War Paint by Rachel Healey

War Paint Empowering Feminine Identities With Lipstick

FOR MY GR ANDMOTHER, JERYE ANN who taught me that wearing lipstick makes you, not only a "fancy lady," but can prepare and empower you to face lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many challenges.

THE LIPSTICK VOTE The Suffragettes 22

WORD WAR II LIPSTICK

MOD ERN WAR LIPSTICK Women in War Zones Today 60

LIPSTICK TRIUMPHS Amy Duncan 74

PRISON LIPSTICK Piper Kerman 90

MILLENNIAL LIPSTICK Abbey Maxbauer 106

LIPSTICK BREAKS TRADITION Jacob Tobia 120

LIPSTICK PERSEVERES Making Connections 138

World War II Women 34

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Preface

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A BRIEF HISTORY The Historical Symbolism & Politics of Lipstick

Lipstick has been empowering feminine identities for hundreds of years. At the turn of the twentieth century, women added rouge to their faces as a symbol of female empowerment when fighting for the right to vote. Women during World War II, both at home and abroad, wore lipstick to hold on to feminine connections and to lift their spirits in an aggressive and unfamiliar time. Lipstick has empowered women in war zones, women battling cancer, and women in prisonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all forces attempting to destroy and belittle a sense of self and femininity. Lipstickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to empower does not discriminate. It applies to women and feminine identities of all ages all over the globe. No matter what shade we wear, our makeup is all the same.

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Society viewed lipstick as a negative, vulgar, and sexual tool used by prostitutes and other "disreputable" women. For other cultures, lipstick held different meanings. In some cultures, applying the color red to the lips and cheeks created a visual metaphor to the redness of the vagina during sexual arousal. This analogy evolved into the idea that lipstick was synonymous with a loose woman.1 Similarly, the Ancient Egyptians used rouge to imitate the natural flushing of cheeks and lips when sexually aroused.2 While many Egyptian women used this courting trick, this particular symbolism of lipstick created the foundation for the idea that lipstick was reserved as a sexual tool. Due to these historical implications, women at the beginning of the 20th century who wore lipstick were still "seen as morally questionable and of the realm of prostitutes and actresses."3 As the twentieth century continued, however, the societal interpretation of lipstick evolved. The 1920s brought flapper fashions that subverted previous feminine norms. Women cut their hair shorter and the hems of their skirts lost a few inches. These bold "New Girls" of the 1920s also expressed their new found sense of individualism and style with lipstick. The tool reserved for the fringes of society suddenly became a regular item in the 1920s toolkit. Twenty years after the turn of the century, lipstick turned from a symbol of disgrace to a symbol of cutting edge fashion and modernism. Lipstickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s return to greatness continued as cosmetic industry leaders caught on to the surge in lipstick wearers everywhere. During the Great Depression and World War II, lipstick remained an easily accessible tool for women to feel powerful and beautiful in dark times. At the time, lipstick had not "been in style in the United States [since] just before the American Revolution, when painting the face white and coloring the lips red was the right of aristocrats of both sexes."4 Lipstick fell out of popularity for some, however, during the 1970s and the Second Wave Feminist Movement. Many women boycotted wearing lipstick to demonstrate their disapproval of the commercial beauty market and its alleged degradation of females through cosmetics.5 Regardless of this particular view, as the twentieth century continued on, lipstick remained an accessible and democratic tool for all women.

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Due to lipstickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s democratic nature and relatively low price compared to other luxuries, lipstick sales continue to rise even during tumultuous times. "The 'lipstick effect' is the theory that during an economic recession, lipstick sales still continue to rise."6 This theory is proven by the example that during the 1999â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2000 recession, lipstick sales increased by four percent,7 while sales of other commodities fell. Women gravitate towards lipstick during financially tumultuous times to feel confident and beautiful. Regardless of economic stresses, lipstick remains an accessible treat that women can rely on to instill a sense of hope and power. Lipstick provides solace in other stressful and high intensity situations as well. In her book, "Face Value", Autumn Whitefield-Madrano introduces a study regarding women, makeup, and stress: "In a study of 140 women, researchers in France determined that when faced with stress, women applied more makeup than usual. Smart thinking too: When placed in a tense situation, women who were wearing makeup had lower signs of physiological stress like heightened skin temperature and restrained vocal pitch than their nonmakeup-wearing-counterparts."8 In stressful times, applying color to the face provides confidence and relief. Alternatively, the absence of makeup also has illuminated problems for women that needed prompt attention. She also writes that, "Another [friend] says that she knew to seek help for her depression when she stopped wearing her trademark bright coral lipstick."9 Lipstick not only calms stress and empowers women lacking confidence, but has the power to define normalcy and thus reveal irregularities in a womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. Women and feminine identities today are constantly pressured by the media to fit traditional beauty molds and often times that includes the latest shade of lipstick. Lipstick of course is fashionable, trendy, and a convenient tool that can transform a tired face into an alert one in a matter of seconds. That is a fact no one can dispute. Lipstick, however, is not a popularity contest or a measure of status. Whitefield-Madrano questions, "Why not embrace makeup as a way of owning the feminine and the strong? Constructing cosmetics use

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as a form of self-articulation and even resistance might give us a broader perspective."10 People should wear lipstick for themselves and not for the approval of anyone else. I am writing this book to demonstrate lipstick’s empowering capabilities. Through the following stories hopefully people everywhere can understand what lipstick provides. These select stories offer a glimpse into what lipstick can do for people, but by no means does this story end on the last page of this book. A simple swipe of color on one’s lips has improved lives all over the world in various situations, continues to do so for people today and will for women tomorrow. Lipstick is artistic. Lipstick is individual. Lipstick empowers. Lipstick is feminist. Lipstick is for everyone. With the help of my friend and photographer, Veronica Jong, I photographed and asked millennial women to share with me why they wear lipstick. Their answers vary, just like their unique personalities, but one thing stays the same. Lipstick empowers them on a daily basis. Through the stories of the women featured in this book and the thoughts of millennial women today, lipstick demonstrates its power to not only transform a face, but also to uplift women with one simple swipe.

