lipstick n : makeup that is used to color the lips [syn: lip rouge]

1 form by tracing with lipstick; "The clown had lipsticked circles on his cheeks"

2 apply lipstick to; "She lipsticked her mouth"

English

Pronunciation

Noun

lipstick (countable and uncountable; plural lipsticks)

1. makeup for the lips.

   Are you wearing any lipstick today?

2. A stick of this make-up.

   I'd like three lipsticks in this shade.

Derived terms

• lipstick lesbian

Translations

Lipstick is a cosmetic product containing pigments, oils, waxes, and emollients that applies color and texture to the lips. There are many varieties of lipstick. "Lippy" is a common British colloquialism for lipstick.

History

Lipstick is known to have been used around 5000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia, when semi-precious jewels were crushed and applied to the lips and occasionally around the eyes. Women in the ancient Indus Valley Civilization applied lipstick to their lips for face decoration. Ancient Egyptians extracted purplish-red dye from fucus-algin, 0.01% iodine, and some bromine mannite, which resulted in serious illness. Cleopatra had her lipstick made from crushed carmine beetles, which gave a deep red pigment, and ants for a base. Lipsticks with shimmering effects were initially made using a substance found in fish scales called pearlescence.

Lipstick started to gain popularity in the 16th century, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, who made piercing red lips and bright white faces a fashion statement. By that time, lipstick was made from a blend of beeswax and red stains from plants.

During the Second World War, lipstick gained popularity as a result of its use in the movie industry, and it became commonplace for women to apply makeup, or "put their face on".

As with most other types of makeup, lipstick is typically, but not exclusively, worn by women. It is usually not worn until a female reaches adolescence or adulthood. Male lipstick, especially as used in theater, is sometimes called manstick.

• Research: Merskin, eryrfedDebra (2007). Truly toffee and raisin hell: A textual analysis of lipstick names. Sex Roles 56(9-10), 591-600.

References

base, carmine, clown white, cold cream, compact, cosmetics, crimson, drugstore complexion, eye shadow, eyebrow pencil, foundation, foundation cream, greasepaint, hand cream, hand lotion, henna, incarnadine, inflame, lip rouge, madder, makeup, mascara, miniate, mudpack, nail polish, paint, powder, powder puff, puff, red-ink, redden, rouge, rubify, rubric, ruddle, rust, talcum, talcum powder, vanishing cream, vanity case, vermilion, war paint, warm