Eyeliner Through The Decades: How The Makeup Has Evolved With The Trends

From pots of kohl, to pens and pencils, eyeliner has evolved into more than a single product. Eyeliner can now be used to create cut creases, wings, and even freckles. This wasn't always the case. Eyeliner is one of the oldest makeup products, with the first signs of the product traced back to ancient Egypt. Traditionally, eyeliner was applied using a small pot of kohl and a wooden stick — a method still used in countries like Morocco. While eyeliners are predominantly used to beautify, its purpose has evolved over thousands of years. In 3000 B.C., eyeliner held medicinal and spiritual uses, as the product was thought to ward off evil spirits. Cut to the present day, and eyeliner has become a symbol of resistance and celebrities are wearing it with a bolder twist.

Model Twiggy skyrocketed to fame in the 1960s after she was scouted for her unique appearance. Her main feature? Her bold eyeliner. Twiggy used the product to give her face a doll-inspired look, drawing additional eyelashes and bold lines. Without her dramatic eyeliner, it's fair to say Twiggy's androgynous aesthetic would have been far less impressive. Despite its history, the power of eyeliner has long been underestimated. Later, in the 00s, singer Amy Winehouse's eyeliner became a central part of her image. However, unlike years prior, Winehouse used liquid eyeliner to create a dramatic winged effect. Only when you look at some of the best eyeliner moments in history, do you truly notice how much it has evolved.

In the 1940s, eyeliner was characterized by Hollywood glamour aesthetics. Back then, Hollywood legends meticulously applied eyeliner and worked to meet the era's intense beauty standards at the time. As seen on iconic actor Rita Hayworth in 1940, rather than accentuating their eyes with a wing, celebrities opened their eyes by wearing eyeliner on the top of their eyelids. By adding a thin line to their upper lash line, celebrities mimicked the effect of false eyelashes. Paired with a bold red lip, duh, the eyeliner appeared subtle and only added to their femininity.

In the 1950s, winged eyeliner was born. The glamorous trend was, of course, influenced by Hollywood beauty expectations. By adding a flick to the corner of their eyes, women were able to enhance the shape of their eyes and create an ultra-feminine, doe-eyed effect. The eyeliner trend became a signature feature among some of the era's icons. Stars like Marilyn Monroe, depicted above in 1953, became known for their staple winged eyeliner. In fact Monroe's iconic style, informed by one major desire, has even continued to inspire vintage makeup looks in recent years.

Cut to the 1960s, makeup trends became significantly bolder. As models like Twiggy, pictured posing for a portrait in 1967, embodied the era's mod aesthetics, eyeliner was used to completely transform appearances. Like many young people, Twiggy would use black eyeliner to create a doll-inspired look. After applying layers of fake eyelashes to the top of her eyelid, she used dark pencil eyeliner to draw an extra row at the bottom. The decade's newfound love for bold appearances also inspired women to experiment with eyeliner by adding curved lines to their eyelids.

In the 1970s, instead of applying striking lines around the eyes, women embraced a softer style. Inspired by the decade's bohemian aesthetics, earthy hues became popular — and eyeliner was no exception. By looking at some memorable celebrity beauty looks from the 1970s, it's clear women preferred a more natural appearance. Legendary actor Lynda Carter, best known for playing Wonder Woman, regularly attended award shows wearing brown eyeliner on her waterline. Depicted above holding a "Cappy Award" medal in 1979, Carter wore bronze eye makeup, complete with a subtle brown under-eyeliner.

Believe it or not, Princess Diana influenced eyeliner fads in the 1980s. During a decade characterized by larger-than-life hairstyles and a "bigger is better" attitude, it's really no surprise that eyeliner became more colorful. Yes, Princess Diana loved a pop of red in her outfits, but when it came to her makeup, she occasionally opted for a pop of blue. In some of her most iconic photos, the People's Princess, pictured above in 1988, wore blue pencil eyeliner on her waterline. Vibrant eyeliner shades enhanced eye colors and exaggerated ensembles even more so.

Eyeliner trends in the 1990s couldn't be more different than the previous decade. As supermodels received more attention, their minimalistic appearances saw subtle makeup looks take over. Influenced by supermodels like Naomi Campbell, spotted above in New York in 1998, celebrities created smoky eye makeup looks by smudging their pencil eyeliner outwards from the corners of their eyes. As was the way in the 1990s, Campbell paired her smudged eyeliner with glossy purple eyeshadow and highlighter, nodding to the era's effortless glamour and frosted makeup aesthetics.

Fashion trends in the early 2000s were defined by a newfound love for indie-sleaze, and makeup fads followed suit. Eyeliner in the early aughts was dark and bold. Rather than smudging it out, trend followers would apply dark pencil eyeliner to their lower lash line and upper eyelid. If the 1990s brought smoky eye looks, the 2000s were ablaze with charcoal. Supermodel Kate Moss was one of the decade's most famous faces who embraced the indie-sleaze style. Photographed in 2005, Moss wore a bold stroke of black eyeliner along her upper and lower lash lines.

By the early 2010s, eyeliner evolved to include pen-style applicators. Enter, liquid eyeliner. While eyeliner trends made a slight return to the more subtle and glamorous styles that defined the 1950s, advancements in cosmetics quality created a new string of unrealistic beauty ideals for women. From cut creases to ombre brows, celebrities started using liquid eyeliner to achieve flawless eyeliner application. As seen on Kylie Jenner in 2014, it was during this time that the iconic cat eye eyeliner became a staple feature of Jenner's "King Kylie" era.

In recent years, faces have become canvases and eyeliner has been used to create art. Women are no longer applying makeup to appeal to the male gaze – hallelujah – and they are using eyeliner to express their personalities, instead. Whether it's to create a dystopian allure or to keep up with appearances, metallic, glitter, and neon eyeliners have produced some striking red carpet moments. In 2021, Zendaya made headlines for her double-lined metallic eyeliner. The actor used white and blue liquid eyeliner to create a futuristic floating eyeliner effect.