A Condensed Background Of Mineral Eyeshadow For Cosmetic And Other Use

By Haywood Hunter

Women, and some men, have been using make-up and other cosmetics to define their facial features, especially the eyes, and to improve their appearance for thousands of years. Evidence of this comes from the Bible and from Egyptian burials as far back as 10,000 BC. Mineral eyeshadow is placed on the upper eyelid to provide both depth and color.

In Ancient Egypt as today, women have used a black powder known as kohl to outline their eyes, stave off eye infections, reduce glare and improve their eyesight. The kohl that they used then was a blend of burnt almonds, copper, malachite, antimony, ash and ochre.

In the 7th and 8th centuries BC, the Greeks used what they called ‘fucus’, a mineral substance derived from lapis luzuli and malachite to produce vibrant blues and greens. Fucus and other beautifying substances formed an important part of the Greek economy at the time.

With the expansion of the Roman Empire, the Romans eventually encountered the Iranian population. At that time, the Iranians used kohl in the same way as did the Egyptians, to fend off the evil eye. The irreverent Romans adapted the Egyptian oils that were used for sacred ceremonies and adapted them for sexual rituals. With time, the Romans discovered medicinal uses for the oils.

In Bronze Age India, kohl was used by everyone, including infants, to repel glare, bacterial infection as well as the evil eye. Then, kohl was made of lead and antimony. The use of this substance spread to Morocco and other African countries. Safer starting materials are used in modern kohl.

Mineral eyeshadow today comes in a dizzying array of different shades. If there is a colored mineral, it can be crushed, made into powder and pressed into packaging for cosmetic use. The powder may be used as it comes, dry, or moistened with sterile water to produce more vibrant shades.

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