipstick making had grown into an art form in Egypt. But the way Cleopatra's red lip color was made would astound us. That red dye was created by crushing black ants and red beetles called 'Carmine' alive. To add shine, fish scales were ground and mixed in. It's another fact that many of today's lipsticks use fish scales under the name 'pearl essence' for shimmer.

'Kiss of Death': The Era of Deadly Kisses

The most terrifying chapter in lipstick history is from ancient Egypt. Back then, they used a mixture containing 'iodine and bromine' to get red and purple colors. This was a highly lethal poison. Those who used this lipstick regularly would slowly be poisoned, their internal organs would fail, and they would die. It was during this time that it began to be called the 'Kiss of Death,' as lipstick was used as a weapon to seduce a lover and kill him with a poisonous kiss. A time when a beautiful woman's kiss could be your last breath!

The Middle Ages: Lipstick as Witchcraft?

In medieval Europe, around the 16th century, when Christian churches held dominance, lipstick was declared a sin. The church argued that coloring the face was equivalent to defacing God's creation. Lipstick was the 'mark of Satan.' It was believed that if a woman wore lipstick, she was practicing witchcraft to seduce men. Women who wore lipstick were branded as 'witches' and burned alive. According to a law passed by the British Parliament in 1770, if a woman seduced a man into marriage using lipstick, she would be considered a witch and punished.

A Weapon on the Battlefield: The Red that Challenged Hitler

During World War II, lipstick became a political weapon. Adolf Hitler intensely hated lipstick. He declared that wearing lipstick was not suitable for Aryan women and that it was impure. However, the Allied Forces turned this into an opportunity to provoke Hitler.

In Britain and America, women were encouraged to wear more red lipstick. The lipstick shade released at that time, called 'Victory Red,' became a symbol of patriotism. Winston Churchill ordered that lipstick production should not be stopped even when everything else was rationed during the war. He believed that lipstick boosted women's morale.

The Revolution in a Tube: Maurice Levy's Invention

The portable lipstick tubes we see today came into existence in 1915. An American named Maurice Levy was the first to create it. Until then, lipstick came in small pots or wrapped in paper. In 1884, the French company Guerlain had started commercially producing lipstick using deer tallow and beeswax. In 1923, when it evolved into a swivel tube, lipstick became a global revolution.

The Lipstick Effect: A Market Unfazed by Recession

There is a fact that even economists find surprising. When there is an economic recession in the world, the sales of all goods decrease, but lipstick sales alone increase. This is called the 'Lipstick Effect.' In a situation where they cannot afford large luxury items, lipstick is the least expensive luxury that women choose to make themselves happy.

Men's Love for Lipstick

The idea that lipstick is only for women is a modern concept. In ancient Rome, men wore lipstick to show their social status. The color on their lips was a sign of how wealthy they were. Even Roman soldiers would color their lips when going to war to express their valor. It was in the 1890s that lipstick began to appear in advertisements as a product exclusively for women.

From Lip Smackers to Organic Lipstick

In the 1920s, the first lip gloss hit the market. In the 1950s, Hazel Bishop introduced smear-proof lipsticks to the world. Today, lipsticks are not just about color; they are also a remedy that provides necessary vitamins and moisture to the lips.

Lipstick is not just a color. It is a story of survival. The dye that began as witchcraft thousands of years ago remains the biggest symbol of women's confidence today. Starting from poisoned lips, this color has evolved through numerous revolutions to a state where we can use it safely today.