Eye liner

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"Eyeliner" redirects here. For other uses, see Eyeliner (disambiguation).

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Dark teal eye liner along the rim of the eye

Eye liner is a cosmetic used to define the eyes. It is applied around the contours of the eye to create a variety of aesthetic illusions. Although primarily aimed at females, it has broadened its appeal to the male market, known commonly by the portmanteau guyliner.
History

A girl wearing eyeliner.

Eyeliner was first used in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia as a dark black line around the eyes. As early as 10,000 BC, Egyptians wore various cosmetics not only for aesthetics but to protect the skin from the desert sun.^[1] Research has also speculated that eyeliner was worn to protect the wearer from the evil eye.^[2] The characteristic of having heavily lined eyes has been frequently depicted in Egyptian art. They produced eyeliner produced with a variety of materials including lead, copper ore and antimony.^[3]
In the 1920s, King Tut's tomb was discovered, introducing the use of eyeliner to the Western world. The 1920s were an era commonly associated with many changes in women's fashion, and women felt more free to apply makeup more liberally.
In the 1960s, liquid eyeliner was used to create thick black and white lines around the eyes in the makeup fashion associated with designers like Mary Quant.
Eyeliner also called Kajal in India is easily available in the market. Drugstores, department stores, designer brands all carry eyeliners.
Modern Usage
In the late 20th and early 21st century, heavy eyeliner has been associated with Gothic fashion and sometimes even Punk fashion . Eyeliner of varying degrees of thickness, particularly on males, has also become associated with the emo subculture and various alternative lifestyles.
It can also be used for showing depression in photographs, such as the famous "Bleeding Mascara".
Formulae
Depending on its texture, eyeliner can be softly smudged or clearly defined. There are four main formulas available on the market: each produces a different effect.

• Liquid eyeliner is an opaque liquid that usually comes in a small bottle and is applied with a tiny brush or felt applicator. It creates a sharp, precise line.

• Powder-based eye pencil is eyeliner in a wood pencil. It is generally available in dark matte shades.

An eye with brown eyeliner under the bottom lashes.

• Wax-based eye pencils are softer pencils and contain waxes that ease application. They come in a wide variety of intense colours as well as paler shades such as white or beige. Wax-based eyeliners can also come in a cone or a compact with brush applicator.

• Kohl eyeliner is a soft powder available in dark matte shades. It is most often used in black to outline the eyes. It comes in pencil, pressed powder, or loose powder form. This type of eyeliner is more likely to smudge.

• Less commonly found is gel eye liner, which is a softer gel liner that can be easily applied with an eyeliner brush. It can be precisely applied and is much softer than Kohl. Gel liner usually holds up very well.

• History of Eyeliner

  
  
  The history of eyeliner dates back to ancient civilizations and has been worn by both men and women alike.  Though the ingredients and application methods have changed, the look remains oddly consistent.  Take a look at the evolution of the modern day eyeliner.
  Ancient Egyptians
  As early as 10,000 BC Egyptians were donning various cosmetics not only for aesthetics but to protect the skin from the scorching desert sun.  Research has also speculated that eyeliner was worn to protect the wearer from the evil eye. 
  A prominent characteristic of the Egyptian façade for both men and women was the heavily lined eye.  Ancient Egyptians used kohl eyeliners produced with a variety of materials including lead, copper ore and antimony, a toxic metallic element.  The elements were ground into a paste and applied with rounded sticks of wood, bronze, or glass created for the purpose. Kohl pots were common and used to crush and serve as cosmetic containers for the eye makeup.  The widespread use of kohl is historically documented in the sheer number of kohl pots found among burial belongings from the late Old Kingdom to the end of the New Kingdom (2345 to 1070 B.C).
  1920's
  The discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922 fascinated people worldwide, especially American women.  They had finally won the right to vote and thanks to the influence of actresses like Clara Bow, seemed to assert their independence more freely.  Gone were the days of pinching the cheeks for a subtle blush.  Fashionable young women began to recreate the Egyptian eye by using eyeliner liberally.
  1940's
  The face of the war era woman was clean and simple.  Though very little if any eyeliner was worn around the eyes, the shortage of items during the World War I led to an interesting use of eyeliner.  Jackets with short skirts became fashionable for young women but silk stockings were unavailable.  Enterprising young women, accustomed to making do, used black eyeliner pencil to draw a black line up the back of their legs to simulate a stocking seam.
  1960's
  The 1960s brought about the invention of liquid eyeliner and it was applied to create thick black lines around the eyes in the fashion industry. The sixties saw the reemergence of the cat eye.
  Today
  Today eyeliner is commonplace and comes in a variety of colors and applications.  Many women add it to their daily makeup routines.  Today, eyeliner is also used liberally as an artistic expression of statement for gothic and emo styles
• Summary: Yes, applying liquid eyeliner is difficult, but with a few tricks of the trade and a bit of practice you too can create flawlessly defined eyes with your liquid eyeliner.
  