" WHAT RED CAN DO FOR THE SPIRIT, IT CAN ALSO DO FOR THE FACE." Lisa Eldridge, author of “Face Paint”

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Linda Scott, Author of “Fresh Lipstick”

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The Lipstick Vote

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THE SUFFRAGET TES How Lipstick Helped Gain the Female Vote

When one thinks of the suffragettes who fought for the womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right to vote in the early 1900s, glamour probably does not come to mind. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Susan B. Anthony did not show up to the Seneca Falls convention to show off their fashion forward outfits. Carrie Chapman Catt probably did not care about the public perception of her style when forming the League of Women Voters. In order to back their cause, however, these women turned to one unique accessory, rejected by society and history, as a symbol of their proud rebellion. They wore lipstick. A simple swipe of red with a big message.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whether they were new

women cycling in bloomers and sensible shoes, or elegant ladies in big hats and bright lipstick, women should be free to choose what they wanted to look like and who they wanted to be.â&#x20AC;? This turn of the century woman looks ahead at the possibility of equality in her future. She looks hopeful and ambitious, all while she wears lipstick and a touch of rouge on her cheeks.

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At the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, women gathered to discuss topics usually reserved to male officials. They debated the emancipation of slaves, women’s rights, politics, and the influence of religion on society. The act of gathering alone demonstrated the courage of the women present, but their choice to don lipstick made an equally significant statement. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Charlotte Perkins, and others wore rouge to symbolize their wish for freedom and equality. Women at future rallies during the mid-1800s followed suit with a shade of bright red lipstick. Many dissenters and male opponents to their cause would have found their color choice socially and religiously offensive.2 Their bravery to participate was amplified by their lipstick. The boldness of these women and their red lipstick caught the public eye. According to Madeline Marsh, author of Compacts and Cosmetics, "On one famous demonstration in New York in 1912, all the ladies painted their mouths with shockingly bright red lipstick and Elizabeth Arden joined in the parade."3 Arden’s solidarity showed that even the leaders of the lipstick industry, supported this feminine cause. Suffragettes at the turn of the twentieth century continued to wear red lipstick in their effort to gain the right to vote. Wearing lipstick was still seen as disreputable and a social statement reserved for prostitutes and actresses. Due to its defiant implications, it became a symbol of the women’s rights movement, both in the United States and abroad in the United Kingdom. Of course these women were not fighting for the right to wear lipstick, but the message was clear. They were strong, beautiful women; independent in both their mind and their spirit. They were capable of choosing what they wanted to wear and who they wanted to be. Therefore, they should be granted the same rights as their male counterparts. Their decision to defiantly wear red lipstick allowed them to stand tall in the face of discrimination. They fought their battle with lipstick to tell the message of lipstick. To these ladies, lipstick represented freedom. Lipstick represented their voice.

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THEY FOUGHT THEIR BATTLE WITH LIPSTICK TO TELL THE MESSAGE OF LIPSTICK. TO THESE LADIES, LIPSTICK REPRESENTED FREEDOM. LIPSTICK REPRESENTED THEIR VOICE.

Left: A typical compact including blush and lipstick that women would have carried with them on their marches fighting for the vote. Right: A typical 1900s lipstick tube women would have carried in their purses.

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OF COURSE THESE WOMEN WERE NOT FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT TO LIPSTICK, BUT THE MESSAGE WAS CLEAR.

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World War II Lipstick

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WORLD WAR II WOMEN Lipstick Uplifting World War II Women Abroad

Women across the world and throughout history have struggled to feel beautiful and confident due to societal constraints, political turmoil, economic pressures, and general insecurities. This struggle held even more true during World War II. Every business, enterprise and daily practice focused their efforts on the struggle abroad. This meant many women had to leave their homes to support the cause. The U.S. military enlisted approximately 350,000 women in the armed forces.1 Some women served abroad as employees of the Red Cross, while 19 million other women, stayed home to take over the businesses left behind by their male counterparts.2 No matter their location, all women wanted to take part in supporting the Allied cause. Lipstick then became a main player in supporting that cause. Many of them turned to lipstick to feel beautiful and strong during one of historyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ugliest times. The power of lipstick was so palpable that even industry leader, Elizabeth Arden, created a makeup kit that included a red lipstick to match the uniforms of the American Marine Corps Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reserve.3 The United States government caught on to the hopeful power of a red lip and encouraged women to wear lipstick in support of American troops. Like the suffragettes who came before them, the swipe of red empowered the women who might have felt helpless at home; the women who felt alone serving abroad; and the women who wanted to show their patriotism.

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Women who worked for the American Red Cross on foreign soil during World War II employed lipstick as a key tool in their everyday armor kit. According to United States Government archives, women responding to Red Cross job postings overseas had to be college graduates, single, and at least twenty five years old.4 Their civil duty abroad consisted of lifting the morale of homesick soldiers and running local recreation clubs in a variety of camps within Europe.5 Due to restrictions at the time, women were not able to fight. A Red Cross woman could not bear arms. She could not go to the front lines of battle. She could, however, support the men who had elected to fight for their country. While they did not fight in battles, they bore witness to the horrors around the continent. They witnessed first hand the mental, emotional, and physical repercussions of the war. Red Cross women saw the good, the bad, and the ugly. One Red Cross service woman, Margaret, described her experiences in a letter to her parents. She wrote, "Believe me, Mom and Dad, we Red Cross have seen more of this war than anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and what we've seen and heard could make an excellent book. We feel the spirit and soul of the war."6

IN ADDITION TO THE MEN ON THE BATTLEFIELDS, THESE LIPSTICK WEARING WOMEN REPRESENTED THE SPIRIT OF THE WAR.

Opposite: A collection of lip and cheek rouge women would have carried with them abroad. These small connections to home helped them feel beautiful while supporting the men fighting in the war.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;When women shipped

off, they took cosmetics with them into battle. Lipstick was one of the ways these women defined themselves; to them it signaled femininity and strength.â&#x20AC;?

Opposite: Feminine accessories may have attached women fighting abroad to the comforts of home, but their accessorizing was not for vanity. They accessorized to feel beautiful and strong in a dangerous situation.

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Red Cross service women left their homes and all senses of comfort behind in the United States to stand for a cause greater than themselves. They dressed in military uniform just like their male counterparts. They wore dirty boots, badges, hats, and all of the regular combat paraphernalia.8 They were homogenized by their clothes and positions. They participated in a few small tasks, however, to distinguish themselves. According to a 2007 article for the National Archives called, "Wearing Lipstick to War," "they avoided the "mannish" or "Amazon woman" stereotypes that invited disdain from 1940s Americans. They usually took time to put on lipstick, nail polish, and perfume. These smart women quickly came to see that such small feminine connections to the girls back home meant worlds to the boys in the field." While such "feminine connections" probably boosted the morale of the male soldiers, their own attachment to femininity was a brave act of self empowerment. "Red Cross women were not sexy, at least not in a provocative sense. Their uniforms had a military style, enhanced often by muddy combat boots and odd bits and pieces of clothing."9 These women found a way to feel confident in an uncertain situation. The men had their guns, but the women had their war paint.

