Lip Crayon Versus Lipstick – What’s the Difference?
What’s the difference between a lip crayon and a lipstick? Almost all talented artists have mastered every little detail about make up since it’s typically a form of art. Just like the painter with a paintbrush, a make up artist equally has a number of tools that will help them create a perfect make up look. You can do your own make up in different ways or even do it on someone else.
Make up artists use different tools at their disposal according to their personal preferences to come up with a certain look. They need different unique tools and applicators for different parts of the face to create a fierce look and the lips are no exception.
The Difference Between Lip Crayon and Lipstick
All make up artists do their make up differently. Just like art, there’s no single way to do the make up what matters is the end result. Some beauty gurus usually prefer using lip crayon for the lips while their counterparts opt for the lipstick and there’s the other category that uses both. If you are not conversant with make up, you might not know the difference between these products.
One of the most common difference between a lipstick and lip crayon is the texture. For instance, lipstick is usually a little creamier as compared to a lip crayon. Owing to the creamy texture you can apply the lipstick smoothly especially if you are going for a bolder look. The lip crayon, on the other hand, is firmer. This means that you can control the amount you want to apply on the lips effortlessly.
The other difference between a lipstick and lip crayon is in the packaging. Lipstick is usually packaged in a tube, similar to that of a glue stick that you can either push or twist out the product. Lipsticks are equally wider as compared to lip crayons. Lip crayons resemble twistable pencils with a pop of color and the product is dispensed in small amounts. This is also why you have more control of the amount you want to apply on your lips.
Lastly, you can tell the two products apart by the amount put on the lips. If you are going for a bolder look, then a lipstick will come in handy owing to the amount you can put onto the lips when applying either once or twice. Lip crayons, on the other hand, usually don’t create that bold look on the lips since the product dispensed is little. However, lip crayons don’t leave stains or marks on the straw or glass when you drink something.
Lip crayons and lipsticks are the best products if you are looking to accentuate your lips.
The History of Lipsticks
Lipsticks have been in existence since time immemorial. Mesopotamians used to crush up some semi-precious jewel then apply the product on their lips. Ancient Egyptians made lipsticks popular. They used different materials such as iodine, bromine mannite and fucus-algin to make lipsticks. Cleopatra, one of the most famous rulers of Egypt, used a unique combination of ants and carmine beetles to make her lips ruby red.
Abu Al-Qassim Al- Zahrawi is an ancient Arab cosmetologist who is believed to have the first lipstick inventor. The cosmetologist also created a hand lotion and deodorant. Abu Al-Qassim Al- Zahrawi also encouraged people to use sunscreen. The lipsticks that ancient people used were made at home up until 1884. The lip products were first sold by Persian perfume creators.
Sears Roebuck, an American retailer started selling cheek and lip rouge six years later. Currently, lipsticks are sold in iconic tubes but that was not the original packaging of the product. The lip rouge was sold in tiny pots once they were wrapped in some silk papers. Lipsticks are now kept in a metal tube that was invented in 1910. Small jewelers would often come up with their own version of metal lipstick containers. Maurice Levy created the famous metal container for lipsticks which he called the Levy tube.
The initial designed featured a lever on the side for ease of raising and lowering the lip rogue. The first twistable lipstick was patented by James Bruce Mason Jr, in 1923.
Women’s Rights and Red Lipsticks
Red lipstick symbolized the wealth status of a person in ancient times especially around the 18th and 19th centuries. Women who wore a red lipstick were said to be unholy or prostitutes since it was scandalous during that time. In ancient times, women were objectified as men controlled them in all aspects including their choice of make up.
Women grew tired of being controlled by men and that’s why most of them, especially the suffragettes wore red lipstick to signify rebellion. The suffragettes wearing the red lipstick was showing men that they are equal partners. They were tired of men controlling every aspect of their lives including their freedom and bodies. The red lipsticks worn by the suffragettes were bold and features some of the most empowering names like Grenadier red, fighting red and patriot red.
Suffragettes used to wear the red lipstick in all events to help raise and spread awareness among women when it comes to their rights. It also encouraged them to vote and stand up for themselves since they were just as good as their male counterparts. The suffragettes also held events that allowed cosmetic companies to hand out red lipsticks for free to encourage more women to participate in the movement.
What Contents Are in the Red Lipstick?
In ancient times, those who loved to use lip liners were exposed to dangerous and sometimes disgusting ingredients. They could mix up these ingredients such as bugs and raw and harmful chemicals to come up with a perfect shade as per their personal preferences.
Lip liners, just like lip crayons and lipsticks would go rancid after years, days or even hours of existence. Fortunately, modern lip crayons and lipsticks are protected from unsafe and gross ingredients. Currently, most lip liners are made with a combination of pigment, wax and oil. The wax helps the lipstick hold its shape and allows makes spreading the product on the lips easier. Oil keeps the skin moisturized while giving the wax adequate moisture for ease of spreading evenly.
Some of the most common types of oils used in making lip liners include cocoa butter, mineral, lanolin, castor, petrolatum and jojoba. The ratio of the material used in each product during the manufacturing process is what distinguishes the lip crayons from lipsticks. For instance, lip crayons use a significant amount of pigment and wax with a small amount of oil as compared to lipsticks. This helps ensure the lip crayon stays firm.
There are lipsticks that contain extra vitamins to keep the lips healthy. The oils and waxes are usually the simplest of contents used to make lip crayons and lipsticks. Pigments, on the other hand, are in another league.
