BACKGROUND

Throughout time, beauty has been enhanced by the outlining of one's eyes and lengthening of one's lashes. The Greeks, Romans, ancient Egyptians, and people of the Middle Ages and Elizabethan times, including Queen Elizabeth herself, have used kohl – a dark substance made of powdered antimony sulfide, or similar substances, “to paint” around the eyes, enhancing their appearance.

The first eyelash mascara (it: maschera, to mask) was formulated in 1913 by T. L. Williams, a chemist, who invented the product for his sister Mabel, so she could easily lengthen, darken, and thicken her lashes. Initially, he sold and shipped his product by mail and later set up a company called Maybelline (derived from his sister's name and Vaseline, a key ingredient). In the 1920s, actress Greta Garbo darkened her long, pale lashes with mascara, inspiring other women to do the same. Fake, glued-on strip lashes also became popular around this time. In 1957, cosmetic giant Helena Rubenstein promoted mascara in a slender tube with a convenient brush applicator. Soon after, she created the first waterproof version. Mascara has no substitute and is now used by three of four American women. At $5–$35 per tube, this makes up an annual $500 million in US retail sales.

Recently, individual false eyelash “extensions,” a process performed by cosmetologists, has seen a surge in popularity. New cosmetic “eyelash conditioners,” promising eyelash enhancement, have also become available.