Throwing Shade

In the world of cosmetic preparations, lipstick probably has the most intriguing and varied history. The earliest known use of colored cosmetics was in Mesopotamia 5000 years ago, where precious and semi-precious gems were ground and applied to lips and eyelids. In Ancient Egypt, much of the population used cosmetics for beauty enhancement and to protect themselves from the sun and desert wind. Lipstick became part of ancient women’s daily routines.

The first modern cosmetic lipstick was introduced at the World Exhibition in Amsterdam in 1883 and became broadly available by 1884 when Parisian perfumers began selling lipsticks. By the late 1890s, the Sears Roebuck catalog started advertising and selling lip and cheek rouge, making these products available to the mass markets.

Lipstick’s cousin, lip gloss, was invented around 1928, and the first commercially available lip gloss, X-Rated by Max Factor, was released in 1932. Lip gloss was originally created for silent screen actresses and was used to ensure that actresses’ lips stayed shiny and pronounced in black and white film. 

When lip color was first introduced to mass consumers, it came in only a few shades, most varying degrees of red or pink. Today, there are literally thousands of different colors on the market—Mac Cosmetics alone boasts more than 200 different colors across its different formulations and textures, including Retromatte, Matte, Satin, Powderkiss, Cremesheen, Amplified, Lustre, Love Me, and Frost.

For the average consumer, selecting the correct shade of lip color can be daunting. Ask random women how many lipsticks/glosses they own; I guarantee that most will say more than 10. However, a few iconic colors look good on almost anyone, including Revlon’s Cherries in the Snow, Clinique’s Black Honey, and Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk. 

Premiering in 1953, Revlon’s Cherries in the Snow is one of the oldest lip colors on the market. It is a deep raspberry pink with cool undertones and a cream finish. Cherries in the Snow is a true retro color, incredibly opaque and saturated. It looks good on warm and cool skin tones, and because of its undertones, it is one of those lip colors that looks different on everyone. 

Clinique’s Black Honey was originally formulated in 1971 and has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity as of late. Black Honey’s blackberry hue transforms into -richer shade depending on your skin tone. This can vary between a soft plum, a brown-tinged berry, a reddish-pink, a mauvey sheen, or something in between. The pigment also balances red, blue, and yellow, which helps make the whites of your eyes and teeth appear brighter, hence the overall skin-lifting effect. It is a color that is universally appealing.

Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk is the newcomer in the world of iconic lip shades. It was launched in 2013 and is a pink nude, which looks great on many different skin tones. A long-wearing matte formulation, it now comes in four different shades.

I hope you’ve found this information useful. Here’s to the best color and formulation for you!