The Science Behind Lip Color
The pigment in a lipstick or lip crayon depends with the manufacturer. There are different types of pigments usually categorized into two: inorganic and organic. When it comes to organic and inorganic pigments, organic pigments usually refer to chemical structures such as carbon atoms. There sub-categories within the two categories for both inorganic and organic pigments.
Lipsticks and lip crayons that often incorporate organic pigments come from any of these three groups: lakes, synthetic dyes and botanicals. Synthetic dyes usually have the brightest shades when it comes to different colors since they are made by coal or chemically refining petroleum oil.
There are lipsticks that contain some toxic metals like mercury in small amounts that tend to form during the production process. However, this is quite rare as it happens occasionally. An inert binder like metallic salts and a dye are mixed to create lake pigments. The lake pigments usually have carcinogenic properties which means the have similar problems like those of synthetic dyes. Of all the three organic pigments, the botanical option is the safest.
The only drawback when it comes to botanical lip pigments is that the pigment shades are limited. Plus, working with them is quite challenging since they are more susceptible to bleeding. What’s even more shocking is that inorganic pigments are the safest option when it comes to lip pigments for the lip crayon or lipstick.
Inorganic lip pigments feature mineral compounds as the main type of pigment. The minerals in inorganic pigments are usually made in the laboratory. One of the main reasons why manufacturers of lip liners prefer using other products as opposed to minerals is because natural minerals can also be toxic especially those that fall on the face of the earth. Unlike the botanical lip pigments, these ones don’t bleed and are equally not as harmful as the other options.
Most make up artists usually prefer using lipsticks and lip crayons that contain pigments with mineral compounds. It’s usually their favorite product to use when it comes to lip liners.
Iconic Lips
If you are looking to emphasize your lips, then a lip crayon will come in handy. Most famous lovers of lip crayon created memorable lips that made them stand out since that’s the only thing that the world recognized. These women are historical as they used make up to not only inspire but also empower other people around the world. You probably haven’t heard their names, but sure will recognize the pouty lip of the 1920’s actress anywhere, anytime.
Clara Bow became famous in 1928 after gracing the silent screen. She popularized drawing a heart-shaped cupid bow at the top lip. She was literally the first “It Girl” in the world. Clara Bow lived a traumatic life but gained popularity as one of the biggest actors during the time of silent film.
Marilyn Monroe, the 1950’s beauty bombshell is popular for her famous ruby red lips and curly blonde locks. Most make up artists even in the modern world are still trying to perfect Monroe’s style in terms of make up. Marilyn Monroe used to contour her lips in an iconic style that made them stand out. She applied darker shades of red on the outer corners of the lips and use a lip rouge in a lighter shade in the middle. This made her lips look fuller.
Audrey Hepburn, a humanitarian and entertainment icon, was also a lip crayon lover. Hepburn used lip crayons to extend the top lip to make it look longer than the bottom lip. The style gave her a pouty yet elegant appearance even though she didn’t need any help in matters elegance.
You can’t talk of natural beauty without mentioning the famous Naomi Campbell. She’s had a successful career as a model ever since joining the industry at the age of 15. Campbell has managed to overcome any obstacle she’s met on her way up. She has full lips naturally and proudly shows them off. She sometimes outlines her lips using a dark brown lip crayon to not only make them look stunning but also stand out.
Are Lip Crayons Better Than Lipsticks?
A combination of a lip crayon and lipstick looks stunning on the lips. However, if you are working on a budget, you might have to choose between the two. Both products are perfect but each one of them has its own weaknesses and strengths. There are a number of things that make lip crayons better than lipsticks. For instance, lip crayons are more pigmented as compared to lipsticks.
Lipstick uses oil for texture which gets in the way of the amount of wax and pigment in it. Just like lipsticks, lip crayons give coverage except they are not as thick or messy. Lip crayons usually dispense the right amount of product so as not to smudge or stain cups, napkins and straws when you drink something.
Lip crayons are equally easy to apply with precision as you can control how you want to line the lips. Plus, they usually have lots of Vitamin E that helps keep the lips healthy. This also means that lip crayons tend to moisturize the lips which is not the case with lipsticks since some leave them cracked and dry.
Why Lipsticks are Better Than Lip Crayons
In some cases, lipsticks usually work better than lip crayons. Lipsticks have remained popular over the years for some reason despite having a few issues here and there. Lipsticks are one of the most important products in the cosmetic industry as they come in different finishes.
Some of the most common lipstick finishes include matte, satin, creamy, semi-matte, frosted and sheer. Lipsticks are also best suited to reflect as compared to lip crayons and this gives the lips a classic and clean look.
Lipsticks come in different finishes that pair perfectly well with different textures and outfits.
Lipsticks are available in a wide variety of pigments even though they are usually less pigmented as compared to lip crayons.
Lipsticks with frosted, sheer and satin finishes might be less pigmented but tend to give the face and the lips a soft look. When it comes to softness, lipsticks stand out since lip crayons cannot match this type of perfection.
Small Scale Cosmetic Companies
Always buy your lip crayons and lipsticks from small cosmetic companies to support their business. One such company is the Coloured Raine Cosmetics’ since it has a unique line of matte lipsticks. Colored Raine works well for all skin tones but is uniquely made with darker shades in mind as well. Their website features both white and black models wearing different shades of lipstick to help you choose one that’s best suited for your skin color.
Conclusion
Both lip crayons and lipsticks are legendary. If you are going for a beautiful classic look, then lipstick is your best bet. If you prefer precision when putting on any lip products then you might as well opt for the lip crayon.