Lipstick as Resistance: Navigating Female Identity in Azadeh Moaveni’s Lipstick Jihad

 

Introduction

In her 2005 memoir Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and American in Iran, Azadeh Moaveni delivers a powerful narrative of cultural dislocation, female identity, and silent rebellion in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Central to her account is the exploration of how Iranian women use personal appearance as a subtle but potent form of resistance. In a society where the state tightly controls female bodies and enforces rigid moral codes, choices in fashion, makeup, and presentation are not simply aesthetic or personal—they are political. A single swipe of lipstick or a strand of uncovered hair becomes loaded with significance. Moaveni’s narrative shows how, in such a context, seemingly minor acts—such as wearing red lipstick, adjusting one's hijab, or choosing tight-fitting clothing—transform into forms of everyday resistance. These actions disrupt the state’s moral authority and serve as expressions of agency, self-definition, and socio-political commentary.

The Symbolism of Lipstick

The memoir’s title—Lipstick Jihad—cleverly juxtaposes two conflicting images: the cosmetic femininity of "lipstick" and the militant religiosity evoked by "jihad." This contradiction encapsulates the lived reality of Iranian women who must navigate personal identity under the shadow of an authoritarian regime. In Iran, modesty laws demand that women cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothing in public, reinforcing the idea that female visibility should be subdued. Within such parameters, the decision to wear makeup, apply nail polish, or expose a few strands of hair beneath the veil is not a casual one—it is laden with defiance.
Moaveni’s observations illuminate how lipstick becomes a silent weapon—a form of expression that reclaims female visibility in a society bent on erasing it. These acts are not orchestrated political protests; they are spontaneous, everyday gestures that reflect a yearning for autonomy. In a city like Tehran, where public conduct is constantly monitored, women subtly and skillfully manipulate the visual codes of fashion to both conform and resist. Through clothing and makeup, they broadcast a message: they exist as individuals, not mere extensions of ideological doctrine.

Everyday Resistance and Micro-Politics

Moaveni’s analysis aligns with James C. Scott’s theory of “everyday forms of resistance,” which refers to the small-scale, covert strategies employed by subordinated groups to undermine dominant power structures. Rather than engaging in overt political dissent, many Iranian women enact what Scott would call “infra-politics”—the politics of disguise, silence, and coded behavior. These are not direct confrontations but subtle rejections of imposed authority, carried out in the intimate sphere of the self and the body.
This resistance takes the form of double performance: on one hand, women observe public codes by wearing the hijab and attending to cultural expectations; on the other, they personalize and transform these codes to reflect inner rebellion. A brightly colored headscarf worn at an intentionally loose angle or eyes outlined with kohl under a veil become emblems of simultaneous compliance and defiance. Moaveni captures this duality with remarkable clarity, suggesting that while the regime governs the outer body, the inner will remains beyond its reach.
Moreover, Moaveni reveals that this resistance is not limited to the secular or the politically radical. Many devout women also question the conflation of piety with self-effacement. They do not see wearing lipstick or colorful clothing as contrary to faith. Rather, they challenge the regime’s monopolization of religious interpretation, suggesting that modesty and individuality need not be mutually exclusive.

The Personal as Political

Moaveni’s memoir also underscores how deeply identity is politicized in the Iranian context, particularly for women. Her personal journey—straddling two cultures as an Iranian-American—gives her a unique vantage point. In the United States, she struggles with cultural alienation; in Iran, she encounters the suffocating weight of imposed nationalism and religious orthodoxy. Through this lens, she articulates a powerful realization: the most personal choices in Iran are invariably political.
This becomes evident in the way Iranian youth, especially women, challenge the binary thinking imposed by the state. Moaveni notes that young women often desire access to both spiritual depth and aesthetic freedom. They want to be able to pray and go to parties, wear lipstick and study the Quran. In resisting state narratives that present modernity and Islam as irreconcilable opposites, these women forge a third space of identity—fluid, hybrid, and subversive.
Moaveni’s portrayal of young Iranian women is thus neither idealized nor victimized. It is deeply human. She presents them as individuals negotiating a complex set of expectations, creating micro-spaces of freedom through everyday choices. This kind of lived resistance may lack the drama of public protest, but it carries the quiet force of cultural and ideological transformation.

Conclusion

In Lipstick Jihad, Azadeh Moaveni offers a powerful account of how women’s everyday lives in Iran are saturated with political meaning. Lipstick, in this context, is not merely a cosmetic—it becomes a symbol of defiance, dignity, and determination. Through her memoir, Moaveni reveals how young Iranian women push back against state-imposed identities not with placards or speeches, but with eyeliner, jeans, and defiant smiles. Their rebellion is both quiet and radical, aesthetic and ideological.
By illuminating these micro-struggles, Moaveni reframes resistance as something embedded in the most intimate aspects of life. Her narrative challenges readers to reconsider what counts as political action and to recognize the resilience of female agency even under the weight of authoritarianism. Lipstick Jihad is thus more than a memoir; it is a testament to the power of personal expression as a form of socio-political resistance.