Read My Lips: A Cultural History of Lipstick (Hardcover)

~ Meg Cohen (Author), Karen Kozlowski (Author), Veronique Vienne (Introduction) "Cleopatra used henna and carmine..." (more)
Key Phrases: lip painting, lip rouge, lip salve, Max Factor, New York, Harper's Bazaar (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The authors trace the popular cosmetic from B.T. (Before Tube), when cavewomen stained their lips with berries, to RuPaul 'lamming it up for M.A.C. Two snaps for the photos: a red-lipstick sandwich on white bread, black-and-white shots of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor lining their lips...Anyone who was ever fascinated by the tiny tube in their mother's purse will want to take a long look. -- Out

Product Description

Bargain Books are non-returnable.

Freud dug it; Marilyn wouldn't leave home without it. Lipstick: It's an icon, a turn-on, an international symbol of the feminine mystique. Today it finds its place in history. Read My Lips is the book for everyone who's ever fallen for the allure of painted lips or bought, borrowed, or stolen a tube of Five Alarm Red. A scenic tour of a lush landscape, Read My Lips celebrates the one cosmetic women can't live without, the quick glam fix rivaled only by the little black dress for gotta-have-it-ness. For a device of such small stature, lipstick has inspired great feats. Read My Lips records them all—from Cleopatra, who enhanced her hue with henna, to Paloma Picasso, who donned her trademark red at the tender age of three. More than lip service, these colorfully illustrated pages include lipstick lore, art, literature, and photography, as well as memorable Hollywood moments and an inside take on the history, business, and psychology of painted lips. Chanel to Urban Decay, lipstick has left its mark as a girl's best friend. Part owner's manual, part cultural history, Read My Lips is a slick celebration of lipstick's many traces.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; illustrated edition edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811820114
• ISBN-13: 978-0811820110
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #650,213 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Like some women- very pretty to look at but short on brains, May 22, 1999

By A Customer

I was attracted to the cover of the book, which is its strong point. Once inside, there are more colorful pictures to look at, and I think the publisher would have been more wise to call it READ MY LIPS: A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF LIPSTICK rather than a CULTURAL HISTORY OF LIPSTICK. The style of writing is really more in line with magazine fashion writing, which I understand is the profession of the two authors of the book. I disagree with a previous review that this is a "must have for the serious fashion minded" customer. This is far too "Cutesy" and written with too much of an attempt to be hip. For the truly serious fashion minded person, there are a few semi academic yet also highly accessible books on makeup, including FASHIONS IN MAKEUP by Richard Corson, which the truly serious fashion minded have always known to be an excellent source of cultural/historical information... and it is not written with the "cuteness" that is present here. The total text, when the pictures are deleted, must be only about 15 pages. That, I believe, is an article, not a book.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Vapid, stupid and tiresomely "hip"., February 6, 1999

By A Customer

Chronicle Books titles tend to be pretty to look at but short on content, but this one has to be the ultimate. You'd have to be an idiot to spend money on what is one long Vogue article.

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just a pretty face!, May 15, 2009

By	Basbleu "W.R.C." (Abilene, TX USA) - See all my reviews

When I saw that this had not gotten very good ratings from other reviewers, I had to speak out (or, um, write)! I bought this book for myself at a sale several years ago, and have nearly worn it out looking at it and reading it over and over again! I also later bought a copy for a friend who saw mine and loved it as much as I do. Read My Lips is full of luscious photos that make me feel happy to look at, and are also good for inspiring makeup looks for yourself or your friends. Plus, I love the historical info about what my grandma's (and women from even farther back) lipstick may have been made out of, and what people thought about it. The authors give you all this material without making you feel like you're reading a textbook. This is a fun and fascinating book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in makeup!