Hey Beauty Lovers! I am going to start doing a fun series which will be posted at least once a month. It will be called the All About series. In these posts, I will take you on a beauty journey. You will learn all about a certain type of product and the history behind each product. I think it is awesome to be informed on what products we use. I will give a brief historical background and information about what the product entails. I will then talk about all the different product forms and give a few tutorials on how to use the products. So without further ado, let's get onto the first All About post. First up is...EYELINER!
So where did eyeliner begin?
It all began over 12,000 years ago (early 10,000 BC) in Egypt and Mesopotamia. In ancient Egypt, both males and females wore eyeliner. These individuals were very wealthy and wore eyeliner to define the eyes as well as ward off wrinkles. Eventually, eyeliner was worn by lower class Egyptians too. Eyeliner became a symbol and honor to Egyptian gods. With the fall of Egypt came the fall of eyeliner. It was still used in Asia, but not in high proportions. (1)
Flash forward to the 1920s. Victorian fashion was dead and females were beginning to express themselves. Hollywood was booming and women wanted to try anything that made them look similar to their favorite actresses. In 1922, Howard Carter and George Herbert discovered King Tut's tomb. The findings spread, were accepted, and modern eyeliner was born (1).
Enter in the 1970s. In the 1970s, eyeliner became a fashion statement and winged eyeliner because famous. With punk and Gothic styles, came even more ways to wear eyeliner. Today, eyeliner is used in so many ways and many people continue to experiment with ways to wear this amazing cosmetic product.
Here is a look of eyeliner through the years and my take on these eyeliner trends.
Ancient Egypt:
Ancient Egypt is all about that dramatic wing.1920's:
Eyeliner is more concentrated on the outer part of the eye. This gives a smoky eye effect.1930's:
Eyeliner is more simple and just used to enhance the eyes.1940's:
Eyeliner frames the eyes while eye shadow gives a sunken eye effect.1950's:
Enter in winged eyeliner again!1960's:
Twiggy revolutionized eyeliner. Dramatic wings became popular and eyeliner was used on the lower lash line as well (creates the illusion of thick bottom lashes).1970's:
Enter in the Disco Era. Eyeliner was dramatic and bright colors were everywhere!1980's:
Black and White time. On one end is simple eyeliner and the other end...PUNK!1990's:
Smoky Eyes and smoked out eyeliner was popular in the 90's.NOW:
Today eyeliner has no limits! It is all about expressing yourself and doing whatever you want. Play around because there are no rules.
Now that you have learned a little about the history of eyeliner and saw how eyeliner has changed throughout the years; we will take a look at the different eyeliner forms. Eyeliner takes on many different forms and everyone has their own personal favorite. The different forms can serve different purposes and can be used in a variety of ways.
Powder-Based Eye Pencil:
Kohl Eyeliner:A powder-based eye pencil is usually made out of wood. It is similar to to a pencil you write with, but the product is made for your eyes. Eyeliners of this type are generally dark matte shades. They are sharpened with a pencil sharper and are generally harder to apply. They are not as creamy, but can be long-lasting.
Wax-Based Eye Pencil:
Wax-based pencils are softer pencils that contain wax in the formula. They come in a large variety of shades. They are easily smudgeable and can create gorgeous smoky eyes. They can be sharpened with a pencil sharpener or simply be twisted up. They can be long lasting or used as a base for eye shadow.
Kohl Eyeliners are usually larger eyeliners that are made of soft powders. They generally come in dark matte colors and are meant for smudging. You can create dark smoky eyes easily with Kohl eyeliners.
Gel Eyeliner:
Gel eyeliners are very soft and have a gel-like consistency. They are easily applied with an eyeliner brush. Gel eyeliners can be used for creating very precise lines. Think...cat eye!
Liquid Eyeliner-Brush:
Liquid Eyeliner in brush form is a liquid consistency. The brush is usually included in the tube. Liquid eyeliner comes in many different colors and even glitters. The brush helps create very fine lines as well as thick lines. However, this type of liner can be tricky for beginners because it is very wet. It takes a while to dry before it is smudge resistant. Once mastered, tons of different eye looks can be accomplish with this type of eyeliner.
