1.Most girls couldn’t live without their mascara and, although you might have thought it’s a relatively recent invention Women—and men—have been adorning their eyelashes since 4000 BCE when ancient Egyptians used everything from kohl to burnt almonds to darken their fringe. To make sure it stayed put, they used substances such as honey and (ick!)crocodile dung. So, yeah, your favorite lengthening, volumizing, and curling formula has come a long way. Coat on a few layers of knowledge with these fun facts.
For ancient Egyptians, kohl eye makeup (makeshift mascaras included) served several purposes. In addition to looking cool, it supposedly invited protection from the gods Horus and Ra, kept the sun out of one's eyes, and, according to French researchers, may have helped improve opthalmological health. It turns out the powders wearers piled on contained trace amounts of lead salts, which, instead of being harmful, actually helped boost immunological response to bacteria.
2.In 1915, 19-year-old Chicagoan Tom LyleWilliams noticed his sister Mabel applying a mix of Vaseline and coal dust to her lashes to make them darker and fuller after a kitchen accident singed them off. Using a chemistry set, he co-opted her formula to produce Lash-Brow-Ine. After a competitor, Lash Brow, sued him for copyright infringement, he later changed it to Maybelline Cake Mascara (like all early formulas, it came in a tin and was applied with a brush), combining the name of the product’s base and his sister’s moniker. It was the first product from the cosmetics giant.
3.
Modern mascara was invented by Eugéne Rimmel
Although mascara has been around a long time, the mascara that we are now familiar with was invented by the French perfumer, Eugéne Rimmel, in the 1830’s. His brand of mascara has become so linked to the product, that ‘Rimmel’, is the word that translates into mascara in a number of different languages including French and Portuguese.
4. It doesn’t last forever: This might come as a shock to most, but mascara actually does expire. The average life span is about 3-5 months, so after that, get rid of your old mascara. Otherwise, you’re risking bacterial infections, and no one wants that.
5.Sleeping with mascara on can break your eyelashes
Leaving your makeup on overnight is never a good idea and one of the reasons why not is because mascara stiffens your lashes, a little like hair spray stiffens your hair. If you sleep with your mascara on, there is every chance that you will snap a few of your lashes.
6.Keep the wand: We hate to say goodbye to our mascara, but saving the wand is actually something you should do. Wash the wand and use it as a “spoolie” brush to help groom your brows.
7. Not everyday is a waterproof day: Waterproof mascara is ideal for those teary moments, but using it everyday isn’t advisable. Since it can’t easily be removed, the continuos tugging at the lashes can cause them to become weaker and eventually make them fall out.
8. Mascara contains mercury.
Don’t worry, it’s not enough to harm you, but it is an interesting fact that, while mercury is banned from all other makeup products, it is still allowed in mascara, because there is no other alternative ingredient.
9. It contains fish scales
Most mascaras contain a substance called guanine, which is ground up fish scales. This is used to put the shimmer in mascara and some other makeup products too.
10. Be careful when you apply mascara!
Make sure you have a steady hand when you apply mascara, because the American Food and Drug Administration reports that the most common injury caused by makeup is a scratched eye from a mascara wand.
11. There was permanent mascara that caused blindness
In the 1930’s, there was a product market in the US, called ‘Lash Lure’. This product was haileed as a permanent lash dye, but was banned after more than a dozen women were blinded by it. This was one of the incidents that lead to the cosmetics industry being regulated.
12. The reason most women instinctively open their mouths when applying mascara? It’s actually easier not to blink when your mouth is open.
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