I love red lipstick, and I am fascinated by the interpretations of it, far beyond a mere stain upon two lips.
From The New York Times, 12/23/07:
Red has a very obvious subliminal strength and defies seasonal mandates. For instance, Behnaz by LancĂ´me, a limited-edition orange-red lipstick created in 2006, has had a waiting list in the hundreds and sold for more than $100 on eBay, and Poppy King, the lipstick maven, reports that her opaque true red has sold out at Barneys even in the summertime. She attributes this to red lipstick's metaphorical power. "A slash of red on the mouth has a clear relation to genitalia, sex and the menstrual cycle, and wearing it is a sign of female power," she says. "You leave your mark on the world."
Feminine power...metaphor... I would like to name red lipsticks:
Shot
Gash
I Said!
Love Paint
Magnification
Visible Canvas
Superphonic Wow
Cast in Every Movie
The Boss of My Face
Wahrheit, Liebe, Tod
Silence and the End of It
Global Warming Comes Home
Don't Come Home, You Don't Get It
Everything I Always Wanted But Was Afraid of
What I Have to Say About Love After Other Things
Fire in the Warehouse, Alarm Went Off
Lauder and Revson Tango, She Leads
No Time For Anything But the Truth
What Else You Got To Say?
What YOU Looking At
Welcome to My Face
Mirrors' Biggest Sell
Get This Straight
5:00 PM Friday
Stop...No, Go!
Well Red
Mine
Me