Lipstick and Identity: A Reading-Group Guide for Eileen G’Sell’s Study on Makeup and Modern Selfhood

Hook: Why a Tube of Lipstick Can Fix a Syllabus Problem

Teachers, student leaders, and book-club hosts often tell us the same thing: they want readings that spark rigorous debate, connect to lived experience, and fit into tight class schedules. If you're planning a semester module on gender, a themed reading group, or a community live reading, Eileen G'Sell’s forthcoming study on lipstick and modern selfhood gives you a perfect, timely entry point. Lipstick is small, portable, culturally loaded—and it opens direct routes into discussions of identity, performance, history, commerce, and technology.

The Evolution of Lipstick and Why It Matters in 2026

By 2026 the study of cosmetics has moved from niche cultural criticism into mainstream interdisciplinary curricula: art historians, sociologists, and gender studies instructors increasingly assign essays on beauty practices. Platforms such as TikTok and community audio rooms have made makeup practices not only visible but viral. At the same time, debates about AI filters, influencer authenticity, and the sustainability of beauty supply chains (topics that accelerated through late 2025) give a fresh urgency to discussing a millennia-old product like lipstick.

Why use Eileen G'Sell's forthcoming book as your springboard?

• Concise focus: Lipstick anchors a wide set of questions—gender performativity, race and colorism, public/private distinction—making it ideal for 60–90 minute sessions.
• Cross-disciplinary appeal: Visual culture, history, and gender studies students can all bring expertise and debate.
• Cultural currency: Because cosmetics remain culturally salient, discussions feel relevant to students’ lived experiences and social media lives.

How to Use This Guide: Quick Formats for Every Group

Below are ready-to-run templates for different settings. Each format includes objectives, timing, and a three-part structure (Hook, Core Activity, Reflection).

1. 60-Minute Seminar (Undergraduates)

• Objective: Map historical meanings of lipstick to contemporary identity formation.
• Timing: 10 min intro, 25 min small-group readings on assigned excerpt(s), 20 min whole-group debate, 5 min exit reflection.
• Hook: Quick poll: “Do you wear lipstick? Why or why not?” (Anonymous digital poll to reduce performance pressure.)
• Core Activity: Divide into three groups—history, performance, commerce. Each group reads a short excerpt from G'Sell, then lists three ways lipstick communicates social categories.
• Reflection: One-minute papers: what changed in your perception of lipstick and identity?

2. 90-Minute Graduate Seminar (Gender Studies)

• Objective: Critically interrogate lipstick as a site of power and resistance.
• Timing: 15 min overview of scholarship (bring secondary sources), 45 min structured debate, 20 min student-led mini-presentations, 10 min synthesis.
• Debate Motions:
  • “This house believes lipstick is primarily an instrument of patriarchal control.”
  • “Body adornment practices (including lipstick) are effective tools of feminist resistance.”
• Assessment: Short policy memo: how would you integrate these debates into a public-facing exhibition or curriculum?

3. 45-Minute Community Book Club

• Objective: Foster inclusive conversation and share personal narratives.
• Formatting Tips: Keep introductions under 2 minutes per person; use breakout rooms for pair-share; rotate moderators.
• Prompt: “Describe one memory you have of receiving or using cosmetics. What does that memory say about social expectations at the time?”

Discussion Themes & Sample Prompts

These themes work for classroom debates, guided reflections, or online live readings. Use them as-is or adapt into graded assignments.

Theme 1: Cosmetics History and Continuity

• Prompt: “Lipstick is millennia-old—what persists and what changes? Choose one historical era and compare its meanings to today.”
• Activity: Bring two images (one historic artifact, one digital ad). Annotate differences in purpose and audience using a shared document.

Theme 2: Gender, Performance, and Selfhood

• Prompt: “If identity is performative, how does lipstick act as a ‘script’ for gendered performance?”
• Debate motion suggestion from gender studies exercise above.

Theme 3: Race, Colorism, and Representation

• Prompt: “How have lipstick shades and marketing contributed to exclusion or inclusion along lines of race?”
• Activity: Analyze a brand’s historical ad campaign and its modern product shade range—what changed, and why might it matter?

Theme 4: Economics, Labor, and Sustainability

• Prompt: “Who benefits when lipstick is consumed? Trace supply chains and labor conditions, then propose one ethical intervention.”

Theme 5: Technology, Filters, and the New 'Virtual' Lipstick

• Prompt: “Since late 2025, discussions about AI-driven beauty filters and avatars intensified—what does virtual lipstick do to notions of authenticity?”
• Activity: Compare an Instagram ad, a TikTok short, and a virtual try-on app. Discuss how each shapes desire differently.

Practical Classroom Assignments & Assessment Ideas

Here are assignments that emphasize reflection, research, and public engagement—scalable for high school, undergraduate, and community programs.

Short Assignments (1–2 pages)

• Memo: Recommend three objects for a classroom mini-exhibit that traces lipstick from the ancient world to 2026, with short justifications.
• Personal reflection: Describe a makeup ritual in your life or family; analyze it using a concept from the text (e.g., performativity, labor).

