A couple of weeks ago, we shared this wonderful piece As Gaeilge to help you to improve your Irish vocabulary, and nail that perfect eyeliner flick at the same time. It went down a treat and you guys were super spreagtha (excited). 

So, as today is #Gaeilge24, the day for all schools to speak only Irish, our dream Irish team, Dr Claire, our science queen and Gearóidín McEvoy are back, and this time its LIPSTICK!

Believe it or not, béaldath is actually over 5,000 bliana d’aois. However, it never started out as a gendered object. Both fir and mná wore it to demonstrate social status in Sumer, where they wore crushed gemstones on their súile and bheola. Na hÉigiptigh like Cleopatra crushed up míola and applied dearg stain to lips as a demonstration of status. Over time it has become a representation of women’s independence (flapper girls in the 1920s), subcultures (e.g. goths wearing black lipstick) and faisean (icons like Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn all popularised lipstick in the 1950s).

The first commercially sold lipsticks were made by French cuideachta cosmaideach Guerlain in the 1880s – Guerlain lipsticks are still in mór-éilimh today! Chum James Bruce Mason Jr the first swivel tube mechanism for easy lipstick application in 1923.

One of the interesting arguments around smideadh is that people only wear it to attract a partner. Béaldath is the ultimate counter-argument, as it doesn’t change your face cruth or modify your natural features. And, being honest, if you do end up having a póg, it is going to end up all over your cara and their cara. So it really is rud éigin we wear for ourselves.

We are big fans of béaldath, in case that isn’t soiléir already. So it is a tromchúiseach business to give you comhairle on how to wear it. The first rogha is the biggest one.

 

What dath? The freagra is whatever dath you want. You have to try different dathanna to find out what suits you. Ask your cairde/clann if you can try theirs, try some on the siopa. You have nothing to lose from triail a bhaint as.

What foirmle? Béaldathanna comes in a variety of foirmlí sa lá atá inniu ann. In a standard beáldath tube, you can find a multitude of finishes from neamhlonrach to lonrach. Le déanaí liquid béaldathanna have become extremely popular – some béaldath leachtach might need a línitheoir béil however.

Béaldathanna are uilíoch – there is no person, dath craicinn or cruth an bhéil that can’t wear béaldath! Some dathanna, like fíor dearg, are truly universal and look iontach on gach duine! It can seem quite scanrúil though. A big statement. Please don’t be scanraithe. It is so much fun to wear red béaldath (or indeed any dath lipstick you like!) If you’re like us and béaldathanna makes you feel laidir, neamhspleách agus muiníneach, just caith é!

What the focal?

béaldath – lipstick

béaldathanna leachtach – liquid lipstick

beola – lips

bliana d’aois – years old

caith é – wear it

cara – face

cairde – friends

clann – family

comhairle – advice

cruth – shape

cuideachta cosmaideach – cosmetics company

chum – invented

dath – colour

dathanna – colours

dath craicinn – skin colour

dearg – red

faisean – fashion

fíor dearg – true red

fir – men

foirmle – formula

foirmlí – formulae

freagra – answer

iontach – great

laidir – strong

leachtach – liquid

le déanaí – lately

línitheoir béil – lipliner

lonrach – glossy

míola – bugs

mór-éilimh – great demand

mná – women

muiníneach – confident

Na hÉigiptigh – the Egyptians

neamhlonrach – matte

neamhspleách – independent

póg – kiss

rogha – choice

rud éigin – something

sa lá atá inniu ann – nowadays

scanraithe – scared

scanrúil – scary

siopa – shop

smideadh – make up

soiléir – clear

súile – eyes

triail a bhaint as – having a go

tromchúiseach – serious

uilíoch – universal