  Applying Liquid Eyeliner

  
  

  Yes, applying liquid eyeliner is difficult, but with a few tricks of the trade and a bit of practice you too can create flawlessly defined eyes with your liquid eyeliner.
  Liquid Eyeliner Benefits
  There are quite a few benefits of using liquid eyeliner over pencil eyeliner. Liquid eyeliner is typically waterproof and lasts longer than pencil eyeliner, it can also deepen the look and fill in the eye lash line better.
  
  Application Techniques
  Apply your eyeshadow before adding the eyeliner. The eyeshadow helps to give the eyeliner more staying power so that it will last throughout the day. Be sure to keep make up remover and Q-tips® close by in case of an accident.
  
  Shake the tube before applying the eyeliner, if you need to steady your hand just rest your elbow on a hard surface for leverage. If it is your first time using liquid eyeliner and you are worried about drawing a straight line you can use your pencil eyeliner to place dotted lines along your eyelash line and then follow the dotted line with the liquid to help you stay on track.
  
  Start at the center of your upper lid and draw a line along the natural contour of your eyelash line. For a thicker line around your eyes slowly add to it until you get the desired thickness. Most do not like the look of liquid eyeliner on the bottom lash line as this can create the appearance of squinty eyes rather than highlighting them.  Eyeliner pencil is more subtle.
  Professional Secrets 
  Let the eyeliner set. Liquid eyeliner does not dry immediately so be sure to wait a few extra seconds before blinking or applying mascara or other make up.
  Build upon the foundation. Always apply eyeliner with a light touch. For a flawless look build upon the thickness by allowing the first pass to set before building the next pass to thicken the line.
  
  It's bold so choose the color carefully. As with any make up, make sure that the color you are using complements the rest of your eye make up and your facial make up.
  
  Applying liquid eyeliner is a technique that can't be rushed. Applying liquid eyeliner takes a lot of practice, patience and experimentation. Take your time with applying it, practice at home until you perfect a straight line, and experiment with different looks until you find the perfect technique for you.
• Feature:Eyeliner

  

  Eyeliner

  Eyeliner has been used for centuries but not always in the manner that we are accustomed to putting it to use. Discover the facinating history of this ancient makeup, tips on applying it, and get the real story on the lead/eyeliner controversy.
• Beauty & Style » Cosmetics » Eyeliner » How to Apply Eyeliner

  How to Apply Eyeliner

  Summary: If you would like to know how to apply eyeliner flawlessly, it's as easy as 1-2-3! Here are eleven steps to help you apply eyeliner like a professional.
  
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  Author: Staff Writers

  
  

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  How to Apply Eyeliner

  
  

