Fact #18: Why Did Nazi’s Hate Red Lipstick?

2 years ago
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Fact #18: Why Did Nazi’s Hate Red Lipstick?
Did you know that the Armed Forces required female recruits to wear red lipstick to tick off Hitler?

Throughout history, wearing red lipstick was seen as an expression of female independence and rebellion. Back in ancient Egypt, women who wore it were prostitutes. In 20th century America, women in red lipstick were seen as immoral and heretics. Suffragettes began wearing red lipstick just to tick off men and assert themselves. But that was about to change.

During World War 2, more and more women joined the workforce to replace men. Women started wearing red lipstick as a sign of confidence.

Companies even began producing colors for the cause, like “Patriot Red” and “Fighting Red.”

When women joined the armed forces, they were even required to wear red lipstick. All of a sudden, red lipstick became synonymous with American values and, of course, a disdain for fascism.

While red lipstick was a sign of female resilience in the U.S., to Hitler it was repulsive. He decreed that the ideal German woman was wholesome, clean, and fresh-faced - that meant no makeup. Hitler even shutdown cosmetic companies, ruling them a non-essential commodity.

Eventually Allied countries realized it aggravated Hitler to see women in red lipstick and they started encouraging women to wear it. In fact, the government got Elizabeth Arden to create a lip and nail color for women to wear in the Army. It was called “Montezuma Red.”

REFERENCES:
https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/why-adolf-hitler-hated-red-lipstick-81301f33dd83

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