National Lipstick Day: Lipstick Legacy and Unmissable Products
July 29th is National Lipstick Day, celebrating a historic hero of the makeup industry. Lipstick has been around for as long as 5,000 years, being used to indicate social status in all genders, as well as being worn in protest, to show your wealth or occupation, or simply just to empower. We are here to break down our favourite lip products this National Lipstick Day, and to give you some facts on how lipstick came to be what it is today.
Lipstick: A 5000 Year History
There is evidence of early civilizations using waxes and pigments made from crushed stones, fish scales, and algae, to create a lip colour. This goes back as far as 5000 years. Early forms of lipstick, alongside eyeliner and eyeshadow, were used in Ancient Egypt to protect skin from the sun, signify cultural standing, and – allegedly - to ward off the evil eye. This means lipstick is one of the most historic types of makeup, and we should appreciate it more!
In Ancient Greece, red lipstick was legally mandated for sex workers to wear, to differentiate them from other women!
Queen Elizabeth I popularised the red lipstick here, making it a symbol of power and nobility.
However, in the 1700s lipstick was outlawed due to its association with witchcraft and seduction – iconic if you ask us.
In more recent history, during World War Two lipstick became a symbol of resistance, which shifted into a message of rebellion in the ‘70’s punk movement, with more unique colours like purple and black being sold.
Nowadays, lipstick comes in every possible colour, texture, formula, and finish. It is used to polish off a look, to fill the wearer with confidence, and for self-expression.
Or stay here and peruse our top picks of lipsticks and products to perfect the pout:
MAC Macximal Silky Matte Lipstick in shade Velvet Teddy
It wouldn’t be a lipstick post without a mention for MAC. Their lipstick range is famed globally for its diverse range of shades and finishes. It could be argued that the most iconic shade is the timeless Velvet Teddy.
A rosy, brown nude, this lipstick can appear as a true neutral on deeper skin tones and a striking deeper brown on paler skin tones. It is not too pink, not too cool toned, it just works. No wonder it’s become such a fan favourite, perfect from wearing from work to evening plans.
RRP: £25.00Current price: £18.75
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in shade FU$$Y
Perhaps one of the most recognisable lip glosses on the market, Fenty Beauty strike again with their Gloss Bomb collection. The Universal Lip Luminizer in the shade FU$$Y acts similarly to MAC’s Velvet Teddy in terms of colour: it’s not too pink, not too neutral, it’s just right for any skin tone.
Filled with lip-loving ingredients, this gloss works to hydrate and plump while leaving your with beautifully shimmering lips.
RRP: £19.00Current price: £14.25
KIKO Milano 3D Hydra Lip Oil in shade Glossed Glass
Lip care meets lip gloss with this oil from KIKO Milano. Enriched with raspberry seed oil, this lip oil claims to hydrate for up to 10 hours. The sheer pink finish creates a feminine, kissable finish, while the glassy gloss elevates any makeup look from casual to photo ready.
RRP: £12.99Current price: £9.74
Kylie Skin Lip Butter
Created by the lip queen herself, this balm claims to help solve a wide range of lip problems. Offering up to 24 hours of hydration to soothe cracked and chapped lips, as well as filling in deeper lines in the lips to create a fuller appearance, this balm claims to do it all! The tip is contoured for easy application, and the cute packaging makes this the perfect summer accessory to carry with you.
£20.00
MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Color Pencil Extreme
A lipstick’s best friend, lip liner can transform any lip colour into a completely different look. Add depth, clean up lines, and create long lasting impact with a complementary liner.
This MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Color Pencil Extreme not only promises up to 24 hours of transfer and smudge-proof pigment, it is also safe to use anywhere on your face. From brows to eyes to lips, create instantly cohesive makeup looks with a pencil that promotes creativity.
RRP: £20.00Current price: £15.00
Yves Saint Laurent Loveshine Plumping Lip Oil Gloss
With hyaluronic acid and fig to hydrate, ginger and pepper oils to plump, and unique, sheer pigments to entice, the YSL Loveshine lip oil/gloss hybrid is ideal for someone looking for something that offers a little more than a gloss.
Non-sticky and nourishing, with a fluffy doe foot applicator that is so satisfying to use, this lip oil gloss is perfect for keeping in your evening bag for adding a plumping pop to your glam.
RRP: £35.00Current price: £26.25
Discovering makeup in the 2010's era of full glam was always going to lead me to beauty writing. A lover of pop culture and language, my content is always rooted in modern day trends. My beauty holy grails are the LANEIGE Lip Glowy Balms, L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream, detox masks for my skin, and any hair product that promises to repair, hydrate, and strengthen!
