Vogue Greece Sends Red Kisses | AOC Goes to Babylon for a Primer on Cherry Lips

Vogue Greece Sends Red Kisses | AOC Goes to Babylon for a Primer on Cherry Lips AOC Body

It’s a truism about Anne of Carversville that it’s typically written ‘stream of consciousness’.

Whenever we’re in Vogue Greece [IG] — like now with the October 2024 beauty feature ‘Red Kisses’ — we just get Anne on speed dial.

Models Lucy Rosiek and Naomi Apajok are styled by Glen Mban in ‘Red Kisses’, lensed by Johan Sandberg [IG]./ Hair by Melissa Rouillé; makeup by Lauren Bos

Note that Vogue Greece published the six model images by Sandberg. AOC created the composites.

Red Lipstick In Ancient Mesopotamia

In the annals of ancient history, the use of red lipstick finds one of its earliest origins in Mesopotamia, a cradle of civilization that flourished in the regions of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The people of ancient Mesopotamia, notably the Sumerians and later the Assyrians and Babylonians, were among the first to transform the act of adorning one's lips into an art form.

The Sumerians, who inhabited this region around 5000 BCE, were innovative in their use of makeup, utilizing naturally occurring resources for cosmetic purposes. Red lipstick was crafted using crushed gemstones and minerals, creating a brilliant hue that not only signified beauty but also denoted social status and power.

Lip Color and the Divine Feminine

Beyond social stratification, lip color also conveyed aspects of femininity and allure, playing a role in rituals and rites associated with love and attraction. The divine feminine was celebrated in Babylonian mythology, where goddesses were revered for their beauty and grace; by adorning themselves with lip color, women could symbolically align themselves with these powerful deities.