From The Straits Times    |

It’s a staple in almost every woman’s makeup bag: the black eyeliner. Whether you’re more of a pencil or liquid liner girl, it’s almost certainly one of those products you apply on a daily basis. While it’s still very much a part of the modern beauty routine, eyeliner actually dates back as far as 10,000 BC. Read on for the history of one of makeup’s most-loved products.
    
Ancient Egyptians
    
The Egyptians were known to be some of the first people to use makeup. Along with red lipstick, black eyeliner featured heavily. Both men and women applied the product, usually in large quantities, however the reason wasn’t purely cosmetic. It’s been speculated that eyeliner was used to ward off the so-called “evil eye” and was also a good way to protect eyes from the sun. Kohl liner was typically made of a variety of ingredients, including lead, copper ore and toxic metallic element antimony. The components were crushed down into a paste and then applied with specialised objects made of wood, glass or bronze.
    
1920s
    
In the ’20s, Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered, which prompted an unexpected beauty craze. While women had previously felt restricted in their desire to express themselves via cosmetics, they now started to apply eyeliner in a liberal fashion. Thick black grease sticks and kohl pencils were used to achieve the desired look, which was anything but subtle. Spurred on by films stars such as Clara Bow, women felt free to draw attention to their beauty.

1960s

The trend for eyeliner tailed off a little between the ’20s and ’60s. During WWI women occasionally used black kohl pencils to draw lines on the back of their legs to simulate stockings when they couldn’t afford any. Then, the swinging sixties brought eyeliner back with a vengeance.

This was when liquid liner first made a real appearance, allowing women to achieve a more graphic and precise line. Associated with designers like Mary Quant, the look was bold and brilliant and really brought eyes to the fore of the beauty routine. Often, white makeup would be used along with the black eyeliner to create a monochrome look that went down well with models and actresses alike and spurred a worldwide trend.

Today

These days there’s so much variety on the market, making it easier than ever to create your ideal look with eyeliner. While some stay faithful to the trusty kohl pencil, many reach for liquid liner to create the latest graphic trend and others still opt for a felt tip-style version that helps even the clumsiest hand achieve a clean line. Coloured eyeliner has also gone in and out of fashion, allowing women to experiment with eyeliner more than ever.

Michael Kors showed ‘floating’ eyeliner on the Spring/Summer 13 runway, where a thin line was drawn in the middle of the lid. Stella McCartney meanwhile used a thin teal line on the lower lid, while Fendi went neoprene, mixing colours for a futuristic look. – © Cover Media

Coach ID Lanyard
Now $75
Original price: $168
Shop Now
Jabra Elite 4 Wireless Earbuds
Now $88
Original price: $162
Shop Now
BaByliss Air Pro 2300
Now $63
Original price: $144
Shop Now
Abib Collagen Eye Patch
Now $19
Original price: $35
Shop Now