Did you know that looking into the puckering pout from one decade to another can tell one about the economic and financial status of the American society and many other factors, like emphasis on particular body parts and the celebs of the time.  Let's take a glimpse back and see how the color and shape of a woman'slips could be so telling of the times!

The 20's -- Prohibition & Rebellion
The Trend: Lip colors include black and garnet red and the shape is a matte-finished, heart shaped mouth.
The Telling: It's the Roaring 20's and women are going out to dance, drink, and push the envelope more than ever before. 
The 30's-- Economic Depression
The Trend: Silky/Glossy Reddish brown lip colors, Mouth drawn outward with square edges
The Telling: During the Great Depression, women emphasize sternness with the square edges around their mouth. The 30's is full of glamourous women who are thrifty, austere, but not afraid to determine their own fate.
The 40's-- Wartime
The Trend: Lip color is brilliantly glossy vermillion, a full mouth shape with symmetrical curves
The Telling: The lip symbolizes strength, disguising sorrow.  While men were at war, women were forced to fill their roles, giving them a new sense of identity and responsibility.
The 50's-- Post War Period
The Trend: Lip colors are bright reds and pinks. The shape is a voloptuous mouth with lip liner extending beyond the natural shape.
The Telling: Embracing their sexuality and feminity, while revealing their newfound independence, the lip shape is significant in being relective of this period of reconstruction.
The 60's --Flower Power & Rebellion
The Trend: Lip colors are beige, like baby pink and silver white and the shape is a full, large lip pout
The Telling: The period of hippies in the '60s is full of exploration of outer space, sexual revolution, Woodstock and the anti-war movement. Lipstick is applied, but discreetly for the rejection of conventional beauty, prosperity, and consumption.
The 70's -Disco Rules
The Trend: Glittering crimson or burgundy red with an outlined, shiny mouth shape.  
The Telling: It's time for women to break out and explore their boundaries! Women are not afraid to become single mothers of fight for their rights...to party!(and their social and political rights too)
The 80's -- Emancipation
The Trend: Lip colors are dark black with metallic effects and the lip shape is a wide mouth, representing the provocative punky look.
The Telling: Punk music was the first anti-beauty movement.  Women and men alike play with reversing gender foles, for example the transvestite chic of boy George or the fashion of Vivienne Westwood.
The 90's--Individualism
The Trend: Brown lip color undergoes a revival, with both dark and bright lip colors
The Telling: In the 90's, fashion and beauty trends were evolving on a daily basis, so anything goes!
The Decades Ahead
According to Li Edelkoort, history will continue to repeat itself. She predicts that, for now, generous, whitish beige lips will reflect our nurturing desire to live at a sustainable, slower pace. “Thinner lips will take us into the 2020’s,” she says. “Eventually, perfect red lips with harmonized proportions between the eyes, lips, and body will balance our beauty in the new era of post-recession and reconstruction.”

Illustrations & Text: Beautypress.com