It's the 1940s.

一九四零年代，

The world is at war, and for the first time in American history, women are joining the full-time workforce in droves.

正值世界大戰，也是美國史上第一次女性投入全職勞動生產。

An organic chemist by the name of Hazel Bishop is in the midst of designing aircraft fuel for different oil companies.

當時，名為海柔．碧莎普的有機化學家正於不同的石油公司研發飛行燃料。

But her true interests lie elsewhere.

但她真正的熱情並不是飛行燃料。

The influx of women in the workforce hasn't changed the superficial expectations of society,

女性大量湧入職場並未改變當時重視女性外表的社會期待。

and working women are expected to look well-groomed no matter their trade.

無論什麼職業，人們都期待工作中的女性有所打扮。

Bishop is sick of having to take time to powder her nose and reapply her lipstick.

碧雪普受不了老是需要花時間補粉和重補唇膏。

Although the FDA has already begun regulating cosmetics, various ingredients in lipsticks can be detrimental to lip health.

雖然那時美國食品藥物管理局早已開始訂定化妝品相關規範，許多唇膏成分仍對健康有害。

The bromo acid stains used to maintain color in most lipsticks are terribly drying.

多數唇膏為了持色使用的溴乙酸劑導致嘴唇非常乾燥。

Bishop spends her spare time working with stains and dyes, mixing oils, and experimenting with molten wax.

碧雪普在自己的閒暇時間研究持色劑與染料混合油，並測試添加「融化蠟」

In a moment of vision and after years of hard work,

在她靈機一動後，經過數年的努力，

Bishop introduces one of the first smudge-proof, long-lasting, working woman's lipsticks that doesn't just tint the lips, but also keeps them healthy and moisturized.

碧雪普推出第一支防暈染、持色，專為職場女性設計的唇膏，不只顯色，也更健康且保濕。

Marketed as the only kissable lipstick, Bishop's product takes off.

號稱「唯一可以放心親吻」的唇膏，碧雪普的產品在市場獨佔鰲頭。

And it isn't long before rival companies are not just replicating the lipstick but creating other, more practical cosmetics.

不久之後，其他敵對公司不再只是複製碧雪普的唇膏，而開始發明更實用的化妝品與它一較高下。

Today, lip cosmetics are a billion dollar industry.

直至今日，唇彩仍是美妝產業重要的金雞母。