Lipstick Stencils

Raquel Torres 

I think sometimes there is the worry that wearing lipstick - especially red lipstick - is problematic. Either that it doesn't suit you (trust me it suits everyone!) or that you are not applying it right. 

Now imagine a world where lipstick has only just become accepted as a thing nice girls wear. How do you learn to apply your lipstick and where do you go for tips?

Raquel Torres

Part of the initial challenge for beauty culturalists and manufacturers of cosmetic products in the early twentieth century was to acclimatise women to the wearing of cosmetics on a daily basis.  There were demonstrations in department stores, "beauty weeks" where experts came and lectured and gave out free samples and regular beauty columns in popular magazines. 

There were also plenty of opportunities for enterprising and imaginative manufacturers to come up with products to help with application  as well as ways of changing the shape of your lips - especially when certain shapes (think Joan Crawford and her Hunter's Bow) were in vogue. 

Interestingly even after 20 years of popular use the need for lipstick stencils still hadn't gone away.

Charles Antell Hollywood Lip Outlines

In the 1950s Charles Antell introduced the Hollywood Lip Outlines which were designed by Ern Westmore. The associated marketing advised:

"In Hollywood there's an old saying 'Nature just gave you lips... but Ern Westmore gives Beauty to your lips'"

To use these "easy to use plastic lip outlines" they advised the following steps

1. determine your basic face shape with the "free Hollywood Glamour graph"
2. select outline for your face
3. place over lips and fill in

"Your newly shaped lips will remove years from your appearance and add vivid warmth to your face".

And even now lipstick stencils are still with us albeit in less attractive form.

The Smearless Lipstick Stencil

The lady above seems to be the worst I have ever seen at applying her lipstick even with the stencil.

Or how about these? They look interesting but not sure whether they really would help. 

Their website says:

Great for applying perfect lips without being a make-up artist.

Great for making lips look fuller or smaller.

The Lip Stamp is a great tool for applying lipstick in the perfect shape for you.

There are 10 different shapes of stamps to choose from. 

The kit includes one Lip stamp tool, five playing cards with 10 different lip shapes.

Just pick your favourite Lip Stamp shape, applying your favourite lipstick and stamp on perfect lips!

How do you feel about wearing lipstick? Can you get the perfect pout or do you need some help?