An eyeliner is a type of enhancing makeup product used around the contours of the eye to outline it and create a range of aesthetics. They come in liquid, pencil as well as gel forms. The use of eyeliners traces its way back to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. They were used to make a dark black line around the eyes. A number of researches have also speculated that the eyeliner was worn to protect the wearer from the evil eye.

Later in the 1960s, liquid eyeliner was extensively used to create thick white and black lines around the eyes in the makeup industry associated with designers such as Mary Quant. The ’60s and ’70s also saw a number of fashion trends which made use of mascaras, eyeshadows, and eyeliners in many new ways which grew rapidly. With the development of goth and punk fashion, the eyeliner was being used for a dark and dramatic look.

As far as modern-day usage is concerned, eyeliners of varying degrees of thickness have become associated with various alternative lifestyles and subcultures. Eyeliners are now being used as an integral part of the daily makeup routine to create the look of a wider or smaller eye by defining it. The eyeliner can effectively be used as a tool to highlight different features of the eye as well as create a number of looks such as a winged eye or tight-lined at the waterline.

The primary purpose of an eyeliner is to make your eyes look lush, but it can also draw attention to the eyes and enhance or even change their shape by giving it the necessary illusion. They are available in a wide range of hues right from the commonly used black, gray and brown to brighter primary pastels, golds, frosty silvers, whites, and even glitter-flecked colors.

Depending on their texture, eyeliners can be clearly defined or softly smudged, and likewise can be categorized into five types, as discussed below:

• A liquid eyeliner is an opaque liquid that is typically applied with a sharp-tipped brush. It creates a sharp, clean and precise line.
• Powder-based eye pencils are a type of eyeliners which come in a wooden pencil. They are usually available in dark or matte shades.
• Wax-based eye pencils are another form of eyeliners that come as soft pencils and contain waxes which ease application. They come in a wide variety of colors right from intense shades to paler shades such as beige or white.
• Kohl eyeliners come in the form of a soft powder available in dark matte shades. They are commonly used to outline the eye. They come in pencil, loose powder or pressed powder form and are more likely to blotch.
• Gel eyeliners are softer gel liners that can easily be applied with a brush. They can be precisely applied and are softer than Kohl.
• Shimmer eyeliners are available in a variety of colors and can be applied to the lower as well as upper lash lines.

Although many use eyeliners in their daily makeup routine as a simple definer of the eyes, there are others who use it to create different looks. So, choose your style as per whatever suits you the best and make the most with your eyeliner!