Gwyneth Paltrow once said, “Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.”
Red is an emotional color; it fights all other colors for your attention, and it wins. While beige whispers, red roars. It is passionate, active, a sign of high energy. It’s no coincidence that stop signs and exit signs are red; they are meant to stand out.
Women (and men) have been painting their lips red for thousands of years. In ancient Mesopotamia, women would crush semi-precious stones to deepen the color of their pout. It’s even said that in pursuit of the perfect hue, Cleopatra would crush beetles, mix in beeswax, and apply the concoction to her lips. During World War II, all makeup except lipstick was rationed in Great Britain. Winston Churchill made the decision to let the manufacturing of lipstick continue because it “increased morale.” In the 1940’s, Elizabeth Taylor, as arguably the leading actress at the time, was known for her crimson lips and red-hot talent. She is remembered as saying, "Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together.”
By swiping on that classic red lipstick, you can pull yourself together and set yourself apart. This timeless trend is a mindset as much as it is a cosmetic. It’s ironic because women often believe that it takes confidence to wear bright lipstick, but in reality it’s the act of wearing it itself that brings confidence. By drawing attention to your lips, you are drawing attention to your words. George Washington would often wear red lipstick and a powdered wig, and while this may not have caused his leadership success, there might be a positive correlation. In a Proctor & Gamble study, researchers from Harvard and Boston University found that “people wearing color cosmetics were perceived as more competent and reliable” than those who don’t.
In addition, a recent study by Texas Christian University shows that women buy expensive cosmetics during a recession. This phenomena can be traced back to the Great Depression when women were worried about finding a capable mate -- they wanted to look good at all times. In more recent studies, however, the lipstick effect isn’t all about finding a man so much as an attempt to feel better when faced with economic hardship; instead of buying $200 shoes, a woman would buy a $20 lipstick. A French study found that waitresses wearing red lipstick receive tips 50 percent of the time, while waitresses wearing brown or pink lipstick receive tips 30 percent of the time.
All of the studies come to a similar conclusion: wearing red lipstick can greatly impact how you view yourself and how others view you. Red lipstick is versatile; you can wear it with a full face of makeup or none at all. In fact, one could even say bright lipstick is the lazy girls makeup. One swipe and that’s all you need. So, the next time you’re going to a meeting, a date, or even class put on a classic red lip and see if it impacts the way you carry yourself.
