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Lipstick is a cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick dates back to early civilizations such as Sumer and the Indus Valley Civilization, and was popularized in the Western world in the 16th century. Some lipsticks contain traces of toxic materials, such as lead and PFAS, which prompted health concerns and regulation.
Lipstick has been prominent in several women's fashion trends, often associated with women's sexuality. The color of lipstick has aesthetic and cultural significance as different colors carry different connotations. Red lipstick has historically been associated with sensuality or women's independence while black lipstick is worn by both men and women in alternative subcultures, especially punk and goth. Celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna, and Taylor Swift have contributed to the popularity and iconic images of lipstick in fashion and mainstream media.
Early history
Ancient Sumerian and Indus Valley men and women were possibly the first to invent and wear lipstick, about 5,000 years ago. Sumerians crushed gemstones and used them to decorate their faces, mainly on the lips and around the eyes. Egyptians like Cleopatra crushed bugs (carmine) to create a color of red on their lips. Women in the ancient Indus Valley civilization have used rectangular pieces of ochre with beveled ends as lipstick. The Kama Sutra describes lip coloring made of red lac and beeswax and method it was used. Ancient Egyptians wore lipstick to show social status rather than gender. They extracted the red dye from fucus-algin, 0.01% iodine, and some bromine mannite, but this dye resulted in serious illness. Lipsticks with shimmering effects were initially made using a pearlescent substance found in fish scales.
The Chinese made lipsticks that were made from beeswax more than 1,000 years ago to protect the delicate skin of the lips. During the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), scented oils were added to them, which gave the mouth an enticing factor.
In Australia, Aboriginal girls would paint their mouths red with ochre for puberty rituals.
United States
In the 19th century, lipstick was colored with carmine dye. Carmine dye was extracted from cochineal, scale insects native to Mexico and Central America which live on cactus plants. Cochineal insects produce carminic acid to deter predation by other insects. Carminic acid, which forms 17% to 24% of the weight of the dried insects, can be extracted from the insect's body and eggs. Mixed with aluminum or calcium salts it makes carmine dye (also known as cochineal).
This lipstick did not come in a tube; it was applied with a brush. Carmine dye was expensive and the look of carmine colored lipstick was considered unnatural and theatrical, so lipstick was frowned upon for everyday wear. Only actors and actresses could get away with wearing lipstick. In 1880, few stage actresses wore lipstick in public. The famous actress, Sarah Bernhardt, began wearing lipstick and rouge in public. Before the late 19th century, women only applied makeup at home. Bernhardt often applied carmine dye to her lips in public.
In the early 1890s, carmine was mixed with an oil and wax base. The mixture gave a natural look and it was more acceptable among women. At that time, lipstick was not sold in screw up metal tube; it was sold in paper tubes, tinted papers, or in small pots. The Sears Roebuck catalog first offered rouge for lips and cheeks by the late 1890s.
By 1912 fashionable American women had come to consider lipstick acceptable, though an article in the New York Times advised on the need to apply it cautiously.
By 1915, lipstick was sold in cylinder metal containers, which had been invented by Maurice Levy. Women had to slide a tiny lever at the side of the tube with the edge of their fingernail to move the lipstick up to the top of the case, although lipsticks in push-up metal containers had been available in Europe since 1911. In 1923, the first swivel-up tube was patented by James Bruce Mason Jr. in Nashville, Tennessee. As women started to wear lipstick for photographs, photography made lipstick acceptable among women. Elizabeth Arden and Estee Lauder began selling lipstick in their salons.
During the Second World War, metal lipstick tubes were replaced by plastic and paper tubes. Lipstick was scarce during that time because some of the essential ingredients of lipstick, petroleum and castor oil, were unavailable. World War II allowed women to work in engineering and scientific research, and in the late 1940s, Hazel Bishop, an organic chemist in New York and New Jersey, created the first long lasting lipstick, called No-Smear lipstick. With the help of Raymond Specter, an advertiser, Bishop's lipstick business thrived.
Another form of lip color, a wax-free, semi-permanent liquid formula, was invented in the 1990s by the Lip-Ink International company. Other companies have imitated the idea, putting out their own versions of long-lasting "lip stain" or "liquid lip color."
If you want to read a lot more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipstick
- SERVES
- 4
- COOK TIME
- 25 Min
Our over-stuffed veggie Baked Stuffed Peppers are a super change-of-pace easy side dish. Colorful red and green bell peppers serve as tasty edible bowls for a stuffing that teams with any main dish.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ripe tomato, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 red or green bell peppers, split lengthwise and cleaned
- 1 tablespoon grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup water
- Preheat oven to 400º. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over high heat, heat olive oil; saute onion and garlic 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Remove from heat and add tomato, parsley, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper; mix well.
- Evenly fill each pepper half with mixture and place in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, then pour water into bottom of baking dish.
- Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden and tender.
And births this date include...
1946 – Candice Bergen, American actress
Each year on May 9th, National Home Front Heroes Day honors millions of civilians, past and present, who provide support to service members from the home front. Dedicated heroes roll up their sleeves, support neighbors, communities, and our nation at home while our service members are abroad. As a result, service members have a peace of mind knowing their families, businesses, and communities are taken care of at home.
#HomeFrontHeroesDay
For hundreds of years, military service members have left home to serve their country. Historically, World War II had the most impressive number of Home Front Heroes that would keep the country going. In fact, during the war Americans stepped up to the task with remarkable determination. In addition, the civilian contribution to the war effort was extraordinary. In return, it led to encouragement for service members to complete successful military operations overseas.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL HOME FRONT HEROES DAY
The Home Front Heroes Day National Committee submitted National Home Front Heroes Day in 2022 to honor the contributions made by millions of Home Front Heroes. The day also acknowledges civilian dedication, support, hard work, and sacrifices made at home for military service members.
“We have Memorial Day. We have Veterans Day. We have Fourth of July. But we don’t have any day devoted to recognizing and thanking those millions of people who made it possible for us to prevail. There is no day for acknowledging the people on the home front who do their duty, too, and I hope to change that.” ~Major John “Lucky” Luckadoo
