Eyebrow makeup

Eye makeup in ancient Egypt

The Metropolitan Museum maintains an Egyptian kohl tube dated to approximately 1300 to 1080 BCE. This object testifies to the ancient place of pigments in eye makeup. The museum describes in particular black preparations based on galena and green preparations based on malachite. Their use belongs to a broader history than that of eyebrows alone.

Some old materials contained lead and should not be reproduced in a homemade recipe. The Smithsonian recalls that mineral pigments and their derivatives remain present in modern cosmetics, with substances such as iron oxides. The idea of ​​visually modifying the look through color remains, while formulations and safety requirements have changed.

Frida Kahlo and the eyebrow pencil in the 20th century

Frida Kahlo's eyebrows are a particularly documented example of makeup used to accentuate a personal feature. The Victoria and Albert Museum reports the discovery of a Revlon pencil in Ebony shade among its effects. She thus strengthened her joined eyebrows, which had become a signature of her self-portraits, instead of reducing them to the fine arches appreciated by some of her contemporaries.

This case concerns an artist and a very assertive choice, not a model to reproduce for discreet masculine makeup. It nevertheless shows that the pencil can be used as much to accentuate an existing layout as to draw another shape. In this sheet, we use the first approach: reinforce the presence of the eyebrow while keeping its hairs visible.

Current tinted gels and pencils

Current products offer several ways to apply color: a pencil draws localized lines, while a tinted gel brush distributes the material on the hairs. Some formulas add fiber to increase their apparent volume. The choice becomes more precise: darkening a light eyebrow does not necessarily require redrawing its entire contour.