In her current memoir ‘Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 toes’, former flight attendant Heather Poole unveiled the true reason behind many airline workers’s signature red lipstick. Besides being a grooming commonplace on her particular airline, Heather additionally detailed how this daring fashion selection performs a essential security position.
She defined that the colour red is used to help passengers – who’ve additionally been suggested of the best time to book flights to attempt and secure free first-class upgrades – learn the flight attendant’s lips during disaster conditions. Poole additional clarified that it considerably helps in loud and chaotic eventualities the place lip-studying is likely to be the one efficient option to convey vital data.
The vibrant hue attracts consideration to the lips, aiding non-verbal communication in order that distressed passengers can perceive instructions like the place to find life-saving tools. However, this idea has been disputed by different former flight attendants who declare they’ve by no means heard of red lipstick serving such a objective. Meanwhile, plane passengers had been issued a ‘essential’ health warning as travel ‘magnifies’ concern.
Sydney Anistine, an industry veteran, informed Reader’s Digest that she’s ‘by no means heard’ of lipstick getting used for security causes, including: ‘These days, if you see somebody carrying a vivid lip, it’s simply a fashion selection.’
Kristine Eksteine-Nizka, one other seasoned cabin crew member and travel author, was additionally skeptical about this idea, suggesting that the red lipstick was more about branding than security, experiences the Express.
‘Emirates has a particular make-up look that the flight attendants need to stick to – they even have make-up coaching for his or her women. ‘.
In her book, Poole additionally delved into the deep historic roots of lipstick with flight attendants, tracing its appearances back to the golden age of aviation during the Nineteen Fifties and Nineteen Sixties.
Former airline stewardess Sheila Riley remembered how make-up decisions had been strictly regulated.
‘If you had been caught carrying, say, blue eye-shadow or scarlet lipstick you had been informed to wipe it off as a result of they needed us to look natural and healthful.’

