I know you’ve already received the regular newsletter (and sorry for being in your inboxes again!), but I wanted to send a quick note about two upcoming events I have on the topic of lipstick. The first takes place online this Friday, while the second is an in-person event in London later this month.

It would be wonderful to see some familiar faces, and I hope you’ll be able to join us for one - or even both - of them.

Best

Lucy

P.S - not strictly on lipstick but I also have an online event tonight on Cosmic Culture: How the Space Race Sparked a Cultural Revolution which can be booked here https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/1989030878902

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Rethinking Lipstick -
Free online event
12th June 2026, 12pm EST/5pm GMT

Sign up: https://chmsn.wufoo.com/forms/qffw9z40kef7p9

Join us for a session as three expert speakers debunk some of the lipstick myths and legends that often circulate online and in print media.

Eileen G’Sell will look at the story that in ancient Greece, sex workers risked punishment if they appeared in public without lipstick. What does this reveal about gender, status and social control?

Hillary Belzer will tackle the enduring “lipstick index” myth - the idea that lipstick sales rise during economic downturns and can be used as a reliable indicator of recession. It’s an interesting theory but is there any truth to it?

Lucy Jane Santos will investigate the famous tale that beauty entrepreneur Elizabeth Arden distributed red lipstick to suffragettes marching in 1912, a story often cited as the reason why lipstick became a symbol of women’s protest.

Sign up https://chmsn.wufoo.com/forms/qffw9z40kef7p9

Lipstick in London
Friday 26th June 2026
Burley Fisher, Haggerston, London
6.30pm

What does lipstick reveal about gender and sexuality? How do Marilyn Monroe and Hollywood glamour contribute to today's celebrity culture?

Join us for a night in which three beauty-savvy writers read from their recent or forthcoming books about beauty and star culture. 

American author Eileen G'Sell will read from her new book Lipstick (Bloomsbury 2026), joined by London-based authors Lucy Jane Santos and Cathy Lomax, who will read from Nobody’s Perfect: The Making of Some Like It Hot and Making Up the Star: Makeup, Femininity, Race and Ageing in Hollywood. Fresh Beauty Fix founder Julia Ferrari will lead a Q & A to follow.

This is a free event and open to everyone but do register for a free ticket in advance as there may be limited capacity. https://burleyfisherbooks.com/products/lipstick-by-eileen-gsell