What your lip colour says about you now vs. what it said about you as a teen
We like to talk about how much the ’90s are back (and they are, so don’t you dare challenge me on this), but it’s easy to use blanket terms when the specifics of a trend are far more complicated.
The truth is, aspects of the nineties are back, like the popularity and resurgence of certain lip colours. But their different meanings and inspirations prove we’ve all still got at least one foot set in 2015, and that’s a good thing.
It was a sad, dark time in which wearing black lipstick equated only to #GothLife. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) So we’re visiting the year’s biggest lip colour trends to contrast and compare what certain shades meant in their heyday versus their second coming. Brown lipstick, I’m looking at you. (And I’m winking.)
Black lipstick
What it meant as a teen
You’d watched The Craft enough times to have memorized the spell used to beach all those whales. You scared me, personally, and I probably told my teacher you were practicing devil worship. (Which I actually did once, about my now-best friend, and I only told her about it two years ago. I was very, very uncool.) You for sure owned a Marilyn Manson CD and/or T-shirt, and you were very confident. Please tell me how you did it.
What it means now
You’ve taken a page from the book of Rihanna and/or the runways. Maybe you’ve realized devil worship has nothing to do with upping the ante of a dramatic aesthetic, and you’re working up the courage to just try the colour once and for all because it’s not 1996 at St. Elizabeth Catholic Elementary School anymore.
Brown lipstick
What it meant as a teen
You were a grown-ass woman. I mean, not really: you were a teen. But inspired by the likes of pre-Wedding Singer Drew Barrymore (or Reality Bites-era Winona or Pulp Fiction-led Uma Thurman), you gravitated towards the darker and dramatic, taking solace in knowing that the days of playing at recess were over — now, you stood around, complaining about how cold it was (or, trying to stand with the girls who stood around, complaining about how cold it was). You may have also worn it too long into the nineties and been told by your school’s Regina George to “just wear gloss.” Maybe.
What it means now
You’re not ready to try black lipstick yet, and that’s okay, please take your time, the world is vast. Also? You’ve tapped into the Colour Du Jour for Fall. The likes of Gigi Hadid, Beyonce, and every Kardashian have embraced the tone and established it as the new red. Read: it goes with almost everything, and kicks the drama level up a notch. Especially if paired with a choker. (We told you. ’90s.)
Classic red lipstick
What it meant as a teen
You were actually a woman. Like, you were a teacher and not a teen at all. Red was for adults and fancy ones at that — or like, Amanda Zim from Ready or Not pretending to be older.
What it means now
Behold: the default lip colour. It’s easy, we know it kicks relatively every outfit up several notches, and it pulls a look together even if you’re wearing absolutely no other makeup at all. It’s on the runway every single season, further proving that it’s our adult equivalent to teen-era pink lipgloss. Speaking of which…
Bright pink lipstick
What it meant as a teen
You should’ve bought shares in the Bonne Bell franchise. You watched Clueless to excess, memorized the choreography to Mandy Moore’s “Candy”, and I for sure wanted to be you.
What it means now
You’ve come to understand the complexities behind pink. It’s no longer reserved for super feminine styles (and people), and the sparkles have moved from lips to eyes. However, Jeremy Scott, Tibi and MaxMara have adopted the look as of late. But what does it mean? You’ve moved past what “pink makeup” even means — because it’s basically the lovechild of nude lips and red lips. Also, I still want to be you.
Nude gloss
What it meant as a teen
You were probably not allowed to wear makeup at all, and this was the compromise you made with your parents. Clear gloss, full hearts, can’t get in trouble.
What it means now
You’re either letting the majesty of a smokey eye do its thing, or you’re just keeping it minimal and honestly, what’s wrong with that? (Nothing.) The nude says, “I am for sure going to eat dinner today and I have no interest in checking to see how my colour’s doing every five minutes.” You’re busy.
Orange lipstick
What it meant as a teen
You watched Jawbreaker a lot. And I mean a lot. Easily as often as you watched Electric Circus, but watching EC was for dance moves, not makeup goals, let’s be serious. Most importantly, all of this was done while sitting on inflatable furniture.
What it means now
Everybody was wrong, and orange lipstick is way cooler than the haters thought it was two years back. (Once I saw a makeup expert preach about the horrors of orange, and to that I say: how dare you.) If it’s good enough for Gigi Hadid, it’s good enough for the rest of us. Especially since it allows us to colour co-ordinate with changing leaves which is the ideal fall look, if you can’t walk down the hall super-empowered ala Rose McGowan circa 1997.
 on Aug 8, 2015 at 7:57am PDT
We like to talk about how much the '90s are back (and they are, so don’t you dare challenge me on this), but it’s easy to use blanket terms when the specifics of a trend are far more complicated.
The truth is, aspects of the nineties are back, like the popularity and resurgence of certain lip colours. But their different meanings and inspirations prove we’ve all still got at least one foot set in 2015, and that’s a good thing.
