Of all makeup categories, lipstick is perhaps the most glamorous. It’s not really a functional product, but one designed to tell a story; translate a mood; transpose an emotion. Take red. It’s passionate, powerful and feminine. It’s a makeup move with purpose. And such is the case with any bold colour. It’s not a routine but a ritual. It’s a form of self-expression.

Few beauty brands have captured the enduring appeal of a bold lip quite like Chanel. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel herself was arguably the woman behind the cultural phenomenon of a rouge pout. It was a beauty talisman that said as much about her as her twin-set tweed and strings of pearls. It was a message; a way of communicating who she was and what she believed in. It was also a way to lift her spirits: “If you’re sad, add more lipstick and attack,” she famously said.

Wise words indeed.

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