  If you would like to know how to apply eyeliner flawlessly, it's as easy as 1-2-3!   Here are eleven steps to help you apply eyeliner like a professional.
  Colors
     (1)   For everyday wear, all eye colors should use a neutral eyeliner shade such as black, brown, or taupe for shape and definition. Colored eyeliners are visually heavier and much more dramatic best saved for evening looks.
     (2)   For the most cohesive results, choose eyeliner shades from the same color palette as your eye shadow, lipstick, and blush.
  Techniques
     (3)   Always keep your pencils sharpened for more control and accuracy. Sharpening your pencil before every application is also hygienic as it helps to ensure that it is fresh and clean from the last use.
     (4)   A perfectly made up eye should be well blended.  To avoid the look of a ‘drawn line' across your lid, starting from the outside use soft strokes to apply the eyeliner then blend them together with an eye shadow brush.
     (5)   Always start with a feathery stroked thin line then continue to slowly build upon it to achieve the desired thickness.
  Achieving Different Looks
     (6)   To help open the eyes the darkest application of eyeliner should be to the outside of the eye, gradually fading toward the nose.
     (7)   For a dramatic smoky eye apply black eyeliner to the inside of both the upper and lower lid smudging into the eyelashes.
     (8)   Smudge a very thin line of eyeliner close to the eyelash line to make your eyelashes look thicker while appearing to be wearing very little makeup.
  Corrective Makeup
     (9)   Those with deep-set eyes should use eyeliner sparingly or not at all.  When trying to bring eyes out, adding thick lines around the eye, especially on the top lid will have the opposite effect.
     (10)   To give the illusion that close-set eyes are farther apart add a white eyeliner to the inside lid near the bridge of the nose.
     (11)   To make large eyes appear smaller-use dark colors on the eyelid, eye crease, and in your eyeliner choices.

Concealer

A concealer or colour corrector is a type of makeup used to mask pimples, dark circles and other small blemishes visible on the skin. Concealers usually do a good job of hiding blemishes by blending the imprefection into the surrounding skin tone. This product is mainly used by women, but use among men is increasing.
Both concealer and foundation are typically used to make skin appear more uniform in color. These two types of cosmetics differ in that concealers tend to be more heavily pigmented, though they are available in a wide range of opacity. Also, foundation is usually applied to larger areas. The first commercially available concealer was Max Factor's erace, launched in 1938. Concealer can be used alone or in conjunction with foundations.
Concealer is available in a variety of shades, from lightest to deepest. Some colors are intended to look like a natural skin tone, while others are meant to contrast with a particular type of blemish. White can be used to blur dark circles or bruising, and to brighten dull skin. Green and blue can counteract red patches on the skin, such as those caused by pimples, broken veins, or rosacea. A purple-tinted concealer can make shallow complexions look brighter. Colored concealers such as these are usually applied sparingly beneath a concealer or foundation that matches the wearer's skin tone. Skin-toned concealers are not only the most common type, but are often sufficient on their own at hiding or blurring imperfections.

Nail polish

ail polish (or nail varnish) is a lacquer applied to toenails and or fingernails for appearance, but also as nail protection. Polishing without adding chemical layers is called buffing.

History

The Egyptians used reddish-brown stains derived from henna to color their nails and fingertips. They also took the color from their own blood. Egyptians used nail color to signify social order, with shades of red at the top. Queen Nefertiti, the wife of the king Akhenaton, colored her finger and toe nails ruby red; Cleopatra favored crimson. Women of lower rank who colored their nails were permitted only pale hues.
The Chinese used a colored lacquer, made from gum arabic, egg whites, gelatin and beeswax. They used mashed rose, orchid and impatiens petals combined with alum. This mixture applied to nails for a few hours, leaves a color ranging from pink to red. In the Chou Dynasty of 600 B.C., Chinese royalty used gold and silver to enhance their nails. A fifteenth-century Ming manuscript cites red and black as the colors chosen by royalty for centuries previous.
The Incas decorated their fingernails with pictures of eagles. It is unclear how the practice of coloring nails progressed following these beginnings. Portraits from the 17th and 18th centuries include shiny nails.^[1]
Henna dyes are used to draw intricate, temporary designs on hands in Mehndi.
By the turn of the 19th century, nails were tinted with scented red oils, and polished or buffed with a chamois cloth, rather than simply painted.^[2] English and US 19th century cookbooks had directions for making nail paints. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, women pursued a polished, rather than painted, look by massaging tinted powders and creams into their nails, then buffing them shiny.^[2] One such polishing product sold around this time was Graf’s Hyglo nail polish paste.^[2] Some women during this period painted their nails with clear, glossy varnish applied with a camel-hair brush.^[2] When automobile paint was created around 1920, it inspired the introduction of colored nail enamels.^[2]

Constituents

Pink nail polish and applicator.

