The History of Red Lipstick

Photo by: Getty Images

1940s

Lipstick was becoming scarce because of the war, so chemist Hazel Bishop developed a 'No-Smear Lipstick.' The first of its kind, her revolutionary lipstick was said to stay put all day. The decade also saw a surge in propaganda trying to convince young girls that wearing lipstick was undesirable to men. But, companies like Maybelline, Revlon, and CoverGirl relied on marketing campaigns targeted to their core audiences ... more 

Photo by: Getty Images

1940s

Lipstick was becoming scarce because of the war, so chemist Hazel Bishop developed a 'No-Smear Lipstick.' The first of its kind, her revolutionary lipstick was said to stay put all day. The decade also saw a surge in propaganda trying to convince young girls that wearing lipstick was undesirable to men. But, companies like Maybelline, Revlon, and CoverGirl relied on marketing campaigns targeted to their core audiences (girls aged 16 and up) and by the late 1940s, 90% of American women wore lipstick.

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