It was a sad, dark time in which wearing black lipstick equated only to #GothLife. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) So we’re visiting the year’s biggest lip colour trends to contrast and compare what certain shades meant in their heyday versus their second coming. Brown lipstick, I’m looking at you. (And I’m winking.)
A photo posted by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Apr 24, 2015 at 3:10pm PDT
Black lipstick
What it meant as a teen
You’d watched The Craft enough times to have memorized the spell used to beach all those whales. You scared me, personally, and I probably told my teacher you were practicing devil worship. (Which I actually did once, about my now-best friend, and I only told her about it two years ago. I was very, very uncool.) You for sure owned a Marilyn Manson CD and/or T-shirt, and you were very confident. Please tell me how you did it.
What it means now
You’ve taken a page from the book of Rihanna and/or the runways. Maybe you’ve realized devil worship has nothing to do with upping the ante of a dramatic aesthetic, and you’re working up the courage to just try the colour once and for all because it’s not 1996 at St. Elizabeth Catholic Elementary School anymore.
A photo posted by Gigi Hadid (@gigihadid) on Aug 8, 2015 at 7:57am PDT
Brown lipstick
What it meant as a teen
You were a grown-ass woman. I mean, not really: you were a teen. But inspired by the likes of pre-Wedding Singer Drew Barrymore (or Reality Bites-era Winona or Pulp Fiction-led Uma Thurman), you gravitated towards the darker and dramatic, taking solace in knowing that the days of playing at recess were over -- now, you stood around, complaining about how cold it was (or, trying to stand with the girls who stood around, complaining about how cold it was). You may have also worn it too long into the nineties and been told by your school’s Regina George to “just wear gloss.” Maybe.
What it means now
You’re not ready to try black lipstick yet, and that’s okay, please take your time, the world is vast. Also? You’ve tapped into the Colour Du Jour for Fall. The likes of Gigi Hadid, Beyonce, and every Kardashian have embraced the tone and established it as the new red. Read: it goes with almost everything, and kicks the drama level up a notch. Especially if paired with a choker. (We told you. '90s.)
A photo posted by Reese Witherspoon (@reesewitherspoon) on Sep 7, 2015 at 10:59am PDT
Classic red lipstick
What it meant as a teen
You were actually a woman. Like, you were a teacher and not a teen at all. Red was for adults and fancy ones at that -- or like, Amanda Zim from Ready or Not pretending to be older.
What it means now
Behold: the default lip colour. It’s easy, we know it kicks relatively every outfit up several notches, and it pulls a look together even if you’re wearing absolutely no other makeup at all. It's on the runway every single season, further proving that it’s our adult equivalent to teen-era pink lipgloss. Speaking of which...
A photo posted by Gwen Stefani (@gwenstefani) on Sep 18, 2015 at 6:59pm PDT
Bright pink lipstick
What it meant as a teen
You should’ve bought shares in the Bonne Bell franchise. You watched Clueless to excess, memorized the choreography to Mandy Moore’s “Candy”, and I for sure wanted to be you.
What it means now
You’ve come to understand the complexities behind pink. It’s no longer reserved for super feminine styles (and people), and the sparkles have moved from lips to eyes. However, Jeremy Scott, Tibi and MaxMara have adopted the look as of late. But what does it mean? You’ve moved past what “pink makeup” even means -- because it’s basically the lovechild of nude lips and red lips. Also, I still want to be you.
A photo posted by Jennifer Lopez (@jlo) on Jun 20, 2015 at 8:29am PDT
Nude gloss
What it meant as a teen
You were probably not allowed to wear makeup at all, and this was the compromise you made with your parents. Clear gloss, full hearts, can’t get in trouble.
What it means now
You’re either letting the majesty of a smokey eye do its thing, or you’re just keeping it minimal and honestly, what’s wrong with that? (Nothing.) The nude says, “I am for sure going to eat dinner today and I have no interest in checking to see how my colour’s doing every five minutes.” You’re busy.
A photo posted by Solange (@saintrecords) on Apr 30, 2015 at 9:13am PDT
Orange lipstick
What it meant as a teen
You watched Jawbreaker a lot. And I mean a lot. Easily as often as you watched Electric Circus, but watching EC was for dance moves, not makeup goals, let’s be serious. Most importantly, all of this was done while sitting on inflatable furniture.
What it means now
Everybody was wrong, and orange lipstick is way cooler than the haters thought it was two years back. (Once I saw a makeup expert preach about the horrors of orange, and to that I say: how dare you.) If it’s good enough for Gigi Hadid, it’s good enough for the rest of us. Especially since it allows us to colour co-ordinate with changing leaves which is the ideal fall look, if you can’t walk down the hall super-empowered ala Rose McGowan circa 1997.){kind=link}