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THE MEN HAD THEIR GUNS, BUT THE WOMEN HAD THEIR WAR PAINT.

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WORLD WAR II WOMEN Lipstick Uplifting World War II Women at Home

The women who stayed at home played an equal part in donning lipstick as a patriotic symbol. These women not only took over their husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jobs, but were tasked with boosting the morale of their families, friends, and the rest of the country. Their burden was extremely taxing, but with lipstick it felt a little lighter. A media and government push to wear lipstick started during the war. Everyone caught on to the empowering nature of rouge and the new roles women were taking on at home. Wearing lipstick was not only popular, but the production of lipstick was supported by the United States government. The war effort at home lived and actually breathed at the will of the strong, working womanâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;an unprecedented responsibility for women in American society.

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“Lipstick helped women

to retain femininity even when doing a man’s job. ‘Do as a man, appear as a woman’ was the key to having a woman endure the active war effort.”

Opposite: A collection of World War II era makeup products in a time specific display case. While these accessories may seem superficial, they did wonders in uplifting the spirits of women workers at home and the rest of the nation.

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Like the servicewomen abroad, women at home sought out opportunities to participate in the war effort. Lipstick's traditionally red color alluded to the stripes of the American flag and the bloodshed in the name of Lady Liberty. Wearing red lipstick provided one way that women at home could show their support of the war. Not only did rouge boost morale and show support in a quick one, two, swipe, but it also allowed women to express themselves as individuals in a way that was once deemed inappropriate.11 American women in World War II toed a very precarious line of responsibility. Women, pressured by society, sought out femininity, but also took on jobs usually reserved for men. According to one historian, "Ladies navigated this treacherous terrain by using a widely accessible vehicle: the simple, everyday item of lipstick."12 Working in factories while wearing lipstick allowed them to be both feminine and strong. Women at home found comfort in their contradictory roles through figures like Rosie the Riveter. According to makeup artist, Lisa Eldridge, "Rosie the Riveter became a wartime icon for a generation of women with her lipsticked mouth and painted nails (and strong arms)."13 Rosie represented the struggle of the majority of American women; showing their strength in industry, but also yearning for the feminine ties of pre-war America. Lipstick during the war acted as a feminist opportunity for women. According to Linda M. Scott, author of "Fresh Lipstick," "As women labored in factories, lived on military bases, managed charitable organizations, led government agencies, and headed families, the restrictions normally placed on their consumption and even their sexual behavior were somewhat loosened."14 Rosieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s red lipstick translated into the lipstick of other women who wanted to feel empowered as war time contributors, but simultaneously strong in their femininity. Makeup brands caught on to the trend of patriotism and strength through lipstick and started to cater their products to the war effort. One Revlon lipstick ad during the war boasted the title, "Colors that Change the Outlook of the Nation."15 Other advertisers normalized this trend with headlines that promoted lipstick for its ability to "eep up morale for National Defense" and for its names such as "Courage" lipstick.16 While advertisers saw the opportunity in lipstick to support the war effort, the courageous shade of red directly translated to the women who wore it.

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WARTIME LIPSTICK EMPOWERED WOMEN AND PROVIDED A FEELING OF FEMININITY IN A TIME OF GREAT UNCERTAINTY AND INSECURITY.

Left and Right: Typical lipstick tubes of the World War II era.

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everyday

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WEARING LIPSTICK EMPOWERED THESE WOMEN TO FACE THE WAR.

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Modern War Lipstick

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W O M E N I N WA R ZO N E S TO DAY How Lipstick Supports Women Across the Globe

After growing up during the Iranâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Iraq war in the 1980s, founder of Women for Women International, Zainab Salbi, immigrated to the United States to escape her war torn home of Iraq. Inspired by her experiences growing up, she later started Women for Women International, a nonprofit organization to help women in politically dangerous areas of the world. In an interview with Guy Raz, an NPR correspondent, Zainab talks about resilience and how it applies to her work, her life, her mother, and womanhood. She highlights one tool she has found to aid in resilience: lipstick.

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When describing her childhood she remembers the sensations: "I grew up with the sounds of war—the wrenching booms of explosions, ominous drones of jets flying overhead and the wailing warning sounds of sirens."1 Despite these vivid memories, she barely noticed or understood the events around her, thanks to her mother’s desire to normalize the life of her and her brothers. According to Zainab, "Her [mother’s] whole idea of enduring— of even defying the war—was to be normal, was to create a parallel world for her children."2 The war was considered a male dominated affair, but from Zainab’s point of view life kept going and the world as she knew it kept spinning on its axis, thanks to the women around her. Just like the women of World War II, they made sure families functioned normally and allowed for continued success in school and in business.3 They may not have been the face of the war, but they were the face of the resilience. And they wore lipstick. Zainab describes the power of the women around her and how they conquered this unimaginable adversity: "As a child, I was witnessing women in my life. My mother was a woman. The teachers were women. People who run the grocery shop were women. The factories were run by women, and suddenly I realized that wow—so the world thinks of war from a male perspective, which is not untrue. It is true except they are missing the other aspect of war, which is that women are really keeping life going in the midst of war."4 She started Women for Women International to help the other women, like her mother, who keep life moving around the world. Through her encounters with women facing horrible adversity around the globe, she has learned more about enjoying life’s beauty. They have helped her just as much as she has helped them.

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She tells the story of one specific visit to Bosnia: "It was women in Bosnia, for example, during the days of Sarajevo. It was the longest besieged city. And I went in the besiege. And I went—I was like OK—what do you want me to bring you next time I'm here? And the woman said lipstick. I'm, like, lipstick? And they said because it's the smallest thing we put on every day and we feel we are beautiful, and that's how we are resisting. They want us to feel that we are dead. They want us to feel that we are ugly. And one woman, she said, 'I put the lipstick on every time I leave because I want that sniper, before he shoots me, to know he is killing a beautiful woman.' And I look at her, and I was, like, that's how she's keeping her beauty. Like, who am I to take myself so seriously when they are keeping life going through beauty and through the joy, just as my mother did when I was a child? And so that act of resilience—you keep the joy. You keep the laughter. You keep singing the song. You keep the melodies of the song going. That's how women resist and show their resilience in the darkest of circumstances, and that's what war is."5 And if you keep the joy and the laughter, you keep the lipstick. Women put on their favorite shade to feel beautiful in the face of some of the most brutal times. They put it on to stand up to those that knock them down. They wear lipstick to combat the red blood shed around them. They wear lipstick to fight in their own quiet, individualistic, beautiful way.

