'His'tory of Lipstick!

Aahhh, love to look at those beautiful, mind-blowing and lovely lips? No, it’s not in those lips though! It’s the lipstick that is making those 'just normal' lips look ravishing!

I do agree that some do look great without a lipstick… but that’s a rarity!

If you think Lipstick is just a cosmetic product containing waxes, color and scent, you are really wrong. It is a story dating back to 5000 years!

Lipstick has been used for five thousand years ago in ancient Mesopotamia, when semi-precious jewels were crushed and applied to the lips. It is also known that Women in the ancient "Indus Valley Civilization" applied lipstick to their lips for face decoration.

Most of you like red, any reason you can give? God knows why many girls and women around 20 years apply red lipstick to their lips. I am damn sure that most of the you girls start applying it as early as you turn 11 or 12! It has been estimated that 92 million American women do not leave home without their lipstick. That hurts!! I know YOU too would not step out of the house without applying your lipstick!

Cleopatra had her lipstick made from crushed carmine beetles, which gave a deep red pigment! Lipsticks with shimmering or the gloss effects were initially made using a substance found in fish scales called pearlescence.

Lipstick was popular in the 16th century itself where in Queen Elizabeth I made piercing black lips and bright yellow ! By that time, lipstick was made from a blend of beeswax and red stains from plants. Eeeeeks!! So far, so good.





A study conducted by US consumer group called "Campaign For Safe Cosmetics," in October 2007 found 60% of lipsticks tested contained traceable amounts of lead and this is not a good news!

And, recent history of lipstick goes like this:

In 1883, Parisian perfumers presented the first modern lipstick wrapped in silk paper.

Material: Castor oil, beeswax and deer tallow!
Colours: Red, later black and then green.

In 1912, lipstick enclosed by metal tube and available cheaply. And, in 1920s, black lipstick was first used by women in silent movies and the first push-up tubes! Wow...

In 1930s, US companies developed more lipstick colours like pink, shocking red and dark lilac.

In 1948, first lipsticks with rotating mechanical tubes come to marked in the US. First time, in 1950, lipsticks containing natural product lanolin, dyes, pigments in a fragranced oil-wax base.

And, at last in 1991, the first organic lipstick, out of beeswax, castor oil, jojoba-oils and other natural substances!

You know what:

- Lipstick is the least expensive and most popular cosmetic in the world!
- 21 % of women use it everyday
- 78 % of women use it for special occasions
- Women who use lipstick everyday almost “EAT” a lipstick bar per year!!

How many lipsticks are you or the women you know are eating?? Just think about it... and forget it, cos you can't stop it! Have fun...