A new study shows it is possible to distinguish between types of lipstick on crime scene evidence without needing to remove it from the evidence bag, helping forensic scientists avoid sample contamination or destruction. 
Lipstick marks can link someone to a crime scene. They can also establish physical contact between individuals for cases of violent crime.
Current forensic lipstick analysis relies on techniques such as microspectrophotometry, high performance liquid chromatography and energy dispersive x-ray analysis. These techniques, however, are not ideal for forensic investigations as they are either destructive or require a level of human opinion.
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Application of Raman Spectroscopy for the Differentiation of Lipstick Traces
Fatma Salahioglu, Michael J. Went and Stuart J. Gibson
Anal. Methods, 2013, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C3AY41274A