Most nail polishes are made of nitrocellulose dissolved in a solvent (e.g. butyl acetate or ethyl acetate) and either left clear or colored with various pigments. Basic components included are: film forming agents, resins and plasticizers, solvents, and coloring agents. Adhesive polymers (e.g. tosylamide-formaldehyde resin) ensure the nitrocellulose adheres to the nail's surface. Plasticizers (e.g. camphor) are chemicals that link between polymer chains, spacing them to make the film sufficiently flexible after drying. Pigments and sparkling particles (e.g. mica) add desired color and reflecting characteristics. Thickening agents (e.g. stearalkonium hectorite) are added to maintain the sparkling particles in suspension while in the bottle. Ultraviolet stabilizers (e.g. benozophenone-1) resist color changes when the dry film is exposed to direct sunlight. Nail polish ingredients often include toluene. Solvents such as toluene and xylene are petroleum-based products that have been linked to cancer. Formaldehyde (formalin) may cause allergic reactions and is unsafe for use by asthmatic people. It is a carcinogen.
Nail polish makers are under pressure to reduce or eliminate toxic ingredients, including phthalates, toluene, and formaldehyde.^[3][4] In September 2006, several makers agreed to phase out dibutyl phthalate, which has been linked to testicular problems in lab animals and humans, in updated formulations.^[4] Some makers eliminated formaldehyde from their products, others still use it.^[3]
A recent development (ca. 2003) is water-based nail polish, which is based on an acrylic polymer emulsion (e.g. styrene-acrylate copolymer), and pigments similar to those used in watercolor paints.^{[citation needed]} This is marketed as an environmentally-conscious product, since nail polish is considered a hazardous waste by some regulatory bodies (e.g. Los Angeles Department of Public Works).^[5] In this application, the solvent (water) does not completely evaporate as in the case of the traditional nail polish; part of the water is absorbed through the fingernail.

Nail polish in fashion

Nail polish has been traditionally worn by women, but has recently become more popular with men. Traditional colors for nail polish were red, pink and brown, and it can now be found in virtually any color. French manicures traditionally mimic the color of natural nails, using a clear, beige or soft pink polish on most of the nail with a white finish at the tips.
Black has been a popular color of nail polish with goths and punks of both genders since the 1970s, and has recently gained acceptance as a color for both men and women.
Some types of polish are advertised to cause nail growth, make nails stronger, prevent nails from breaking, cracking and splitting and stop nail biting. Nail polish may be applied as one of several components in a manicure. However, some nail treatments contain ingredients such as ammonium hexafluorophosphate.

Nail polish remover

Nail polish is easily removed with nail polish remover, which is an organic solvent, but may also include oils, scents and coloring. Nail polish remover packages may include individual felt pads soaked in remover, a bottle of liquid remover that can be used with a cotton ball or cotton pad, and even containers filled with foam and remover that can be used by inserting a finger into the container and twisting until the polish comes off.
The base solvent in nail polish remover is usually acetone or ethyl acetate. Acetonitrile has been used, but is more toxic and is banned in cosmetics (including nail polish removers) in the European Economic Area since 17 March 2000.^[6]

Eyebrow

The eyebrow is an area of thick, delicate hairs above the eye that follows the shape of the lower margin of the brow ridges of some^[which?] mammals. Their main function is to protect the eye,^{[citation needed]} but they are also important to human communication and facial expression.^[1] It is not uncommon for people – women in particular – to modify their eyebrows by means of hair addition, removal, make up, or piercings.

Functions

Physical

The main function of the eyebrow is to prevent moisture, mostly salty sweat and rain, from flowing into the eye. The typical curved shape of the eyebrow (with a slant on the side) and the direction in which eyebrow hairs are pointed, make sure that moisture has a tendency to flow sideways around the eyes, along the side of the head and along the nose. The slightly protruding brow ridges of modern humans could also still play a supporting role in this process, in this way it helps them make expressions.^{[citation needed]} Together with the brow ridges, the eyebrows also shade the eyes from sunlight. Eyebrows also prevent debris such as dandruff and other small objects from falling into the eyes, as well as providing a more sensitive sense for detecting objects being near the eye, like small insects.

