There’s something a little bit magical about mascara. One swipe and your lashes go from barely there to bold and fluttery. It’s a beauty staple now, but mascara has taken a long, inky journey through history filled with soot, spit, cake compacts, and Hollywood glamour.
Ancient Origins: Kohl and the Eyes of Horus
Long before Maybelline hit cosmetic counter shelves, ancient Egyptians were painting their lashes with kohl, a dark mixture of soot, galena, and oils. This wasn’t just for looks, it was spiritual, symbolic, and protective. Lashes darkened with kohl framed those iconic almond-shaped eyes seen on tomb walls and in temple carvings.
Both men and women wore it. Beauty had nothing to do with gender. Just power, mysticism, and presence.
Victorian Ingenuity: DIY Lashes with a Side of Danger
Fast forward to the 1800s. Queen Victoria’s reign brought a fascination with natural beauty, but that didn’t stop women from experimenting.
Mascara wasn’t a mass-market product yet. Instead, women mixed ash with elderberry juice or used burnt cork to darken their lashes. Application was usually done with a moistened brush, sometimes with water, sometimes with saliva.
Eugène Rimmel, a French perfumer, created one of the first commercially available mascaras around 1872, made with petroleum jelly and coal dust. In fact, in several languages (like Italian and Portuguese), the word for mascara is still Rimel today.
1910s – 1940s: The Birth of Modern Mascara
In the silent film era, actresses like Clara Bow and Theda Bara wore thick, dramatic eye makeup. Dark, luxurious lashes became fashionable, particularly amongst younger women.
In 1917, T.L. Williams entered on to the cosmetic market. Inspired by his sister Mabel, who darkened her lashes with a mixture of Vaseline and coal dust, he developed a safer version of her combination. He founded Maybelline, a blend of Mabel and Vaseline.
During this period, mascara came in a cake. You’d wet a tiny brush, rub it over the black block until you had the right consistency, then apply to your lashes. It was effective, but fiddly.
1950s: Cake to Cream
Cake mascara was popular up until the 1950s. Whilst women loved it, it was a process to apply and would streak if you didn’t get the consistency right. Introducing the convenience of a tube of mascara, complete with its application wand.
In 1957, Helena Rubinstein introduced the first mascara in a tube with a spiral brush. This was a revolution. No more mixing, no more spit, just easy glamour with a twist top. The mascara format we all know today was born.
By the mid-century, mascara came in waterproof formulas. Advertising promised “lashes to kill for.” Screen sirens like Elizabeth Taylor were the blueprint for come hither eyes. The goal was minimalist cat eye with voluminous lashes.
1960s: Doll eyes and Technicolour Shades
No mascara history would be complete without mention of Twiggy and the 60s. This was the decade of lash drama and experimentation. Lower lashes were carefully painted on, top lashes clumped deliberately. The doe-eyed, doll-faced look ruled the runways and bedrooms alike.
Mod girls layered mascara on thick, and sometimes placed individual lashes between coats. The look is graphic, bold, and so cool.
Brands like Max Factor and Revlon launched mascara in new vivid shades like blue, green, and violet ensuring that they profited from the era’s experimental and playful nature.
Current day
These days, we have lots of mascara formulas to choose from. From volumising to lengthening, and curling to fibre mascara, we even have mascara that promise to grow lashes while we wear them.
At its core, mascara still does what it always has. It frames the eyes, draws people in, and adds definition to our lashes – all from one little tube.
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