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“ I put the lipstick on every

time I leave because I want that sniper, before he shoots me, to know he is killing a beautiful woman.”

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British makeup guru, Charlotte Tilbury, decided to join Zainab’s cause and use lipstick to empower women in dangerous situations across the globe. For every lipstick sold from her "Hot Lips" lipstick line in 2016, she donated one to Women for Women International. Tilbury says, "A vital component of the Women for Women International program is [to rebuild the] confidence of women who have suffered the unimaginable: bereavement, torture and sexual violence."6 As women across the globe have demonstrated, lipstick can reinstate confidence and empower women left with nothing. Tilbury boldly states, "Lipstick is powerful. It has the ability to completely change your state of mind. It can boost your confidence, pick you up when you’re feeling down, re-energize you, add instant glamour to any outfit and immediately enhance your beauty—there’s happiness in every tube!"7 With the power of lipstick, these women in the most dangerous of situations who have been left with nothing, have been able to pick their heads up and leave with something.

Opposite: Modern military women preparing for battle. They have their camouflage uniforms and their lipstick.

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THEY WEAR LIPSTICK TO FIGHT IN THEIR OWN QUIET, INDIVIDUALISTIC, BEAUTIFUL WAY.

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Lipstick Triumphs

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AMY DUNCAN Lipstick Confidence in Good Times & Bad

Amy Duncan is a true 1980s girl. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri, has two grown children, and works as a Mary Kay Senior Sales Consultant. Amy is a Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor. Her life experiences are unique, but one thing that ties them all together is her relationship with lipstick. She started wearing lipstick in high school: more specifically, she wore a pink shade of Clinique. She remembers that shade so well because she wore it everyday. Quickly, she became attached to her lipstick in her routine and in her lifestyle.

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“I’ve never worn

lipstick for anyone but myself. It’s a weird paradox of the 80s, always being done, but I really wore it for me.” Opposite: Amy wearing lipstick in different important moments throughout her life. She has worn and wears lipstick on almost every occasion, from when she was a young adult, to family holidays,and professional events.

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THE IDEA THAT AMY'S LIPSTICK MATCHED HER MOTHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REPRESENTED A COMING OF AGE. AMY, WITH HER BRIGHT PINK CLINIQUE LIPSTICK, WAS READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD.

Above: Shades of pink lipstick similar to the one that Amy first tried when she initially wore lipstick in the tenth grade.

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Amy relates her early attachment to lipstick to her upbringing in the 1980s. Before she started wearing lipstick, she was already primed thanks to Bonnie Bell lip smackers and a variety of different lip glosses. She explains, "I was in high school in the 1980s. It was a different time. We didn’t leave the house without lipstick. It wasn’t an option for us." She was never insecure in regard to the boldness of lipstick because lipstick was the norm. Rather, Amy was excited to take that first step into womanhood. Geralyn Lucas, the author of "Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy," expressed similar emotions to Amy regarding her lipstick introduction: "there was something about myself I didn’t recognize. Some sort of confidence was on my lips staring back at me, daring me to live up to this fierce red lipstick I had just applied. Something changed when I put on that lipstick that day. It was like a magic wand when I swiped the waxes, oils, pigments, and emollients across my lips for the first time."1 The pressure to be done up in public initiated Amy’s lipstick love affair in the 10th grade, and maybe even sustained it. Over time, however, the bond developed a deeper meaning. This initial step into womanhood meant that she was no longer a girl, but approaching the makeup landscape her mother operated in. Her mom wore, and still wears lipstick every single day. Amy says, she always "puts her lips on. I know exactly where I got it." For Amy, wearing lipstick "represented wearing something that my mom wore that I very much wanted to emulate." The idea that Amy’s lipstick matched her mother’s was a coming of age. Amy, with her bright pink Clinique lipstick, was ready to take on the world. Since her "initiation," Amy has developed a physical dependence to lipstick. She claims, "my lips don’t feel right without it." Lipstick represents Amy’s safety net; her war paint for facing every day life. She explains, "the way I always felt about lipstick and makeup in general is that I’ve never worn it for anyone but myself. It’s a weird paradox of the 80s, always being done, but I really wore it for me." She never bought a new shade or flaunted her lipstick to get the attention of anyone else. Rather, lipstick gave her the confidence and the medium for self-expression in everyday life.

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Amy remembers a specific occasion when she was engaged to be married and went with a friend to a wedding dress sale. There were women fighting elbow to elbow. According to Amy, if someone found a dress she liked, she clung to it for dear life or else she forfeited the gown to the next determined bride. The chaos of the sale overwhelmed Amy and she has a memory of declaring to her friend, "if we could just stop long enough to put on lipstick, I would feel better." In her moment of sheer exhaustion, thirst, sweat, and stress, lipstick embodied her safety net; her calm in the wedding dress storm. From wedding dress shopping to motherhood, lipstick remained an everyday item in Amy’s repertoire. Amy started to sell lipstick as a Mary Kay consultant in 1994 while she was pregnant with her daughter, Emily, and caring for her fifteen-month-old son, Stewart. Amy has a Master's Degree in English, so selling makeup was not an obvious career path. As a traveling recruiter, she needed to switch careers to be home more often. Suddenly, Amy's career forced lipstick to become a huge part of her professional life. What Amy learned through Mary Kay was not just how many different shades of lipstick there are, but what it can do for women everywhere. For Amy, "lipstick became a vehicle to get in front of women." Selling lipstick became a way to be a part of her customer’s lives. Amy has now sold cosmetics for almost twenty-three years and works as a consultant supervisor. Lipstick, through her experiences at Mary Kay, allows Amy into the lives of women in a privileged way. Amy expresses, "to have leadership with them and to have a presence in their lives is humbling and amazing. I’ve walked with women through things ranging from divorce, spousal abuse to everything you can imagine. Lipstick has always helped them."

