Eyeliner is a cosmetic used to define the eyes. It is applied around the contours of the eye(s) to create a variety of aesthetic effects. The makeup is usually used by women and girls.

Eyeliner was first used in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia as a dark black line around the eyes. As early as 10,000 BC, Egyptians wore various cosmetics not only for aesthetics but to protect the skin from the desert sun.[1] Research has also speculated that eyeliner was worn to protect the wearer from the evil eye.[1] The characteristic of having heavily lined eyes has been frequently depicted in ancient Egyptian art. They produced eyeliner with a variety of materials, including copper ore and antimony.[1] Ancient Egyptian kohl contained galena, which was imported from nearby regions in the Land of Punt, Coptos and Western Asia.[2]
In the 1920s, Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered, introducing the use of eyeliner to the Western world. The 1920s were an era commonly associated with many changes in women's fashion, and women felt freer to apply makeup more liberally. In the 1960s, liquid eyeliner was used to create thick black and white lines around the eyes in the makeup fashion associated with designers likeMary Quant.