Psychological

Eyebrows also have an important facilitative function in communication, strengthening expressions, such as surprise or anger. Many makeup artists view eyebrows as a major feature in defining the face. The eyebrows shape the human face and give definition to one's eyes and forehead. Depending on the shape of the eyebrows, it sometimes can cause what is known as a false facial expression (such as a person's eyebrows shaped to seem as if the person was angry, but really isn't).

 Identification

In a study published by MIT, where subjects were asked to identify celebrities with either their eyes or their eyebrows digitally edited out, the subjects were able to recognize the celebrity 46% of the time with their eyebrows edited out, compared to 60% of the time with their eyes edited out. The findings indicate the importance of eyebrows in providing cues to an individual's identity.^[2]

Eyebrow modification

A woman's eyebrow that has been modified via waxing

Eyebrows are a major facial feature. Several cosmetic methods have been developed to enhance the look of one's eyebrows, whether the goal is to add or remove hair, change the color, or change the position of the eyebrow.
Several options exist for removing hair in order to achieve a thinner or smaller eyebrow, or to "correct" a unibrow, including tweezing, waxing, threading and electronic tweezer. The most common method is to use tweezers to thin out and shape the eyebrow.^[3] Waxing is also becoming more popular in recent times.^[4] Lastly, there is the option of threading eyebrows, wherein a cotton thread is rolled over hair to pull it out.^[5] Small scissors are sometimes used to trim the eyebrows, either along with another method of hair removal or alone. All of these methods can be painful for some seconds or minutes due to the sensitivity of the area around the eye, but, often, this pain decreases over time as the individual becomes used to the sensation. After a certain period of time, hair that has been plucked will stop growing back.^[6] There are some who completely wax or shave off their entire eyebrows, then, either leave them bare, stencil or draw them in with eye liner, or tattoo them on. In Western societies, it has become more common for men to pluck part of their eyebrows as well.
To create a fuller look, eyebrows can be cloned in an eyebrow transplant, wherein individual strands of the eyebrow are mimicked to create a natural looking eyebrow of the desired shape. Eyebrow brushes and shaders are also used to further define the eyebrow. A fairly recent trend in eyebrow modification is in the form of eyebrow tinting, in which permanent dye, similar to that of hair color, is used on the eyebrow, often to darken them.
An eyebrow lift, a cosmetic surgery to raise the eyebrow, usually in order to create a more feminine or youthful appearance, is a new phenomenon.^[7] They can be affected during a face lift or an eye lift. More recently, doctors inject patients' eyebrows with botox or similar toxins to temporarily raise the eyebrow.^[8]
Shaving lines in eyebrows is another cosmetic alteration, more common among younger people in the 1990s and 2000s.^[9]Gallery

Eyebrows often thicken with puberty.	Eyebrows can be used to convey emotion, such as surprise.	Eyebrows can also help portray empathy.	Mona Lisa with removed eyebrows.
A young man with hair between the eyebrows

Eye shadow

Eye shadow is a cosmetic that is applied on the eyelids and under the eyebrows. It is commonly used to make the wearer's eyes stand out or look more attractive.
Eye shadow adds depth and dimension to one's eyes, complements the eye color, or simply draws attention to the eyes. Eye shadow comes in many different colors and textures. It is usually made from a powder and mica, but can also be found in liquid, pencil, or mousse form.
Civilizations across the world use eye shadow - predominantly on females, but also occasionally on males. In Western society, it's seen as a feminine cosmetic, even when used by men. On average, the distance between eyelashes and eyebrows is twice as big in women as in men. Thus pale eye shadow visually enlarges this area and has a feminizing effect.
In Gothic fashion, black or similarly dark-colored eye shadow and other types of eye makeup are popular amongst both genders.
Many people use eye shadow simply to improve their appearance, but it is also commonly used in theatre and other plays, to create a memorable look, with bright and even ridiculous colors. Depending on skin tone and experience, the effect of eye shadow usually brings out glamor and gains attention. The use of eye shadow attempts to replicate the natural eye shadow that some women exhibit due to a natural contrasting pigmentation on their eyelids. Natural eye shadow can range anywhere from a glossy shine to one's eyelids, to a pinkish tone, or even a silver look.

