The Power of Red

Every woman has a beloved item or two in her wardrobe or makeup drawer that can always be counted on to deliver a reliable boost of confidence: a flattering little black dress, or a killer pair of stilettos. The most popular accessories are the ones that empower women to be fierce and powerful. Known worldwide for its combination of boldness, strength, and self-assured sexiness, red lipstick takes the cake. 

Red lips and the strength they radiate have been loved by women for centuries. Cleopatra reddened her lips, for example, with a deeply-pigmented colorant made from crushed beetles. Queen Elizabeth, dabbed her lips in red and felt the color would ward off evil spirits. Marilyn Monroe’s scarlet lips become one of her trademarks, and Bad Girl Riri loves red lipstick so much that she teamed up with MAC to create the instantly successful, wildly popular RiRi Woo. 

Red lipstick is powerful in the way no other makeup item or piece of clothing can be. It’s unquestionably feminine but embodies strength. Even the act of applying red lipstick is empowering. By dressing your lips in red, it draws people’s attention to you, especially your mouth, and subsequently, the words that come out of it. Unlike other cosmetics, many of which camouflage something we don’t like about ourselves, red lipstick is about assertion. Women are constantly trying to hide their imperfections, but red lipstick is a statement of power, pushing women to confident. 

There’s a famous quote from Elizabeth Taylor, an especially high profile red lipstick fan during the fifties and sixties, that reads, “Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together.” Red lipstick should be everyone’s finishing touch when getting ready for a busy workday because a simple swipe of scarlet will hide any insecurities or anxieties underneath. Be bold. Wear red.