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In a Moment of Vision...
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It's the 1940's.
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The world is at war,
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and for the first time in American history,
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women are joining the full-time work force in droves.
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An organic chemist by the name of Hazel Bishop
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is in the midst of designing aircraft fuel for different oil companies.
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But her true interests lie elsewhere.
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The influx of women in the workforce
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hasn't changed the superficial expectations of society,
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and working women are expected to look well-groomed
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no matter their trade.
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Bishop is sick of having to take time to powder her nose
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and reapply her lipstick.
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Although the FDA has already begun regulating cosmetics,
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various ingredients in lipsticks can be detrimental to lip health.
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The bromo acid stains used to maintain color in most lipsticks
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are terribly drying.
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Bishop spends her spare time working with stains and dyes,
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mixing oils,
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and experimenting with molten wax.
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In a moment of vision and after years of hard work,
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Bishop introduces one of the first smudge-proof, long-lasting,
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working woman's lipsticks
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that doesn't just tint the lips,
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but also keeps them healthy and moisturized.
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Marketed as the only kissable lipstick, Bishop's product takes off
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and it isn't long before rival companies are not just replicating the lipstick
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but creating other, more practical cosmetics.
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Today, lip cosmetics are a billion dollar industry.