The Last Lipstick: Why Our Beauty Rituals Matter Right Until the End – I have to admit, I find it quite hard to leave the house without lipstick. It might sound like a small thing, but there is something about putting on that final touch of colour that makes me feel ready to face the day. And I know I’m not alone.
So when I came across The Last Lipstick, a new photography collection from Marie Curie and Superdrug, it really made me stop and think about just how personal something as simple as lipstick can be.
The intimate collection captures the final lipsticks worn by women nearing the end of their lives, alongside the stories and memories attached to them. It is a beautiful reminder that beauty rituals aren’t necessarily about looking good for other people. They can be about feeling like yourself.
A little bit of normality
New research commissioned by Marie Curie and Superdrug found that four in five bereaved adults (80%) believe beauty and self-care rituals can help someone facing a terminal illness maintain a sense of dignity and identity.
And it isn’t just about lipstick.
For someone who is seriously ill, everyday routines can change dramatically. Being able to brush your hair, put on moisturiser, wear your favourite perfume or choose a particular lipstick can offer a little piece of normality when so much else may feel unfamiliar.
Almost two in five people surveyed (39%) said they had personally carried out a beauty or self-care ritual for a friend or family member nearing the end of their life. This included styling their hair, applying perfume or aftershave and putting on makeup.
It seems that these seemingly small acts can carry a lot more meaning than we might realise.
The stories behind the lipsticks
Photographer Alexandra Cameron has captured three very different stories for The Last Lipstick, inspired by photographer Stacy Greene’s original Lipstick series, which explored individuality through the lip products women used.
Anita is pictured wearing her current favourite vibrant coral lipstick. Living with a rare form of lymphoma, she was once told she would never walk again, but has since done so. Makeup has played an important part in helping her reclaim her confidence and identity, something that has been important to her since she discovered old-fashioned glamour at the age of 12.
Pavla, a Marie Curie Healthcare Assistant in Elgin, is pictured holding the lipstick belonging to her mum, Dagmar. Her mum loved makeup so much that she kept a bag of her cosmetics at Pavla’s home, so she didn’t have to take her entire collection with her whenever she visited from the Czech Republic.
Then there is Sarah, holding the lipstick that belonged to her mum, Carol, who died from bowel cancer last year. Carol loved lipstick and her favourite was a bold pink shade.
Three women, three lipsticks and three very personal stories.
And perhaps that’s what makes the project so affecting. A lipstick isn’t simply a cosmetic. It can be a favourite colour, a familiar shape in your handbag, something you have worn for years, or a tiny reminder of someone you love.
The things we hold on to
The research also found that our relationship with beauty products doesn’t necessarily end when someone dies.
Almost a third of people surveyed (30%) said they had kept a friend’s or family member’s beauty or self-care product after their death. Among 25–34-year-olds, that rose to 53%.
Perfume and lipstick were among the items people chose to keep, with 68% saying it was because the item reminded them of their loved one. Almost half said it brought them comfort, while 46% simply couldn’t bear to throw it away.
I can completely understand that.
We all have products that become part of our lives. The lipstick we always buy, the perfume that reminds us of a particular person or time, the moisturiser we have used for years. They become intertwined with memories without us even noticing.
Beauty is about more than appearance
For Marie Curie, The Last Lipstick also highlights the everyday care provided by its teams. Alongside managing pain and symptoms, healthcare professionals can support people to continue the familiar routines that help them feel like themselves.
Pavla, whose own mother’s lipstick features in the collection, describes how she couldn’t bear to throw away her mum’s makeup bag after she died.
As a Marie Curie Healthcare Assistant, she also sees first-hand how small things such as lip balm or a touch of colour can help someone feel more like themselves.
And I think that’s the part of this project that really stays with you.
We often talk about beauty in terms of appearance, youth and looking our best. But beauty can also be about identity, confidence, comfort and familiarity.
Sometimes putting on lipstick isn’t about anyone else seeing it at all. It’s simply about looking in the mirror and recognising the person looking back.
The Last Lipstick is a poignant reminder that those little rituals can remain important right up until the end of life – and that something as small as a lipstick can hold a surprisingly big piece of who we are.
Poppy Watt