Use

A powder eye shadow palette with brown shades for normal day wear; the two center colors are sparkly while the silver and white shades are for creating shadows and highlights.

Eye shadow can be applied in a variety of ways depending upon the desired look and formulation. Typically application is done using sponges, fingers, and/or brushes. The most important aspect of applying eye shadow, and makeup in general, is blending well.
To remove eye shadow, a commercial eye makeup remover can be utilized, though a rich face wash will usually remove all traces of color. Generally it is easy to remove, and simple water and soap can be used. Eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara may also be removed using baby oil. An example is Johnson's Baby Oil. There are also makeup wipes that can be used. An example would be Neutrogena Wipes for the face.
The history of eye shadow Cosmetics have been used for as long as there have been people to use them. Face painting is mentioned in the Old Testament ( Book of Ezekiel 23:40 ) and eye shadow was used in Egyptian burials dating back to 10,000 BC.^[1] The word "cosmetae" was first used to describe Roman slaves whose duty was to bathe men and women in perfume.^[2] Egypt

Nefertiti bust with eye shadow applied

As early as 10,000 BC, men and women used scented oils and ointments to clean and soften their skin and mask body odor. Dyes and paints were used to color the skin, body and hair. They rouged their lips and cheeks, stained their nails with henna, and lined their eyes and eyebrows heavily with kohl. Kohl was a dark-colored powder made of crushed antimony, burnt almonds, lead, oxidized copper, ochre, ash, malachite, and chrysocolla (a blue-green copper ore) or any combination thereof.^[3] It was applied with a small stick. The upper and lower eyelids were painted in a line that extended to the sides of the face for an almond effect. In addition to reducing sun glare, it was believed that kohl eyeliner could restore good eyesight and reduce eye infection.^[4] Kohl was kept in a small, flat-bottomed pot with a wide, tiny rim and a flat, disk-shaped lid.^[5] According to images of the time, the use of makeup was not limited to women. Highly polished silver and copper mirrors aided the application of makeup.^[6]

Greece

In Greece, precious oils, perfumes, cosmetic powders, eye shadows, skin glosses, paints, beauty unguents, and hair dyes were in universal use. Export and sale of these items formed an important part of trade around the Mediterranean. During the 7th and 8th centuries BC, Corinthian, Rhodian and East Greek traders dominated markets in perfume flasks and cosmetic containers. The containers included aryballoi, alabastra, pyxides and other small specialized shapes.

 Rome

Men and women in the Near East painted their faces with kohl just like the Egyptians did. This was to protect them from the ‘evil eye.’ After the defeat of the Greeks by the Romans, the original Egyptian intention suffered its final bastardization beyond any reasonable recovery. The Romans were unabashedly hedonistic; Egyptian oils that were once used for sacred purposes became nothing more than sexual accoutrements in Rome.^{[citation needed]} There was some dignity amended when the Romans discovered medicinal applications as well. Plagues were so rampant throughout Rome, that aromatic gums and resins were burned to repel demons and bad spirits.^[7]

Rouge (cosmetics)

Rouge (pronounced /ˈruːʒ/; French: Red), also called blush, is a cosmetic typically used by women to redden the cheeks so as to provide a more youthful appearance, and to emphasise the cheekbones.
Historically, rouge was used as early as in ancient Egypt. It was also applied on the lips, the way lipstick would be used today. In some times and places, both men and women wore rouge, such as during the Regency period in England. In Britain's Victorian Age, when wearing makeup was associated with low morals, ladies resorted to pinching their cheeks (and biting their lips) to make them appear red instead.
Various substances have been used as rouge. In ancient Greece for example, crushed mulberries were favoured, while red beet juice and crushed strawberries have also variously been used.
In modern times, rouge generally consists of a red-coloured talcum-based powder that is applied with a brush to the cheek. The colouring is usually either the substance of safflor (the petals of safflower), or a solution of carmine in ammonium hydroxide and rosewater perfumed with rose oil. A cream-based variant of rouge is schnouda, a colourless mixture of Alloxan with cold cream, which also colours the skin red.

