A History: Eyeliner.

Around 10,000 BC Egyptians wore various cosmetics to protect the skin from the scorching desert sun; Research has also speculated that the Egyptians wore eye liner to protect the wearer from the evil eye.

Ancient Egyptians used Kohl eye liners which were made from a mixture of materials including lead, copper, ore and antimony which is a toxic metallic element, The materials were ground into a paste and applied with rounded sticks of wood, bronze or glass which had been created and molded for the purpose, Kohl pots where very common and were used to crush and serve as cosmetic containers for the eye make-up, The vast use of Kohl is documented by the sheer number of pots found among burial belongings from the Old Kingdom to the end of the New Kingdom.

Eye liner started to gain popularity in the early 1900's using the same formula that was made in the Egyptian times using kohl and animal fats. The Popularity of the commercially made eyeliner began when the members of the Russian ballet performed in London in 1909, dancing upon the stage with defined and dramatized eye make-up. This was also the time that the demand for mascara and eye shadows where increased in popularity as well.

Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden two big heavy weights in the cosmetic industry in the early 1900's where inspired by the Russian ballerinas and started to create eye make-up to bring to the public what they saw on the London stage.

Helena Rubenstein is also credited with having invented a new special kind of Kohl or eyeliner to make then movie star Theda Bara's eye look and appear more dramatic on the big silver screen.

During the World Wars women kept their faces clean and simple, very little eyeliner was worn around the eyes, but the shortage and unavailable items such as silk stockings lead to an interesting use of eyeliner where the women for the war times would apply eyeliner along the back of their legs to give the impression that they were wearing stockings.

The 1960's brought on the invention of the liquid eyeliner and it was used to replicate the thick black lines that was on the fashion run ways.

Today we are spoilt for choice when it comes to eyeliners, we can choose an eyeliner in just about any colour from the traditional black, to bright primary colours, browns and grays and even ones that are glitter based, it also comes in pencil form with is similar to a coloured pencil and is sharpened to apply the product, gel and cream form are much softer than a pencil or kohl eyeliner and is applied with a brush and liquid is an opaque liquid that comes in a small tube or bottle and is applied with a brush or felt applicator that comes with the bottle. It is used to create sharp, bold, precise lines and is usually only applied to the top lash line.  Eyeliner is commonly used in a daily make up routine to define the eyes making them appear either bigger or smaller it also draws attention to the eyes or if applied in certain ways can change the eye's shape. It is applied upon the water liner, tightline, underneath the lower eye lashes and upon the top lash line.