About Black Eyelashes
As the story goes, actress Seena Owen was the first to wear false eyelashes in 1916 at the insistence of director D.W. Griffith. For his film, "Intolerance," Griffith was looking for the effect of eyelashes that noticeably stroked Owen's cheeks when she blinked or closed her eyes. The film may not have found success, but the lashes certainly did. Several decades later, women are still on the quest for well-defined lashes. Despite the fact that mascara can be practically any hue in the color spectrum, black is the universal shade coveted by beauty buffs. Does this Spark an idea?
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Significance
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On TV, in magazines and on the red carpet, celebrities wearing full-face makeup have thick, long and dark eyelashes. Even if a famous personality chooses to play down her other features, more likely than not her lashes are enhanced to stand out.
This illustrates the importance in contemporary times of cosmetically darkened eyelashes when applying conventional beauty makeup. In fact, look anywhere in Western society and you will notice that even blond, redheaded and silver-haired makeup wearers typically use black mascara. Although other mascara colors are not as popular as black, notice how common use of such shades as brown, navy and plum is.
History
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Although Eugene Rimmel of "Rimmel London" fame is credited with coming out with a form of mascara in the 1800s, the modern-day version was born in 1913.
Thomas L. Williams, a chemist, created a cake form of the product that was called "Maybelline;" the name was coined as a combination of "Mabel," Williams' sister, and "Vaseline," since petroleum jelly was a primary ingredient.
Apparently, Williams' observation of his sister darkening her lashes led to the development of a cosmetic that fulfilled such a purpose and could be manufactured and sold commercially.
The tube-and-wand packaging that would later find greater favor with consumers was introduced by Helena Rubinstein in 1957. Even though this replaced Williams' type of mascara application, Maybelline as a company has continued to hold a top spot in the beauty industry. -
Benefits
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Enhancing your eyelashes greatly emphasizes your eyes. Just remember to use an eyelash curler prior to applying mascara so that your lashes point upwards instead of down. Aside from filling in your brows and patting concealer on the under eye area, darkening your lashes can be all the eye makeup you need if you want to appear polished without going overboard on your use of beauty products.
Considerations
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If your mascara transfers onto the tops of your cheeks mid-day, don't settle for just any brand--experiment with the vast varieties available to find the particular ones that suit you. On the other hand, apart from using mascara, women have dyed and tinted their eyelashes, as well as worn false ones and undergone procedures for extensions or implants. Do your research to see if any of these alternative methods appeal to you or fit your budget.
Prevention/Solution
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If you choose to continue simply wearing mascara as opposed to pursuing methods which could be harmful, if not costlier than you'd care for, there are ways to eliminate smudging or at least decrease it considerably.
Apply mascara onto clean eyelashes. The presence of oil and grime from previous makeup applications causes mascara to smudge. If your under eye area tends to get greasy, inevitably leading to smudging nevertheless, solve the issue by using a waterproof formulation of mascara.
Remove all mascara thoroughly before bedtime, as leaving it on will not only soil your pillow covers, it can also lead to a possible eye infection. Furthermore, if you wake up the next day with limited time to get ready for school or work, the remnants of your mascara may leave unflattering shadows under your eyes which can be difficult to remove or conceal when you are in a rush.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Leprechaun Art & Photography