Liquid Eyeliner-Felt Tip:
Liquid Eyeliner in felt tip form is a great eyeliner for beginners. The liquid is contained in the tube and is deposited on the felt tip. It is easy to get a mess free application with this type of eyeliner. Dark shades are most commonly found in this eyeliner form. However, colored eyeliner can also be found. I definitely recommend starting with this type of liquid eyeliner because it is user friendly. The felt tip is stiff and doesn't move everywhere like brushes can.
Now that you have learned a little about the different forms of eyeliner, let's learn how to apply them. Below are short tutorials on how I use a couple of these eyeliner forms to create different eyeliner looks.
The above animation is how I do basic eyeliner. I make three dots and connect them. I find this is a very easy way to apply eyeliner. I prefer liquid eyeliner for this type look. Although, this method can be used with any form of eyeliner.
The above animation is how I apply winged eyeliner. I find tape makes doing winged eyeliner a piece of cake. You can get the perfect sharp point. I prefer using a gel or felt tip eyeliner for this type of look.
I am a huge fan of eyeliner. I love everything from simple eyeliner to really crazy eyeliner. I have even used nerds as eyeliner ( see post here). For my everyday eyeliner, I prefer a small wing. I love using felt tip and gel eyeliner formulas to create my wings. Also, tape is a lifesaver to creating the perfect winged eyeliner. I have yet to learn tight-lining my eyes. I love the open eye affect this method gives. However, I always feel like I am going to poke my eye. I also really love glitter and colored eyeliner. Using colored eyeliner is such an easy way to really make your eyes pop. It adds color without it being over-dramatic.
2. Use a pencil liner as a guide for tricky liquid liners. 3. Create your own custom eyeliner with a wet liner brush and eyeshadow. 4. If you have monolids, use a gel or liquid liner and draw a thick arch to create the perfect line. 5. Make your own gel liner by warming the tip of a kohl liner with a lighter.What are your eyeliner preferences? How do you do your eyeliner? I would love to hear all your tips and tricks! I hope you enjoyed this post and learned a little more about our friend Mr. Eyeliner. I can't wait to see what the future hold for eyeliner trends. I have a feeling eyeliner isn't going away anytime soon.
I found this list of eyeliner hacks on Cosmopolitan (2)! Have you tried any of these hacks? Let me know your favorite eyeliner hacks in the comments below!
1. Make your eye makeup last longer by setting your eyeliner with a matching eye shadow. (This really does work...I have tried this one)
6. If getting a perfect line is too challenging, draw a rough line first, and then sharpen it with a cotton swab and petroleum jelly. (I really need to test this one...it sounds awesome)
7. For a really natural look, tightline your liner by applying it in between the lashes instead of across the top of the lash line. (This scares me)
11. If your eyeliner is crumbly, freeze it for 10 minutes before lining your eyes. 12. Fix smudges with a skin-colored eyeliner. 13. Use the edge of a business card to get the perfect flick. 14. Line your waterline with white liner to make your eyes appear bigger. 15. Add glitter liner to instantly transform your look from day to night.8. Simplify drawing a straight line by lining your eyes with dots first, and then connecting them. (Do this all the time)
17. Use mascara as eyeliner with a liner brush. 18. Use brown instead of black for a more universally flattering look.9. Create an eye-opening ombré effect by fading a lighter color into a darker eyeliner. (Another one I need to try)
10. Use the edges and curves of a spoon to master the perfect cat-eye shape. (Sounds awesome)
16. For a more precise angle of your winged liner, draw the flick toward your eye instead of away from it. (Yup, do this one)
19. Use clear tape as a no-fail cat-eye guide. (Works so well)
Reference List:
(1) http://www.historyofcosmetics.net/history-of-makeup/history-of-eye-liner/
(2) http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/how-to/a31500/eyeliner-hacks-every-woman-must-know/
