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

by 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...)

2.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

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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: #940,095 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Cleopatra used henna and carmine. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
lip painting, lip rouge, lip salve, cosmetics manufacturers, applying lipstick, painted lips

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Max Factor, New York, Harper's Bazaar, World War, United States, Hard Candy, Helena Rubinstein, Jean Ford Danielson, Linda Wells, Annemarie Iverson, Elizabeth Taylor, Mary Quant, Carol Shaw, Connie Francis, Dineh Mohajer, Dorian Leigh, Jean Godfrey-June, Viva Glam

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 14 books:

The Primary Colors: Three Essays by Alexander Theroux on page 95, and Back Matter
The Ancient World (Social Studies-History) by Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers in Back Matter
Philip Johnson: Life and Work by Franz Schulze on page 106
Fire and Ice : The Story of Charles Revson, the Man Who Built theRevlon Empire by Andrew Tobias in Back Matter
Icons: Magnets of Meaning by Aaron Betsky on page 100

See all 14 books this book cites

10 books cite this book:

Swooning Beauty: A Memoir Of Pleasure by Joanna Frueh on page 255, and Back Matter
The Classic Ten: The True Story of the Little Black Dress and Nine Other Fashion Favorites by Nancy MacDonell Smith on page 162, and Back Matter
A Brief History of the Smile by Angus Trumble in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Adam's Navel: A Natural and Cultural History of the Human Form by Michael Sims in Back Matter
Skin: A Natural History by Nina G. Jablonski in Back Matter

See all 10 books citing this book

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Inventing Beauty by Teresa Riordan

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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(9)

Average Customer Review

2.7 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read.
Like most women lipstick is like a magic wand, and I love to know its history etc.. This was a interesting read.

Published 5 months ago by Priscilla M. Dicus

1.0 out of 5 stars An extremely abbreviated history of lipstick in the 20th century
It took me longer to drive the 2 miles home from the library than it did to read the entire book! Seriously. This book is only 116 pages, and heavily illustrated. Read more

Published 6 months ago by belacane

4.0 out of 5 stars Not too deep, but a fun, interesting read
While this book isn't a thesis on lipstick or the cultural significance of lipstick, it is a light, informative read on where lipstick came from and how it's evolved over the... Read more

Published on November 1, 2000 by Amy, Tatting & Cosmetics Host,...

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally Somebody Gets It!
Tired of all those serious minded types who think fashion is a religion. This book demystifies the glamour of makeup and shows it for what it really is - nothing more than FUN... Read more

Published on August 1, 2000

1.0 out of 5 stars Nothing for the serious minded fashion expert here.
This is long love letter to lipstick, written with the aren't I cool? bravado of a magazine journalist. A tiresome read, with lots of giggly plays on words. Read more

Published on May 23, 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Have for Serious Fashion Experts
This enhjoyable book is a must have for the serious fashion minded of us. A fun read covers the history of lipstick in an easy to read and eye pleasing layout.

Published on February 10, 1999

1.0 out of 5 stars I'm with two other readers: High school text. BORING.
Disappointing and silly

Published on December 29, 1998

1.0 out of 5 stars As another reviewer put it, " High-School text- BORING".
Disappointed. Not much of a read

Published on December 12, 1998

2.0 out of 5 stars Mixed.
I'm mixed. I kind of liked this book. I always am looking for new books on fashion and makeup, and I don't think there are many books out on just lipstick, but I wish that there... Read more

Published on December 8, 1998

4.0 out of 5 stars Like lipstick, this book is a perfect little indulgence.
READ MY LIPS - The Cultural History of Lipstick, gives voice (not to mention pages of beautiful visuals) to something you suspected all along -- that a new tube of lipstick has... Read more

Published on November 30, 1998

› See all 18 customer reviews...

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