Mascara

Mascara is a cosmetic used to darken, colour, thicken, lengthen, or define eyelashes. Mascara comes in three forms: liquid, cake, and cream. It also comes in many formulas, tints, and colours. Mascara is available in tubes with wand applicators. Ingredients in mascara include water, wax thickeners, film-formers, and preservatives. Mascara brushes can be straight or curved, to curl eyelashes, with fine or thick bristles. Some mascara wands contain rayon or nylon fibers to lengthen eyelashes.

History

The first mascara product was invented by Eugene Rimmel in the 19th century. The word "rimmel" still means "mascara" in several languages, including Portuguese (rímel), Turkish (rimel), Romanian (rimel), Italian (rimmel), Persian (rimel), French (rimmel) etc.

The woman's eye has had mascara applied to the lashes for a fuller effect

The word mascara derives from the Italian maschera, which means "mask"^[1] from Middle Latin masca or from Old Occitan masco ^[2]. Modern mascara was created in 1913 by a chemist named T. L. Williams for his sister, Mabel. This early mascara was made from coal dust mixed with Vaseline petroleum jelly. The product was a success with Mabel, and Williams began to sell his new product through the mail. His company Maybelline, whose name is a combination of his sister's name and Vaseline, eventually became a leading cosmetics company.
Mascara is used to darken and thicken lashes, and was composed of colorants and carnauba wax. Users wet a brush and rubbed it over the cake, then applied it to the eyes. Mascara is used to enhance the appearance of the eyes as well as draw attention to them.
The modern tube and wand applicator was more appealing to the market than the old "cake" mascara. Max Factor was the first to create a mascara with a wand applicator in the product tube, which started the modern mascara products available today.

[edit] Composition

Modern mascaras can be divided in two groups: water resistant mascaras (often labeled waterproof) and non-water resistant mascaras.
Water resistant mascaras have a composition based on a volatile solvent (isododecane - an isomer of dodecane), animal-derived waxes (beeswax), vegetable based waxes (carnauba wax, rice bran wax, candelila wax), mineral origin wax (ozokerite, paraffin), pigments (iron oxide, ultramarine) and filmifying polymers. These mascaras do not contain water-sensitive moieties, offering an excellent resistance to tears, sweat or rain. As a result, these mascaras can only be removed with a specific make-up remover, able to dilute the dried mascara film.
Non water-resistant mascaras are based on water, soft surfactants (like triethanolamine stearate), animal-derived waxes (beeswax), vegetable based waxes (carnauba wax, rice bran wax, candelilla wax), mineral origin waxes (ozokerite, paraffin), pigments (iron oxide, ultramarine), thickening polymers (gum arabic, hydrophobically modified cellulose) and on preservatives. These mascaras can run under the effect of tears, but are easily removed with some soap and water.
Polymers in a water dispersed form (latexes) can bring some level of water resistance to the group of normally non-water resistant mascaras.
Waterproof mascaras are similar to oil-based or solvent-based paints. Non water-resistant mascaras behave like water based paints. For intermediate water sensitivity, mascaras and latex-based paints (acrylates) contain polymer dispersions.

[edit] Use

Green mascara

Mascara may be used on all eyelashes, from inner to outer corners. The wand is dipped into a clean tube of mascara, applied close to the base of the lashes and worked out to the tips. Mascara wands are made of plastic and should never be shared. Mascara can be applied to the top eyelashes for a 'heavy-lidded' look, or to the bottom lashes to widen the eyes. It is usually applied to curled lashes and may be preceded by a lash primer. The desired lengthening effect is achieved by reapplication of the mascara in 2-3 minutes. The moisture in some mascaras and primers can cause lashes to uncurl during application, which is easily solved by using a waterproof mascara with a drier formula. Waterproof mascara should be carefully removed in order to limit eyelash breakage.
Mascara that contains nylon fibers can give lashes a fuller and longer appearance because it clings to the lashes like mini extensions. Provitamin B5 in mascara acts as a conditioner for lashes, giving them a softer and more natural feel. For safety and health reasons, mascaras should be discarded 3 months after opening, especially if the color or smell change