The eyes are the window of the soul. We, mostly women, are very competetive when it comes to long lashes. The longer the better. Thanks to T.L. Williams (it's always a man, isn't it) we have the pleasure to make them even bolder than they actually are. Yes, I'm talking about mascara.

Invented in 1913 as a resource for his sister Maybel (who had a car accident and burnt her eyelashes), T.L. Williams made the first steps towards the sticky stuff we're now familiar with. He blend vaseline, ash and cork and smurged this upon what was left of her lashes and brows. Hereby accentuating her glance and, so the story goes, made her win back the love of her life Chet. Maybel and Chet married and of course lived long and happily ever after. All thanks to her big bro... thanks bro!

It were the big moviestars as Clara Bow, Greta Garbo, Jean Hartlow and Bette Davis who made the dramatic eye a succes. Everyone was eager to follow their footsteps. The ask for mascara kept groing and groing.

However to put the stuff on was a job on its own. Luckily in 1957 the first liquid mascara in a tube came on the market. Not yet ideal, but we're getting there. A year later the brush to apply mascara like we know it now, came on the market. Just in time for Twiggy's rage.

Hundred years later and the cosmetics industry is still reinventing the sticky stuff that T.L. Williams once put together (or atleast that's what they are claiming over and over again).

It has become a status of groing up and indulged itself into the daily make-up routine. No way I'm going out without some mascara decorating my face (or to be honest: no way I'm going out without some lipstick decorating my face... I can always wear sunglasses).

Love,

Dominique

Sources: Picture 1/Picture 2