Red Lipstick and Elizabeth Arden

Red lipstick is not just a bold beauty marker, but a subtle feminist statement Elizabeth Arden helped to make. She was born in 1878 and became a beauty industry mogul through sheer hard work and business savvy. In 1912, she walked up and down 5^th Avenue, handing out red lipstick to the suffragettes. Beginning in the early 20^th century, red lipstick became a symbol for the suffragettes and feminism in general.

According to PRI, red lipstick was seen in the early 20^th century as ostentatious and vulgar. It was not until after World War I the bullet tube for lipsticks came into use and mass marketing was possible. This color was sexually charged for sure, but it was also a bold symbol of strength. The names of early lipsticks were “Grenadier’s Red” and “Patriot Red.”

In early 2018, the Elizabeth Arden Company and Reese Witherspoon reignited the significance of red lipstick, which has happened repeatedly throughout the years, to support women around the globe with their #TogetherWeMarchOn campaign. If you buy yourself and a friend a tube of red lipstick, you can help to promote the causes of women around the world. And remember: Rosie the Riveter wore red lipstick, too.