The beauty industry has a significant impact on the environment, and lipstick is no exception. Here are a few surprising facts:
However, we must be cautious not to romanticize this entirely. “Lipstick under” also carries a shadow—the weight of expectation. Women are often told to “put on a brave face” (literally and figuratively) while enduring harassment, grief, or burnout. The “lipstick under” the tears is a patriarchal trap as much as a liberation. It is the expectation to remain pretty while in pain, to be polished while being oppressed. The true power of the phrase lies in the distinction: Is the lipstick a shield you chose, or a cage you were forced into? lipstick under
However, it is Ratna Pathak Shah who steals the show. As the 55-year-old widow, she subverts the trope of the "respectable elder." Her clandestine romance and her indulgence in romantic fiction highlight a truth often ignored in cinema: desire does not have an expiration date. The beauty industry has a significant impact on
The ensemble cast is the film's greatest strength. Konkona Sen Sharma delivers a masterclass in subtlety; her Shirin is a portrait of resigned frustration, finding dignity in secret triumphs. Aahana Kumra brings a raw, unapologetic energy to Leela, making her character’s desperation feel palpable. Plabita Borthakur captures the specific confusion of youth—yearning for freedom while terrified of the consequences. Women are often told to “put on a
Psychologically, this act is a form of what the artist Hannah Höch called the “symbolic armor.” When a woman applies lipstick, she is often not merely “making up” her face; she is defining her boundaries. For centuries, female bodies have been public property—critiqued, catcalled, legislated. The application of lipstick reclaims the most expressive part of the face: the mouth. By drawing a sharp, deliberate line around her lips, a woman asserts control over her own narrative. She decides what will be seen and how. It is a mask, yes, but it is a mask of her choosing .
Ultimately, “lipstick under” is a metaphor for the human condition. We all wear things beneath the surface—grief under a smile, ambition under a shy demeanor, rage under politeness. For women, the lipstick has become a shorthand for this duality. It is the color of blood, of life, of anger, and of love. To wear it where no one can see it, or to wear it boldly as a sign that you refuse to be erased, is to understand that the most important audience is not the world outside, but the woman looking back from the mirror.
The drugstore beauty market has evolved to offer high-quality formulas that rival luxury brands. Finding a great lipstick under a specific price point is about balancing pigment, comfort, and longevity.