Bring back lipstick: why did we stop wearing it (and why should we start again) From icon of femininity to forgotten gesture: it's time to bring lipstick back into fashion

There’s something strange about the way lipstick disappeared from our lives. It wasn’t a sudden goodbye, but a slow, almost imperceptible drift. First came masks, then laziness, then the trend of a natural look, and before we knew it, lipstick became unnecessary. Replaced by lip oils, tinted balms, and lip glosses, basically products that promise comfort and lightness. An article from Fashion Beauty Runway reports that in 2024 about 70% of Gen Z prefer gloss over lipstick, and traditional bullet lipsticks are losing ground. It’s as if we no longer want to leave a mark, to make a statement, to be seen. Yet that gesture, that application, had, and still has, a power that no clean-girl product will ever replicate.

Bringing lipstick back

For many of us, lipstick was the first beauty product we ever swiped from our mom, so coveted and desired. Yet today, it almost feels like it belongs to another era. In the meantime, we’ve learned to favor treatments and makeup/skin-care hybrids that, besides giving a hint of color, promise to plump, hydrate, and care for the lips. As The Straits Times points out, we’ve entered “the era of balms and lip treatments,” where the old Lipstick Index (the theory that lipstick sales rise during economic downturns) no longer seems to apply. Business of Fashion confirms that this rule doesn’t hold anymore because we aren’t experiencing a true beauty recession: we’re just shopping differently, more functionally, more quietly. But behind this pursuit of naturalness, there might also be a fear: of appearing too much. Too groomed, too feminine, too obvious. In an era that celebrates discretion, lipstick has become a radical gesture. And maybe that’s exactly why we should start wearing it again.

A thousand lipstick shades to flaunt

Even the runways seem eager to rediscover the power of color. At the latest Chloé show, lips were dressed in bright pink, reclaiming center stage and becoming the star of the look. A subtle sign that, amid minimalism and lip balms, the desire to play with color never truly disappeared, or maybe it’s finally returning. And, in the end, there are countless shades to flaunt, ready to match our mood and personality. From classic red lips to the boldest, most extravagant hues: here are some shades to get inspired by.