Eyeliner, in case you don't know, is a cosmetic product--usually a pencil, liquid pencil or gel--that is used around the eye area to deepen or highlight the effect of the eyes, and make the eyes look large and powerful. On an eyeliner pencil, you can use a special eyeliner sharpener or a knife (not recommended) to remove the excess wood portion and sharpen the eyeliner, just like you would a normal pencil.

The Modern History of Eyeliner

Eyeliner dates way back to ancient Egypt, where women would use kohl to accentuate their eyes.

However, we're going to discuss the more modern history of eyeliner. In the 1950s Eyeliner was widely welcomed by women in Europe and America, but in the 1970s and 80s, liquid eyeliner was no longer favored, and was replaced by a pencil eyeliner.

In the late 1980s, cake eyeliner began to rise in popularity. And later, in the 1990s, the retro eyeliner was once again welcomed by the fashion industry.

In 2003, life around the world began to pick up speed, so the market began to prefer a simple pencil.

Today things tend to be the same, with women preferring the quick and easy pencil-like application of a liquid eyeliner over the traditional pencil, just because it's even faster to apply a liquid pencil than a traditional one. More and more hybrid products are popping up – gel-like pencils for example – making eyeliner more precise and easy than ever to apply.

The star of the show: liquid eyeliner

Liquid eyeliner has an oil-like quality in viscosity and flow. It is long-lasting and precise. In the 1950s, liquid eyeliner was an indispensable part of the beauty routine, and again today it's made it's way into every woman's makeup bag.

The formulation of liquid eyeliner is getting better and better; some brands add thickening agents or gums to the formula, allowing a pattern to appear after the liquid has dried.

Liquid eyeliner is great for photography, because of its precise nature.

Liquid eyeliner typically comes in an automatic pen (like the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liner) or in a dip-brush fashion. Only makeup artists and true

pros will use the dip brush, as it's very precise but also difficult and messy.

Manufacturing Your Own Eyeliner

If you're looking to create your own eyeliner, the formulation and pay-off are key. You want to make sure that the formula glides easily onto the skin and doesn't tug, because the area around the eye is very sensitive.

Additionally, you need a good color pay-off. The eyes are a huge area of focus in beauty, and need to be properly and effectively highlighted. No one will pay for a formula that doesn't pay-off.

If you need help manufacturing an eyeliner line for your cosmetic company, whether it's the packaging or formulation, we can help. Contact us today to get a quote.