Why December Turns Every Woman Into That Red-Lip Girl

Something about December instantly makes me want to put away those nude, peachy tones and unleash my red lip era. I usually ditch the dark academia aesthetic that my Pinterest feed shows and go all in with my ‘dark feminine vibe’. Some days I go for the ‘I’m a renowned poet, residing near Khan Market wearing my red lips in chilly Delhi winters,' while on the other days I’m mentally in Paris, sitting at a cute cafe with an exquisite vista of the Eiffel Tower, wearing a beret and a black trench coat with a croissant in my hand and a red lipstick on my lips that reps my Parisian look better than anything. In a nutshell, I'm just imitating different personas with red lips that really do make me feel like I'm in a music video directed by Imtiaz Ali. 

It’s almost like a red lip colour is directly proportional to winters. Something in the air really makes you go gaga over a red/burgundy colour. The festive vibe does bring out the ‘red era’ in all of us, but it has long existed in our culture. Now, a seasonal shade was once the gateway to becoming “that girl” when this phrase did not even exist. Before Monica Geller, Marilyn Monroe wore her iconic red with complete confidence.

What it symbolises for women in 2025

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In 2025, a red lip December not only screams Christmas but also confidence. Social media trends and thousands of TikToks might package it as Parisian core, but beneath the aesthetic is a far more vivid truth about women choosing a colour that makes them feel powerful.

A vibrant red becomes a small act of joy and a loud declaration of self. It becomes something they wear not just for the season but for the feeling it unlocks within them.

A Shade With Intent (Early days of Red Lip)

While a red lip may be synonymous with winter, it also operates politically, culturally and with unapologetic boldness. It existed long before it became a cult-favourite winter essential. A red lip gave women power. The power to take on the world in style. Embedded in culture, it became a quiet rebellion for women once told to shrink their light. It offered hope and a reminder to love and embrace themselves despite the insecurities and beauty standards they grew up with. Back when the no-makeup makeup look wasn't a thing and the internet did not have makeup tutorials, a red lipstick served as a holy grail beauty product that my grandmother still loves to wear. 

Women back in the 60s, 70s and 80s walked in red lips so M.A.C’s Ruby Woo could run. Before I started associating it with December, I grew up around women who wore their red lipstick like pride. 

A red lip is one of those timeless beauty essentials that gets passed down through families, almost like an heirloom. It carries the quiet nostalgia of ‘Our grandmothers wore it in their time’, and they truly owned it. Somewhere along the way we became obsessed with nudes and pastels and forgot how striking a simple bright red lip can be. In India, a red bridal lehenga was an unsaid sartorial mandate long before pastels took over Instagram. Red was never just a colour for us; it was a part of our culture. And on the days we couldn’t wear it on our clothes, we chose to wear it on our lips instead.

Brands Making It Happen:

• M.A.C Cosmetics Ruby Woo

This one's the OG red. Nobody does a creamy lipstick formula like this, and the vibrancy screams through that tiny black bullet lipstick. 

• Rouge Dior 999 Velvet finish 

If you also plan on bringing the Christmas red spirit to your lips, this Dior shade is just the right match. 

• Kay Beauty Hydra Creme Lipstick Rouge.

It's creamy and so pretty! Basically everything you would want in a red lipstick with a price that won't burn a hole in your pocket.

Also Read:

ELLE Discovers: Beauty Brands That Boost Your Mood And Your Glow

24 Days, 24 Rituals: Your December Wellness Advent Calendar