Eyeliner History

Eyeliner can give both men and women a smoky mystique in the eyes that seems alluring yet dangerous. Eyeliner has come to be associated with exoticism and a sultry look that blends well with ancient Egyptian figures like Cleopatra, but not so well with recent historical figures such as Queen Victoria. Eyeliner has become popular amongst goth, alternative and emo cultures to achieve that dark look around the eyes. The history of eyeliner can be traced all the way to the ancient Egyptians who used kohl to give their eyes a certain mystique and they believed that eyeliner had the power to cure eye diseases. This style was resurrected in the 1920s with the rising interest in ancient Egyptian culture. Exoticism became fashionable with turbans, dark makeup and the influence of oriental fashion in western dresses. Women in the 1920s brought the use of eyeliner to another level by adding black grease and khol stick to make the eyes darker. In the history of eyeliner, women in the sixties used eyeliner but not as heavy as women in the 1920s. Eyeliner has become popular in recent decades as a way of adding accent to a woman’s eyes and a form of rebellion amongst various subcultures around the world.