Ten interesting facts you didn’t know about lipstick

There is something utterly irresistible about lipstick. Historically considered indulgent and unnecessary, it has become one of our favourite ways to quickly transform our appearance and mood!

During World War II, when resources were scarce and incomes were diminished, the sale of lipstick skyrocketed. After the 9/11 attacks in New York, the New York Times reported that lipstick sales in the state almost doubled. Even the COVID-19 pandemic – which has seen us wearing face masks that cover our mouths – hasn’t held lipstick back. In May, CNN reported that lipstick sales in the US had increased by 80% in 2021!

Known as the Lipstick Effect, the theory behind this phenomenon is that when faced with an economic crisis, consumers are likely to indulge in smaller luxury goods, such as lipstick, to feel good. 

Here are 10 fun facts about this beauty staple:

1. The first commercially-available bullet lipstick was produced in 1870, but both men and women have been applying colour to their lips since ancient times. 
2. In Ancient Egypt, both men and women wore lipstick as a status symbol. 
3. However, in Ancient Greece, lipstick was rejected by the upper classes and was reserved for prostitutes. It became law that prostitutes had to wear it, in order for men to be able to identify them. Sex workers caught without lipstick would be prosecuted for “improperly posing as lades”. 
4. Lipstick was popular among men and women in Ancient Rome, but contained toxic ingredients like lead, iron ore and focus (a type of algae) which had harmful effects on health.
5. Some of the first ingredients used to create lipstick were animal fat, ox marrow, beeswax and crushed gemstones. 
6. The world’s first long-wear lipstick was developed by a female chemist named Hazel Bishop, who created the formula while working in a dermatologist’s lab after World War II.
7. The first swivel-up lipstick in a tube appeared in 1923.
8. Greta Garbo is considered the first celebrity to popularize lipstick. 
9. It is estimated that a women spends an average of $1 780 (approx. R25 400!) on lipstick in her lifetime. 
10. Red lipstick is believed to be the most youthful shade because the stark contrast between red and all skin tones is associated with youth. 

* Information supplied by wet ‘n wild Megalast Lipsticks, a range of long-wearing, lead-free lip colours available exclusively at Clicks.