A closer look
Long before synthetic cosmetic laboratory dyes were invented, ancient royalty desperately sought vibrant natural ingredients to prominently paint their lips an intimidating shade of red. The most brutally effective method surprisingly involved gathering thousands of tiny carmine beetles, drying them out completely, and violently crushing their tiny bodies into a fine crimson paste. Applying this highly concentrated insect juice directly to the mouth created a visually stunning, incredibly unappetizing natural lipstick.
