James Baldwin’s profound words offer a fresh perspective on the everyday object of lipstick. His quote resonates deeply, as it elegantly captures how history isn’t merely a thing of the past—it is alive, coursing through everything we do. Lipstick, like our personal and cultural histories, is complex and layered with meaning. It has held significance throughout time, whether as a small luxury or a bold statement. Lipstick’s journey mirrors the evolution of our own identity, filled with contradictions, dreams, and societal shifts.
“History is not the past. It is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history. The same holds true for lipstick. Lipsticks can be a small joy, but it’s also one that holds the weight of the sins of our shared past. It’s a lens for viewing how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go. It embodies the heritage of the way we talk to women about their values and their wants, the priorities and the boundaries we give to race, class, and gender, and the power of purchase. It’s viewed as frivolous and as no small thing. It’s been to war, to space, and in the halls of power. It’s built empires for women and given the establishment the middle finger. We’ve both rejected it and embraced it in the name of feminism. It’s both part of the language and a visual shorthand for sex and sexuality. Through the years we have imbued this little object with our big dreams of beauty, visibility, and upward mobility. This is its history. Its future is as unwritten as any other, but its past holds our story.”
This quote serves as a reflection on how lipstick, as small as it seems, carries the weight of societal and historical constructs, speaking to evolving roles, power, and rebellion. From the trivial to the monumental, lipstick encapsulates much more than color—it holds dreams, aspirations, and sometimes, resistance.
What does your lipstick say about your journey? How does it connect you to both past expectations and future possibilities?