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Lipstick and the lessons she learned through other women’s experiences helped Amy when life dealt her a great challenge. She was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2004. She went through radiation and chemotherapy between December of 2004 and June of 2005 and lost all of her hair, including her eyelashes. To combat the loss of these feminine features and to beat cancer at its mental game, Amy wore lipstick every single day. For her, lipstick sent the message, "I’m not gonna let this take over me." Amy recalls: "I was on the table for radiation and I wore my bright red lipstick. I wanted to take power." Whether getting radiation, or working in the office, Amy wore lipstick every day while she had cancer. Of course, every patient experiences and battles cancer differently, but for Amy, lipstick acted as a powerful statement. Geralyn Lucas wore lipstick for similar reasons during her struggle with Breast Cancer. Geralyn hoped, "Maybe lipstick will shimmer its reflection in the dull surfaces."2 She wanted her "lipstick to tell everyone in this room that I think I have a future and I know I will wear lipstick again, but on my terms next time. But for now I have my war paint. I think I am ready."3 Some people did not even know Amy had cancer as a result of her powerful lipstick and wig combination she donned each day. For Amy, her beauty routine normalized her situation. Fortunately, Amy is healthy and still wearing her bright red lipstick today, thirteen years later. Amy continues to apply her lipstick everyday. Her varied experiences have solidified lipstick as a part of her everyday identity. She jokes that at last Thanksgiving she noticed her purse was very heavy. She dumped it out and she found 21 lipstick tubes inside. From selling lipstick to fighting cancer with lipstick, Amy’s deep relationship with lipstick follows her everywhere she goes. As Geralyn so beautifully states in her book, "Maybe applying red lipstick is a simple act of courage—to imagine yourself as someone or something you never thought you could be, and somehow, in a carefully applied swipe of beeswax, to become her. Maybe wearing lipstick is the beginning of a revolution inside your head."4 Lipstick certainly has and continues to revolutionize Amy’s experiences. The revolution continues today and just like her mom, Amy never leaves the house without her war paint.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;My lipstick during

cancer proclaimed who I needed to be: strong, feminine, powerful, and in charge.â&#x20AC;?

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AMY IS HEALTHY AND STILL WEARING HER BRIGHT PINK LIPSTICK TODAY, THIRTEEN YEARS LATER.

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Prison Lipstick

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PIPER KERMAN Lipstick Confidence Behind Bars

In prison, inmates are stripped of any sense of individuality. The orange jumpsuit and lack of accessories not only equalizes, but standardizes each woman. Women in prison are stripped of any sense of identity. Even more so, the lighting, the setting, and lifestyle remain completely severe and uninspiring. Piper Kerman, former convict and author of "Orange is the New Black," explains how female inmates fight the drab, gray world of prison through the simple luxury of lipstick, which many women take for granted outside of the prison walls. Lipstick empowers these women and provides confidence in a situation aimed at destroying any sense of hope. Lipstick allows women to feel feminine in the most gruff and uninspired situations. The gray cinder walls and electric fences do a great job to keep the inmates in and the rest of the world out. In describing the unattractiveness of prison, Kerman expresses, "Everything about the physical reality of prison is harshâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from the lighting to the cinder block construction to the unyieldingly drab palette."1 Just like the equalizing orange uniforms, the gray walls inside strips each woman of her unique characteristics. One accessory, however, allows women to regain a sense of individuality. Enter: lipstick.

PIPER KERMAN | 91

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Being a felon, a convict,

an outlaw, is not a feminine experience. In a soul-crushing prison system that encourages toughness, it was fascinating how tenaciously and creatively women around me clung to feminine rituals.â&#x20AC;? Opposite: Piper Kerman standing outside of prison, empowered by a light pink shade of lipstick.

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PREFACE | 93

Kerman originally "assumed that the cosmetics, a small array of drugstore products including liquid eyeliner, Maybelline foundation, and Great Lash mascara, were an acknowledgment that some women might want to look pretty for their visiting husbands, boyfriends, and families. After all, prisoners who are able to maintain ties to the outside world have proved to be more likely to stay out of trouble after their release."2 Kerman quickly discovered, however, that these women did not put on their lipstick just for their visitors, but rather for themselves. Kerman learned that when she, “was dressed in shape-less men's clothing and steel-toed shoes, some mascara and lip gloss went a long way toward making me feel like perhaps I still had something to offer my fiancé.”3 More importantly, if she had something to offer her fiancé, she also had something to offer herself. Lip color reinforced Kerman’s femininity and confidence inside the prison walls that tried to deny her of any sense of herself. Kerman does not deny the sexual appeal of lipstick in prison, but, the self transformation that occurs with one swipe of red separates each woman from the orange jumpsuit next to her. According to Kerman, "Approximately a third of the population wore makeup almost every day—out of habit, as an effort to feel normal, or to be more alluring either to a staffer or another inmate."4 The sense of normalcy and element of beauty that lipstick provides gives these women a sense that they are worthy, they are attractive, and that they have hope of leaving prison and succeeding in the world. "Being a felon, a convict, an outlaw, is not a feminine experience. In a soul-crushing prison system that encourages toughness, it was fascinating how tenaciously and creatively the women around me clung to female rituals."5

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THESE WOMEN HAD ALREADY BROKEN THE LAW, BUT LIPSTICK ALLOWED THEM TO BREAK DOWN THE BARRIERS WITHIN THE PRISON WALLS AND FABRICATE A SENSE OF HOPE. Above: A very basic lipstick tube women can acquire in prison. The shiny silver surface and bright red color create a metaphor for hope for the women behind bars.

PIPER KERMAN | 95

Women held on so tightly to their femininity inside prison and explored many creative options to fulfill their desire for beauty. Very few lipstick items are sold in prison and even when they are available, many inmates do not have the funds to purchase makeup products. In some prison situations, makeup containers are exploited to transfer illicit drugs, making them completely unavailable all together. Simone Weichselbaum, a staff writer at The Marshall Project, researched how women create their own makeup, or "fake up," given these prison constraints. "Jolly Rancher candies were used as hair gel and the pink ink from T-Mobile adverts as blusher. And you won’t believe what you can do with M&Ms.

MIX THE SWEET CANDY-COATED SHELLS WITH HOT WATER TO MAKE A LIP STAIN. And you can crush the leftover nut—if you’re using peanut M&Ms—into a spoonful of face cream, creating a protein–packed facial mask,"6 explains Weichselbaum. This sense of creativity allowed women access to lipstick, and the confidence that comes with it, when the prison system tries to strip them of all self-empowerment. This "fakeup" gives prisoners a sense of self and individuality in contrast to their equalizing uniforms. Kerman exemplifies the confidence lipstick provides in adverse situations. Female prisoners combat the denial of their living situation and wear lipstick to brighten up their own lives and the gray walls around them. The simple feminine attachment of lipstick gives each inmate a sense of normalcy and self-assuredness. For Kerman, lipstick can individualize her and other women placed in a system that strips them of any identity. Those rituals were not just for visitors or vanity, but a way to say, "I am not just a prisoner; I am many more things. And I am going to get out of here one day and never forget who I am when I look in the mirror."7

PIPER KERMAN | 97

â&#x20AC;&#x153; I am not

just a prisoner; I am many more things.â&#x20AC;?

