Women, Self, Advice
You Should Wear Red Lipstick
The power choice of power women since the Egyptians.
Red lipstick has always represented passion, power, and allure.
The ancient Egyptians believed red lipstick could ward off negative forces and elicit love and admiration. Cleopatra, that famed temptress and crafty stateswoman of the ancient world, used the local materials to get the red lipstick she wanted: carmine beetles and ants mixed with beeswax for texture.
The all-natural ingredients are admirable, but I would have drawn a red line in the sand about whether to wear insect balm, with or without beeswax.
Red confers authority and influence, markers of feminist strength. Red lipstick folds in seduction. Red lipstick, as a non-verbal communication tool, says I have the confidence to draw attention to my sensuality. Cross me at your peril.
Red lipstick scared the bejesus out of the ancients, and its effect remains a powerful symbol today.
Meryl Streep, portraying a hard-driving fashion industry leader in the movie The Devil Wears Prada, lashes out with a red-lipped snarl that leaves underlings quaking in their stilettos.
