As the air grows colder and the skies grow darker, lipsticks return to vanities and pockets everywhere. One can’t help but wonder, what does red lipstick really symbolize?
Throughout the centuries, red lipstick has signified many things, carrying a surprisingly rich and captivating history. According to an article about the significance of red lipstick, “A red lipstick is one of the most integral items in a woman’s makeup bag. Today, a scarlet pout is one of the world’s most powerful beauty symbols.” This particular shade of lipstick has been a social signifier conveying a multitude of meanings (realsimple.com).
Considering the location and century, this visual statement has signified flirtatious seductions, declarations of social status, wealth, and even confidence. According to an article on the Real Simple website, during the early twentieth century, when American women marched for equal rights, suffragettes wore red lipstick in order to bring attention to their cause (realsimple.com).
Until it was popularized, wearing such brightly colored makeup was considered to be “scandalous,” associated with improper and unprincipled women, thus making it a mark of the independent, emancipated woman. Additionally, according to the article, red lipstick had the power to intimidate men. During the early twentieth century, women applied red lipstick in public to shock men and declare their independence from social limitations, adopting it as a sign of rebellion and liberation (realsimple.com).
As women’s rights movements spread across the world, British and American organizers often shared tactics with one another. According to CNN, inspired by her American counterparts, British Suffragette Leader Emmeline Pankhurst favored a red lip.
The infamous red stain holds power to embolden women, serving as a powerful political statement throughout WWII and even in this century. According to CNN, Adolf Hitler famously hated red lipstick as it became a sign of patriotism and a statement against fascism. The Red Lipstick movement has recently resurfaced as a form of protest against the Trump Administration, symbolizing resistance and hope for a different, better future. Additionally, a prominent campaign uses the hashtag “#RedForAfghanistanWomen” in order to show solidarity with Afghan women facing suppression of their rights and to support their fight for freedom and dignity (cnn.com).
As you reach for your red lipstick this winter season, I hope you’re reminded of all that it has symbolized. It’s chic, elegant, and flattering, but also bold, defiant, and undeniably feminine.