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LIPSTICK PROVIDES THE CONFIDENCE WOMEN NEED TO SURVIVE SO THEY CAN WEAR IT OUTSIDE THE PRISON WALLS. 101 | WAR PAINT

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Millennial Lipstick

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ABBEY MAXBAUER How Lipstick Empowers Abbey Everyday

Abbey seems like an average 21 year old college girl. She studies, hangs out with friends, and she wears lipstick. Except, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing average about Abbey. She is a fashion student who is designing a line for dogs and their owners. Her own personal style, confidence, and sense of self are envied by all around her. That sense of self is found in her dedication to only wearing clothes she feels comfortable in and wearing whatever lipstick color she pleases. From hot pink to midnight black, Abbey wears lipstick to boost her mood, add a bit of glamour to her day, and to feel like her true, unapologetic self. This past summer Abbey worked at Sweet, Hearstâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Snapchat publication. During her time at Sweet, she wrote an article about her lipstick confidence. Thousands of women sent her questions about how to apply, colors, and confidence. For Abbey, lipstick has always been a source of self empowerment. She hopes that she can show other women, in good times and bad, that lipstick can save the day with a single swipe.

ABB E Y MA XBAU ER | 107

â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I want to present

the very best version of myself, that person is always wearing lipstick.â&#x20AC;?

Opposite: Abbey sitting in her favorite seat outside of her Fashion Design studio. Her smoldering eyes are as fierce and as powerful as her black lipstick.

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Top Left: Abbey’s very dark shade of black lipstick. Top Right: Abbey flaunts her womanhood with these pins everywhere she goes. Bottom Left: A few of Abbey’s lip colors that she carries everywhere she goes. Bottom Right: Abbey’s two favorite shades of purple.

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Abbey first started wearing lipstick as a competitive figure skater in the sixth grade. It was a shiny, hot pink shade that boasted all of the glossy glam of the mid-2000s. According to Abbey, the rest of her makeup was minimal. She has, "this memory of these really pink lips on this really pale face." People would tell her how great it looked, but she was too young to apply in real life. Regardless of outside opinions, this experience "planted the seed." After her first competition, Abbey started to wear it to every meet and soon as an accessory for everyday life. Lipstick became so ingrained in Abbey’s routine that it transformed into a ritual: "Part of my attachment was that it was such a ritual. Putting it on would just calm my nerves. I guess I still find some comfort in it. It’s now the last thing I do before I leave the house." Her figure skater’s accessory soon became her tool for conquering every day life. For Abbey, the attainable glamour and convenience of lipstick solidified rouge as a star in her makeup repertoire. Abbey remarked, "When I began my first job working retail, I quickly discovered that a lip color like a fiery red could make my whole face look put together in less than 30 seconds. The convenience had me hooked." More than its ability to pull a look together after a night of little sleep, it allows Abbey to feel glamorous in an otherwise mundane situation. Abbey loves that lipstick elevates her look, and therefore, her personality. Abbey claims, "I can copy Marilyn Monroe’s lipstick. It's just attainable and convenient. Suddenly your whole face looks put together. It’s enough of a statement where I feel like I’m getting a little piece of her glamour." Lipstick adds glamour and confidence to Abbey’s look when she’s in business mode, at the office, in class, or going out. According to Abbey "When I’m looking to present myself as the best version of me, that person is always wearing lipstick."

ABB E Y MA XBAU ER | 111

Abbey constantly emphasizes that she wears makeup for her. She wears makeup to fight the small battles in everyday life; to conquer her latest challenge; but never to impress those around her. Abbey doesn’t wear lipstick to impress anyone and she certainly doesn’t wear it for sexual appeal. When Abbey wears a bold lipstick out at night, she dons it for her own personal style, not to impress a man at the bar. She confidently explains, "when I have my lipstick on I don’t need anyone." According to her, that mentality is very impractical. If she wears a black or blue lipstick, it’s not practical for kissing a new consort. Abbey stated as boldly as her lipstick, combating the ancient symbolism behind rouge,

" IF I AM WEARING A BRIGHT RED LIPSTICK, HE IS NOT SEEING MY VULVA TONIGHT." For Abbey, lipstick is independent. As already stated, Abbey’s style is truly unique to her and her desire to dress for herself. Lipstick and the range of colors she wears is an integral part of her sense of self. While Abbey does not wear lipstick to impress anyone, she wears it to build her own confidence and that of other women. Through Sweet and her everyday lipstick application, Abbey wants to share the confidence to wear lipstick with other women. People ask Abbey, "how do you pull that off?" Abbey responds that she just puts it on because it makes her feel good. Allowing oneself to feel good is all anyone needs to "pull off" lipstick. Abbey explains, "The confidence boost I get from red lipstick pushes my self-esteem to levels previously only charted by listening to Beyoncé." Abbey wants the women all around her to participate in that confidence. She wants women everywhere to share in the sisterhood of rouge—or blue, or black, or purple. For Abbey, lipstick is independent, but also communal. She can share her lipstick with other women, but it is also uniquely her own.

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ABBEY’S LIPSTICK TELLS THE REST OF THE WORLD SHE’S UNTOUCHABLE.

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Lipstick Breaks Tradition

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JACOB TOBIA Expressing Gender Identity with Lipstick

Lipstick historically empowers feminine presenting women. Jacob Tobia, a 26 year old gender nonconforming person from North Carolina shares a deep relationship with lipstick. Gender nonconforming or genderqueer people do not align with their born gender identity. Jacob is neither man, nor woman, but has a fluid gender identity in between the two. As a genderqueer person, Jacob uses the pronouns they, them, and theirs. Jacob is a LGBTQ rights activist, writer, television producer and host, and has been featured on the Huffington Post, MTV and many more outlets. While Jacob wears countless occupational hats, they always wear their lipstick. Jacob wears colors as vibrant as their personality and jumps from reds to purples to blacks to pinks and neon greens. For Jacob, lipstick acts as an identifier, and allows them to be uniquely themselves everyday.

