When the practice of women applying lipstick became more popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, however, many were skeptical. English pastor and writer Thomas Hall claimed that lipstick was "the devil's work" and that anyone who applied to product was attempting to "ensnare others and to kindle a fire and flame of lust in the hearts of those who cast their eyes upon them."
In 1770, the British Parliament even went so far as to pass a law banning lipstick, claiming that "women found guilty of seducing men into matrimony by a cosmetic means could be tried for witchcraft."
Later, in the early 1920's in New York, lipstick was nearly banned again due to the ability for a woman to poison a man with a kiss.
Lipstick became more widespread and popular in the early 20th century. European women in particular love their lipstick—300 million tubes are sold every year in Europe alone.