Medium Assignments (5–8 pages)

• Critical essay: Choose one chapter of G'Sell’s study and situate it within two scholarly articles. Highlight gaps or new research paths.
• Design project: Create a poster that visualizes how lipstick advertising targets different demographics and platforms.

Capstone/Public-Facing Project

• Curate a hybrid live reading + pop-up exhibit that pairs short readings from G'Sell with archival ads, community oral histories, and a live discussion panel.
• Deliverables: Event plan, accessibility checklist, publicity copy, and a post-event reflection.

Facilitation Notes: Managing Sensitive Topics

Conversations about appearance often touch on trauma, body dysmorphia, and discrimination. To keep discussions productive and safe:

• Use trigger warnings at the start of sessions when topics like abuse or medical concerns may arise.
• Create an opt-out mechanism—allow students to pass or submit reflections privately.
• Set group agreements: confidentiality, listening time, and no shaming of personal choices.
• Bring in campus resources (counseling, diversity offices) when debates surface structural or personal harms.

Practical Accessibility & Format Tips for Reading Groups

Make your sessions inclusive by offering multiple formats. Here are easy steps to maximize participation:

• Offer audio: Host a 20–30 minute audio summary or listen-along for members with less time or visual impairments.
• Provide transcripts: Share readable PDFs and plain-text versions for screen readers.
• Use captions: Always run live captions during virtual meetings and provide translated summaries when possible.
• Flexible reading loads: Design a ‘fast-track’ packet (15–20 mins) and a ‘deep-dive’ packet (90+ mins) to accommodate busy learners.

Sample Session Plan: Live Reading + Open Mic (90 minutes)

1. 10 min: Welcome, land acknowledgements, and community agreements.
2. 15 min: Moderator reads an excerpt from Eileen G'Sell aloud (or plays audio excerpt).
3. 20 min: Breakout pairs discuss one focused prompt (e.g., lipstick as social currency).
4. 30 min: Open mic for personal stories and short readings from participants.
5. 15 min: Whole-group synthesis and next steps (book suggestions, follow-up events).

Case Study: A Classroom That Turned a Cosmetic into Curriculum

At a mid-sized liberal-arts college in 2025, a gender studies instructor centered a two-week module on lipstick. Students created timelines connecting ancient cosmetic recipes to 21st-century influencer culture. The module paired G'Sell’s early excerpts with short documentaries and a local oral-history project. Result: higher attendance, enthusiastic public project posters in the department hallway, and a community event attended by local salon owners. The instructor credited the subject’s accessibility—everyone had a personal story—with deeper engagement and better critical work in final essays.

Further Reading & Resources (Curated for 2026)

To broaden discussions beyond G'Sell’s book, consider pairing chapters with these resources and recent trends:

• Curated articles on cosmetics history and visual culture (see arts journals and museum reading lists in early 2026).
• Short documentaries and oral histories—excellent for public events and synchronous watch parties.
• Contemporary analysis of AI beauty filters and virtual try-on tools—use these to discuss authenticity and identity construction.
• Community voices: invite a local cosmetician, a gender studies scholar, or a beauty-entrepreneur as a guest speaker.

Actionable Takeaways — Ready to Use

• Start small: Use a 10-minute excerpt and a single prompt for your first meeting.
• Mix formats: Offer a short audio summary for busy members and a deeper reading packet for regular participants.
• Make it local: Pair readings with local histories or an oral-history project to anchor abstract ideas.
• Plan for safety: Prepare opt-out options and resource lists for sensitive topics.

“Lipstick is a lens: through it we can see fashion, power, labor, and identity being written and rewritten.”

2026 Trends & Future Predictions

Late 2025 and early 2026 saw a consolidation of conversations that were already bubbling through public culture: the mainstreaming of beauty scholarship, a greater intersection between tech and self-presentation, and heightened attention to supply chains and sustainability. Looking ahead:

• Hybrid pedagogy will expand: expect more classes combining fieldwork, oral history, and digital social-media analysis.
• ‘Virtual’ cosmetics will become a core case study: as augmented reality makeovers normalize, debates about identity will increasingly include non-physical adornment.
• Community engagement will matter: public-facing projects (pop-ups, oral histories) will become vital for demonstrating impact in syllabi and grants.

Final Checklist Before Your First Session

• Do you have an excerpt (15–20 minutes) selected? ✔
• Have you prepared 3 focused prompts and one open-ended question? ✔
• Is there an accessibility plan (audio, transcripts, captions)? ✔
• Do you have a short list of community resources and follow-up tasks? ✔

Call to Action

Ready to host a conversation that connects cosmetics history to lived identity? Use this guide to design one session or build a semester-length module. If you want a printable discussion packet, a customizable slide deck, or a virtual event checklist tailored to your audience, join our readings.space community forum or sign up for the facilitator toolkit. Let Eileen G'Sell’s work be the spark—then bring your students, neighbors, and peers to the conversation.

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