JACOB TOBIA | 121

Lipstick acts as Jacob’s daily political statement. Lipstick says, "this is the best version of me." However, as a biological male, Jacob’s lipstick also acts as an access point of discrimination in a world that does not accept people who defy gender roles and expectations. The same goes for any feminine garment or accessory Jacob wears. In an interview with Meg Zulch for Bustle, Jacob expressed, "The same dress that makes me feel fantastic and free is the dress that makes me feel terrified, alone, and at risk. The same garment that will get me attention on a red carpet will get me murdered in the street."1 Their brave political choice to swipe on their lipstick each day will hopefully contribute to the normalization of a wider range of gender expression—lipstick wearing or not. Jacob stated, "I’m so excited for how I dress to not be a statement because when it’s not a statement, that means I am loved and accepted and free."2 While lipstick is not the easy choice, lipstick is the brave choice. Jacob’s lipstick will hopefully pave the way for others to brave their favorite shade without hesitation. In October of 2014 Jacob wrote an article for the Huffington Post called, "Why I Don’t Suppress My Gender Identity in the Workplace." They open the article with a readiness checklist:

" BLOUSE TUCKED IN? CHECK. PEARL EARRINGS ON? CHECK. LIPSTICK FLAWLESS? CHECK."

Opposite: Jacob in their professional best at the Logo TV Premiere Party and Screening for "Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word" in October of 2014.

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JACOB TOBIA | 123

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If only their morning routine were actually that simple. Throughout Jacob’s entire life, from elementary school to finishing their undergraduate degree at Duke University, they faced the challenge of presenting their most true self to the public. Jacob has wavered in feeling confident in that realm, but graduated feeling sure of their lipstick, femme-presenting self. "Going into college," they state, "I thought that my desire to dress androgynously and adopt a feminine gender expression was shameful; and for the first few months of college I hid it from others and from myself."4 When they entered the workforce, personal presentation was called into question yet again. Jacob noted that, "for transgender and gender nonconforming people like myself, the question of what to wear to work becomes an exhausting question of identity and of survival."5 No longer was Jacob only confronted with possible ridicule from their peers, but rather navigating the rigid, gender normative confines of professionalism. While lipstick and heels are traditionally considered professional and appropriate for feminine presenting, biological females, such style choices are considered inappropriate for males in the workforce. According to Jacob, "For years, professionalism has been my enemy because it requires that my gender identity is constantly and unrepentantly erased."6 While a feminine woman wearing lipstick receives style points at work, Jacob has to worry if their boss will take them seriously if they wear lipstick or if they will lose their boss's respect. Alok Vaid-Menon, another gender non-conforming activist and spoken word poet comments on this dichotomy: "there’s a material consequence to me presenting feminine, and there’s not a material consequence to me presenting masculine. The minute I wear lipstick...my entire reality shifts."7 Despite these questions and challenges, Jacob wears their lipstick to work alongside their pearls, heels, and skirts. Lipstick might be controversial in a traditional world, but lipstick represents Jacob’s true identity and empowers them to face discrimination head on. Jacob will continue to wear their lipstick so that, "hopefully, the world can learn to respect people like me."8

Opposite: Jacob and Alok expressing their own unique identities with a myriad of different shades of lipstick.

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" I AM GENDERQUEER, PROFESSIONAL, AND UNAFRAID."

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JACOB TOBIA | 127

Jacob’s lipstick fearlessness extends outside of the office and into the view of the public eye through their work as a LGBTQ activist and their social media presence. Jacob has visited communities and universities to share their experiences and empower others in similar situations. Jacob highlights their lipstick experiences on their Instagram most frequently. Their posts range from simple pictures such as a photo of themself in front of Rockefeller Center with a matching caption that reads, "When the giant ornaments match your lipstick and everything is fabulous in the world for a sec" to more political statements like, "Gender euphoria is the feeling when you get new lipstick for Christmas and put it on to take a wintry walk through the woods with your family." In every photo, their lipstick empowers them to present their most true self in a public setting. In every post, they share that empowerment with a public audience to spread the confidence experienced when wearing lipstick. They use Instagram to discuss personal and poignant issues such as the cruel harassment that many transgender people experience, especially during childhood. In one post Jacob wrote, "That sort of bullying in my childhood instilled such profound shame in me about what it meant to express my femininity—shame that I’m still healing from and challenging to this day. Tonight I’m wearing a dark purple lip in honor of my 8-year-old self." In such a seemingly simple gesture like the application of lipstick, Jacob feels empowered, but also empowers every follower or Instagram "passer-by."

Opposite: A collection of Jacob's Instagram posts. In each photo they are wearing a different shade of lipstick. Each shade is bold and each shade is beautiful.

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JACOB TOBIA | 129

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As mentioned earlier, Jacob’s lipstick allows them the confidence to face the world each day, but it also acts as a point of potential discrimination, especially with a public audience. Similar to Jacob's childhood bullies, Instagram pests, or trolls, harass and discourage things that are "different." Alok addresses this issue by posting screenshots of hateful and negative comments on their account. Just for presenting feminine, people like Jacob and Alok receive horrible comments calling them, "disgusting," "retarded," "vile," and more. The world constantly tries to shut down Jacob’s lipstick, but instead of shying away from their identity, Jacob continues to not only wear whatever lipstick color they choose, but post about it on Instagram. There are many layers to Jacob’s lipstick. As they have become increasingly confident and comfortable with their identity, their lipstick goes from flashy and bright to understated and nude. On one Instagram post Jacob remarks, "so often, I navigate the world feeling that I must defend my femininity, prove it to others. So I choose the brightest lipstick and the most dramatic eyeliner and the chunkiest earrings. And while I love all of those things, sometimes I feel like I’m wearing all of it to prove a point. Giving myself permission to be a softer femme from time to time, to have levels to my femininity, feels like an exciting new way to embrace myself. Sure, a nude lip is less noticeable, but that’s okay. I don’t need to constantly prove myself with intense lip color. I’m adorable and powerful in all shades." Jacob’s lipstick confidence shines bright or remains subtle. Regardless of the shade, the lipstick Jacob wears empowers them to tackle every challenge they face and every new day, in good times and in bad. Jacob’s war paint is their offense. It's their defense, and comes in every shade. Jacob’s lipstick never apologizes, because no one should have to apologize for presenting their most true and beautiful self.

Opposite: Jacob applying bright red lipstick, expressing their beautiful and individual identity.

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A poem by Jacob:

This morning I woke up I got out of bed I put on my lipstick And put on my eyeliner Like they were armor Like they were war paint Because that’s what they are today Because that’s what they’ve always been Because I am a fighter and I’m never giving up Because my identity has always felt impossible Because my identity may always feel impossible But it is worth fighting for I am worth fighting for You are worth fighting for And we will fight this together Like we always have Onward we march Glitter in our right hand Flowers in our left.

