2013: mascara celebrates its 100 years

Who would have believed it? The mascara celebrates this year its 100th birthday. Even if under the Ancient Egypt, the eyelashes make-up in black was appropriate for the well-off, it is only in 1913 when they see appearing a black cream texture for eyelashes make up, the ancestor of our current mascara. 

Why do we put on mascara? To make the look wider, to intensify it, to finish the look, to intensity the face etc …

A little history on mascara

Egypt before J-C

In Ancient Egypt, the eyes make-up concerned men and women without discrimination. Eyes, considered to be «the window towards the soul», were disguised in the kajal black pencil and a paste was applied to the eyelashes. This "masking" allowed the soul to be protected against bad minds and negative energies. The precise origin of the mascara remains unknown, supposed roots at the same time in Spanish ("Máscara" = mask) are found it, in Italian ("Maschera" = conceals) or in Portuguese ("Máscara" =masque, "Mascarra" = brown stain, soot).

100 av. J-C

The make-up in the kajal is then taken back by Babyloniens, Greeks and Romans. Long eyelashes under Rome Antique predominated as sign of chastity: the women were applied at the level of eyelashes a paste based on burnt petals of roses, cores and soot, to return their more intense look.

900 apr. J-C

The Kurdish writer Ziryab opens in the ancient Persian an institute of beauty specialised in mascara. Classes are being given to teach how to apply it correctly.

The 19th century

The European women take slowly (but surely) taste in the beauty products, and it is only in Victorian epoch that accessories and other creams know a boom. Based on elder, on juice of bays, of ashes, of soot, a blend is then got heated, to be applied to eyelashes. These preparations are not sold, and the women work out from ingredients they buy themselves.

The chemist of French origin, Eugene Rimmel, perfects in England a black block in which they rub a humid brush which dyed eyelashes then. This product was a success, and the name "Mascara" becomes in many countries the synonym of "mascara".

ON 1913

In USA, CHEMIST T.L. Williams perfects for his sister Maybel what will be indicated as the first mascara: a rather doughy texture based on dust of coal and of Vaseline. In 1915, Williams commercialises its product under the name "Maybelline «, which is other than the shrinkage between the forename of its sister, Maybel, and "Vaseline". The product is first sold by correspondence and in front of growing success, will be also available for sale from 1932.

How was it like the ancestor of our current mascara? Its keeping left much to be desired, it ran out easily and its application was not the most convenient. During coming decades, leading number were applied to optimise this emblematic product of make-up.

The twenties

Request blows up during the twenties. Thanks to the cinema, the actors become international stars, and the stars of the big screen represent an ideal of beauty for millions of women and are envied for their infinite and black eyelashes. It is the boom of make-up in a general way, it is not only for the mascara. But if they lean over its composition of entemps, token numbers of consumers today would quiver: turpentine, aniline, and other bleaching agent are strongly annoying for eyes and end up harming the view.

ON 1935

An Austrian singer, Helene Winterstein-Kambersky, knew very well the disadvantages linked to the mascara through her job: this one runs fast because of the heat of searchlights. She reaches after countless trials and by combining different ingredients to get a creamy composition and a waterproof, but that remains easy and is easy to remove. She registers a patent in 1935 and launches in 1938 the 1st waterproof mascara of the market.

ON 1957 

Helena Rubinstein offers a version of the mascara where texture goes out directly of a tube to be applied to the brush.

ON 1960

Maybelline grew well since, and the family firm tranformed into a big American cosmetic group. Faithful to its strategy of innovation, the brand launches the 1st mascara in bottle with integrated brush. The packaging of the modern mascara was born!

ON 1988

It is with its mascara " No Color" that the brand Max Factor will be able to distance itself: the 1st colourless mascara was born. It is ideal for the women already with the given eyelashes and who want to underline form while staying on a natural result.

The mascara today

The offer in mascara is so large that they often do not know  what type of product to turn to. In front of such offer, the consumers became demanding and expected results are scanned (or even criticised in certain cases). The ideal mascara is described today as bringing the volume, the thickness and giving a nice curve in eyelashes, while bringing them nutriments. Its keeping must also be at the height, and must leave easily to make-up removal. The singlesolution to get the bottom of game: try oneself!

Source text: beautypress.fr