Random dose of Newton

Helmut Newton, Kiss from “The Bordighera Details”, 1982

Red Lipstick

[Ashley]

I’m not in the least the kind of girl who tends to wear much make-up, but I’ve been really into bright, pillar-box-red lipstick of late. I like its versatility– the way it can convey a variety of moods, from the classic to the rebellious and theatrical. Putting on a touch of red lipstick can add just the right costumey touch to an outfit, giving it a little nudge from the realm of an jumble of clothing put on to that of the concept. If you took the time to put on lipstick, you must at least have some vision of what’s going on with the rest of you. Lipstick makes things come together.

Red lipstick also comes with the obvious porn-y connotations, but I’m a lot less interested in the oversexed aspect of it than I am in the way that the average girl takes it and places it in her look. Similarly, with the expection of the picture above, I’m rather bored by seeing takes on it on models. Fashion is an arena in which make-up is a given part of the package, and with the exception of truly extreme looks, it tends to bore me, although it can be pretty. In the case of the girl on the street, the choice to wear red lipstick can represent a statement, from the desire to add a retro touch to a look, to a desire to add a sexy touch, or to look womanly. I myself like to wear it because it secretly makes me feel just the smalled bit like Lauren Bacall in a noir. I like how stylised my features look when I’m wearing it, how I turn into all eyes and lips.  I like having to be a little bit precious about how I drink, and whether I wipe my mouth. A large part of how I dress on a daily basis has some roots in a concept or “look” that I wish to achieve for the day, and red lipstick allows me to do a little part towards transforming my face closer to my idea.

Vaguely muddled and incoherent, but I am mired in documents for the day, so can’t do much better. Here below are some images I found while poking around Flickr.

[PetrosD]

[Lazy Butterfly]

[AllyJade]

[No. Nein]

[Lou]

And, of course, Lauren Bacall. Not a traditional icon for red lipstick, but always beloved by me for being such a beautiful badass.

[source]