History of arrows: from Ancient Egypt to modern techniques

We looked back at the fascinating history of eyeliner from Ancient Egypt to the present to once again get inspired by this elegant makeup element for women of all times.

Daria Bogatova, makeup artist and head of the ARTBANDA studio school

Ancient Egypt

Eyeliner dates back to the times of the pharaohs, when women carefully drew clear lines on their eyes. Moreover, they were painted not only for decoration - they carried a religious meaning, imitating a cat's eyes. And cats, how
It is known that they were considered sacred animals in Egypt, so in those days even men’s eyes were let down.

Women's arrows in Ancient Egypt were at first not black, as we are used to, but turquoise, and eyeliner was prepared from malachite and lead ore. Then black eyeliner began to be made from a mixture of henna, clay and silt of the Nile River. It was applied with a special stick.

The Egyptians' arrows were straight and long, reaching almost to the temporal zone, which is why the eyes seemed very large and expressive. Over the years, the arrow constantly changed, sometimes it became completely invisible and thin, sometimes it changed its bend, direction and length.

XX century

In the 20th century, the arrow becomes not only a decoration, but also dictates the direction of fashion. By the 50s of the 20th century, arrows gained the greatest popularity due to the heyday of cinema! Marilyn Monroe is the most prominent representative of winged makeup.

Of course, many other Hollywood film stars used eyeliner to add femininity, sexuality and character to their looks. You probably paid attention to the arrows of such great, talented women as Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Monica Bellucci and many others, because eyeliner gives character to the image.

In the 60s, the arrow became simply a cult in makeup, absolutely all women wore it, there were no specific rules regarding length and width. The main thing is to maintain accuracy and symmetry.

Modern techniques for creating arrows

The arrow is drawn both independently and using a variety of techniques. For example, in Arabic makeup, the arrow is often used together with the “corner” technique - the transition from light to dark colors of eyeshadow on the eyelids, from the inner eyelid to the outer one. And not only on the upper eyelash edge, but also on the lower one.

In everyone's favorite Hollywood makeup using red and coral tones of lipstick, the winged line goes perfectly with the “banana” technique, when the entire moving eyelid is filled with light eyeshadow colors and the fold between it and the sub-brow area is deepened. This technique is ideal for showing off any arrows.

In the modern fashion industry, there is a separate direction called “gothic”, where makeup plays one of the main roles in revealing the image. Arrows in this style are a popular element; they can take completely non-standard shapes. Eyeliner is good for both daytime and evening types of makeup.

Modern shooters are bolder and more diverse. They differ from classic eyeliner not only in shape, but also in color, and can be located both on the upper and lower lash edges! They can be double or even triple – it all depends on the client’s preferences and style!