When you apply a new, bold color of lipstick, do you ever stop and think about the ways in which lip color has transitioned over years, even decades? Lipstick has long been used as an in-your-face self-expression. Think Marilyn Monroe’s pink, pouty bombshell lips, Bettie Page’s bold, red pinup lips, or Courtney Love’s daring black lip color.

From barely-there nudes to bizzare greens, here are some bizzare facts about lip color through the ages:

1. That’s a nice shade of…beetle!
In addition to being known as cat lovers, egyptians were also big fans of lip color. However, lacking color resources did not mean egyptians lacked ingenutiy when it come to creating the dark black, purple, scarlet, and burgundy colors so desired. The invention of carmine dye was extracted by grinding down female cochineal insects (tiny hard-shelled insects that lived on cactus plants) for carmine dye. Surprisingly, it took roughly 80,000 insects to produce one kilogram of cochineal dye.

2. Lipstick as status
Back in ancient times, not everyone could afford the luxury of makeup. In fact, in sumerian civilization, lipstick or lip stain, was reserved for fancy, upper class individuals who used henna, clay rust, fruit, and, again, insects to produce their lip colors.

3. Shimmer, shimmer
In mesopotamian times, shimmer was largely in fashion. So wealthier women would grind up their precious stones to make shimmer, add color, and apply to accentuate their pouts.

4. Lipstick occupation
In ancient Greek culture, wearing lipstick had quite a different meaning. For instance, working women, or prostitutes were obliged to wear lipstick by law, as an indication of their occupation.

5. The devil’s lipstick
In puritanical times, Christianity was met with laws that deemed women be demure in appearance. The church thus, banned the wearing of lipstick or any cosmetics, and even went so far as to label anyone sporting red lipstick a satanic worshiper.

6. Lipstick fit for a queen
Lip color again became vogue in England during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign. In fact, Queen Liz was well known for her bold, red lips set against her snow white complexion. The nobility once again popularized lipstick as a result.

7. Ooo la lipstick
Of course it was the fashion forward French who first mass produce lipstick for commercial consumption in 1884 AD. The lip color, made by combining castor oil, beeswax, and deer tallow was produced by French perfumer, Guerlain. By 1915, lipstick was finally sold in the first cinladar applicators, but it wasn’t until 1923, that the patent for the first metal, swivel cylinder lipstick tube was invented. An array of colors was finally available to the masses, thanks to an inventor by the name of James Bruce Mason Jr, of Nashville, Tennessee.

8. A pouty 1940s salute
During World War II, metal cylinders were replaced by more cost-effective plastic and paper tubes, however, women were urged to sport American Beauty by Besame, a bold red color, to boost the morale in wartime.

9. Shades of the fifties
It wasn’t until the 1948 that chemist, Hazel Bishop, introduced the “smear-proof’ lipstick. Hazel Bishop, Inc., was launched on this single product, which inspired Revlon, Bonnie Bell, and Maybelline in the 1950s to introduce many bold, new iconic shades.

10. Grunge lip color
While the 1980s introduced a subculture based on lip color (i.e., goth), the 1990s and grunge era called for simple, natural, environmentally-friendly range of lip color products. However, dark lip liners, and permanent lip color (tattoos) were also popular.