Red symbolizes femininity. It also represents a powerful and daring woman. When men tried to strip women of these rights, women wore red lipstick to public events. In the past decades, red lipstick represented dubious and impolite. For some cultures, it may even represent a sexually immoral woman. But to date, there is no longer anything trashy about red lipsticks. In fact, it looks lovely. And yes, it makes one look more powerful, daring, and sexy. In the early 20th century, women supporting the suffrage movement went on a march. They went past the New York Salon of Elizabeth Arden. The owner of Elizabeth Arden was famous for being a supporter of women’s rights. At the time, she made herself aligned to the cause. She gave out bright red lipsticks to the women marching on the streets. The suffrage leaders, at the time, loved red lipstick. They love the color for its power to shock men. This led the marchers and protesters to don the red color. It was then that they adopted the red lipstick as a sign of rebellion. It was a sign of liberation. Red is perfect. In fact, nothing could be perfect than this red lipstick. It is powerful, and it is the ideal symbol for a female. In the past centuries, red-colored lipsticks meant many things. In ancient Egypt, it was something that was used by the elites. In ancient Greece, red lipstick was being used by prostitutes. In Hollywood, in previous decades, red lipstick was a symbol of glamor. Before its popularity in the 20th century, red lipstick means something else. It was associated with everything negative. It was related to dubious women; Then red was for the sexually immoral. It was even something that they associated with the devil. In the Dark Ages, when one wears red lipstick, it was believed that that woman commingles with the devil. It was frightening! The protesters used red lipstick to symbolize liberation. And the international community followed suit. Women’s rights were something that the world was fighting for. It spread across Europe and New Zealand. It also spread across Australia. At the time, even the British and the Americans would share tactics. They shared details on marches they organized. They also shared details on hunger strikes as well as the more aggressive events. And this harmony extended up until their use of makeup. The American protesters extended their influences to other parts of the globe. Even the British suffragette leader Ms. Pankhurst went on to use red lipstick. This even helped with the spread of the gesture among activists all over the planet. Yes, the red lipstick was a symbol of liberation during this time. But note that at the time, lipstick was also something that women were trying to normalize. During this time, women were also trying to get rid of corsets in favor of brassieres. It was the time when women were trying to get out of the box. It was the time when women were fighting to create their space in society. During World War II, red lipstick made its next appearance. It was a widespread belief at the time that Hitler hated red lipstick. In Allied countries, it was something that was a symbol of patriotism. It was making a statement against the ideals of fascism. And at the time when taxes on lipstick was sky-high, women started to use beet juice to stain their lips red. At the time, men went off to war to fight. Women, at the time, filled in their roles back home. These are roles that men would be doing had they not gone to war. At the time, when entering the office, they would wear their lips red. This was a show of resilience amidst the conflict at the time. This was a fight for normalcy at the time. And it also allowed for women to keep their identities before the war started. During the war in 1941, red lipstick was something that they required women to wear when joining the US Army. Makeup brands jumped on the bandwagon. Even Elizabeth Arden concocted a Victory Red line of red lipstick. There was also the existence of Regimental Red by Helena Rubenstein. But it was Elizabeth Arden who the US government finally asked. She was cordially asked to come up with a lip and nail color. This is something that should be created for women in service. It was then that the Montezuma Red was finally created. It was something that could match and accentuate the women’s uniform in service. Wearing red lipstick during this time was something you do to lift your self-esteem. It was something you use to show your resilience and display that strong female power. Post World War II, the red lipstick is at it again. Hollywood actresses like Elizabeth Taylor catapulted the red lipstick to its current popularity. It was something that they wore to show glamor and confidence. As of this time, there are other protest symbols for women’s empowerment. These include the pink pussy that was popular in 2017 during the Women’s March. The habit from the Handmaid’s Tale was also something they used a lot when fighting for women’s causes. But, despite the glamor, it shows now, red lipstick still comes with enough symbolism. In 2015, a viral photo of a Macedonian woman kissing an officer’s riot shield made waves worldwide. The woman’s kiss left a red kiss mark on the officer’s shield during the anti-government protests. In 2018 Nicaragua, both men and women wore red lipstick to call out for the release of some protesters. In December of last year, almost 10,000 women in Chile hit the streets. They were with black blindfolds and lips painted red. This was to denounce the sexual violence prevalent in the country. It was like the suffrage movement all over again, all over the world. Protesters again tapped into the power of the red lipstick. It appears as the red lipstick will never be something of beauty, class, and glamor. The red lipstick will always be a woman’s show of her power.