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JACOB TOBIA | 13 3

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Lipstick Perseveres

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MAKING CONNECTIONS How Lipstick Empowers Feminine Identities Everywhere

At face value, one would not think that Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Rosie the Riveter, women in warâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;torn Bosnia, women in prison like Piper Kerman, Amy Duncan, Abbey Maxbauer, and Jacob Tobia have much in common. Each person comes from a different decade and circumstance. Each person faces challenges unlike the others. Yet, one simple tool allows these people to occupy the pages of the same book: lipstick. In any of the aforementioned situations, lipstick did not win any wars and lipstick did not cure an illness. Lipstick did, however, give each person the unique power to face the many challenges life dealt them. A swipe of color gave a feeling of confidence and empowered each subject in this book. These people demonstrated how lipstick is more than a feminine accessory. It is a legitimate tool for feminist empowerment. Each color allows every individual to be uniquely themselves. It is a small, portable tool, that may just provide that extra oomph and allow someone to conquer their day and maybe even their life. So the next time you feel blue, grab some red or purple or green. The next time you are defeated, fight back with lipstick. The next time you need an extra boost of confidence, put your war paint on.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The People That Made This Book Possible

Lipstick empowers me every single day to put my best face forward. It is an honor to share the stories of other people enlivened and emboldened by lipstick and I am forever indebted to all the people that helped me share them. Thank you to my Mom, who proofread every word of this book and encouraged me every step of the way. Thank you to my Dad for the constant encouragement and support. Thank you to Ashley and Francesca, my heroes who sat with me in studio until four o'clock in the morning, offering feedback and support. Thank you to Ben, editor and supporter extraordinaire. Thank you to Rachael, for editing my book when I ran out of energy. Thank you to my friends and family who provided words of encouragement when the process felt long and arduous. Thank you to my dedicated professor and mentor, Penina Acayo, for helping me design this book to the best of my potential. This book would not be possible without her guidance and support. Thank you to the people in this book, whose stories provided me the inspiration. Thank you to Amy Duncan and Abbey Maxbauer for their willingness to share and tell me their unique lipstick stories. The biggest thank you to Veronica Jong for photographing this entire book. Without her time and efforts, I would not have been able to tell and illustrate these stories. Thank you to the millennial women in this book who agreed to model and embody the confidence provided by lipstick. Finally, thank you to lipstick: the perfect accessory for anywhere and anytime.

ENDNOTES & CREDITS PR E FACE 1

Linda M. Scott, Fresh Lipstick: Redressing Fashion and Feminism (New York: Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005), 202.

Scott, Fresh Lipstick, 202.

Niederriter, “Speak Softly and Carry a Lipstick.”

Lisa Eldridge, Face Paint: The Story of Makeup, (New York: Abrams Image, 2015), 175.

Linda M. Scott, Fresh Lipstick: Redressing Fashion and Feminism (New York: Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005), 22.

Scott, Fresh Lipstick, 202.

Niederriter, “Speak Softly and Carry a Lipstick.”

Lindsey Metrus, "Here's Proof That Lipstick Is the Most Powerful Cosmetic," http://www.byrdie.com/the-power-of-lipstick, (April 19, 2016).

Niederriter, “Speak Softly and Carry a Lipstick.”

Metrus, "Here's Proof.”

Autumn Whitefield-Madrano. Face Value: The Hidden Ways Beauty Shapes Women's Lives. (Simon & Schuster, 2017), 64.

Whitefield-Madrano, Face Value, 5.

Whitefield-Madrano, Face Value, 79.

TH E LIP S TICK VOT E 1

Madeleine Marsh, Compacts and Cosmetics: Beauty from Victorian Times to the Present Day, (Pen & Sword History Barnsley, 2014), 78.

Lindsey Metrus, "Here's Proof That Lipstick Is the Most Powerful Cosmetic," http://www.byrdie.com/the-power-of-lipstick, (April 19, 2016).

Marsh, Compacts and Cosmetics, 78.

WORLD WAR II LIP S T I CK 1

Adrienne Niederriter, “Speak Softly and Carry a Lipstick,” (Thompson Writing Program, 2009).

Niederriter, “Speak Softly and Carry a Lipstick.”

Lisa Eldridge, Face Paint: The Story of Makeup, (New York: Abrams Image, 2015), 175.

James H. Madison, “Wearing Lipstick to War,” (National Archives, 2007).

Madison, “Wearing Lipstick to War.”

Niederriter, “Speak Softly and Carry a Lipstick.”

Madison, “Wearing Lipstick to War.”

Niederriter, “Speak Softly and Carry a Lipstick.”

M OD E RN WA R L IP S T ICK 1

Guy Raz, “How Do People Live and Cope in the Midst of Violent Conflict,” (NPR, 2016).

Raz, “How Do People Live and Cope in Violent Conflict.”

Charlotte Tilbury, “Lipstick Confidence,” (WomenforWomen.org, 2016).

Tilbury, “#Lipstick Confidence.”

LIPSTICK TRIUMPHS 1

Geralyn Lucas, Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy, (New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2005), xii.

Lucas, Why I Wore Lipstick, 54.

Lucas, Why I Wore Lipstick, xxii.

•

All content, unless other wise noted, from a personal interview with Amy Duncan

P RIS ON L IP S T ICK 1

Piper Kerman, “Beauty Behind Bars,” (Allure, 2014).

Kerman, “Beauty Behind Bars.”

Piper Kerman, Orange is the New Black, (London: Abacus, 2014), 110.

Kerman, “Beauty Behind Bars.”

Morwenna Ferrier, “Fakeup-How Female Prisoners in the US ‘Ad-lib’ Their Cosmetics,” (TheGuardian.com, 2014).

Kerman, “Beauty Behind Bars.”

M I L LE NNI AL LIP S TICK

•

All content from a personal interview with Abbey Maxbauer.

LI P S TICK BR E AKS TR AD I T I O N 1

Meg Zulch, “How Getting Dressed as a Non-Binary Individual is a Political Act,” (Bustle, 2015).

Zulch, “How Getting Dressed as a Non-Binary Individual is a Political Act.”

Jacob Tobia, “Why I Don’t Suppress My Gender Identity in the Workplace,” (The Huffington Post, 2014).

Tobia, “Why I Don’t Suppress My Gender Identity in the Workplace.”

Landon Peoples, “This is What Non-Binary Fashion Looks Like,” (Refinery29.com, 2015).

Tobia, “Why I Don’t Suppress My Gender Identity in the Workplace.”

PH OTO CR EDIT S

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All photography by Veronica Jong. All photo objects from local St. Louis Vintage stores, purchased, or provided for this book.

Designed by Rachel Healey Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts Washington University in St. Louis Art direction & writing by Rachel Healey All photography by Veronica Jong Type set in Neuzeit Grotesk and Clarendon Printed by Marvel Printing Company Bound by Wrap Ups Incorporated Created in 2017