Key Milestones in the Evolution of Mascara Throughout History

1. Ancient Egypt – The Original Eye-Con:
   Back in ancient Egypt, people were using kohl to darken their lashes. It was the original "smoky eye" look, but instead of a trendy makeup tutorial, they probably just had a friend with a steady hand and a whole lot of soot!

2. 19th Century – The DIY Era:
   Fast forward to the 19th century, when women were mixing coal dust with oil to create their own mascara. Talk about a "coal"ition of beauty! It was messy, but hey, who doesn’t love a little DIY project, right?

3. 1913 – The Birth of Modern Mascara:
   Enter Thomas Lyle Williams, who created "Lash-Brow-Ine." This was the first commercial mascara that came in a cake form. Yes, a cake! But before you get too excited, it wasn’t the kind you could eat. You had to wet a brush and apply it. Imagine the confusion at a birthday party: “Why does this cake smell like petroleum?”

4. 1930s – Waterproof Mascara:
   The 1930s introduced the first waterproof mascara. Finally, women could cry at movies without looking like raccoons! It was a game-changer – now you could have a good sob without needing a makeup artist on standby.

5. 1950s – Tube Mascara:
   The 1950s brought us tube mascara, which was a huge leap forward. No more cake! Just twist, pull, and apply. It was like the evolution from VHS to streaming – so much easier and way less messy!

6. 1960s-1970s – The Volume Revolution:
   The 60s and 70s saw the rise of volumizing and lengthening formulas. Suddenly, lashes were making headlines! People were asking, "Are those real?" and the answer was usually, "Of course, darling! I just used three different mascaras!"

7. 2000s-Present – The High-Tech Era:
   Nowadays, we have mascaras with conditioning ingredients, curling wands, and even smart technology. I mean, at this point, mascara should come with a PhD in lash science!

What Was the Mascara in 1913?

In 1913, mascara was like the charming but slightly awkward relative of today’s beauty products. It was created by Thomas Lyle Williams and was called "Lash-Brow-Ine." This mascara came in a cake form, which sounds delicious but was really just a big ol’ mess waiting to happen!

Women would wet a brush, dip it into the cake, and apply it to their lashes. So, if you accidentally got it in your eye, you weren't just crying – you were probably starting a new trend called "the smoky eye of despair."

The formula was a mix of coal dust and petroleum jelly, which was revolutionary at the time. It was like the first step toward modern mascara, but with a side of “please don’t blink too hard, or you might end up looking like a raccoon!”

So, mascara in 1913 was a game-changer, paving the way for the fabulous lash products we enjoy today. Just think, if they could see us now, they’d probably say, “Wow, you can actually buy a mascara that doesn’t require a science degree to apply!”