Eye shadow

[citation needed] Natural eye shadow can range anywhere from a glossy shine on one's eyelids, to a pinkish tone, or even a silver look.

Eye shadow can be applied in a wide variety of ways depending upon the desired look and the formulation.

The earliest direct archeological evidence for eye makeup dates back to predynastic Egypt (c. 5000  – 4000 BCE).

[citation needed] Earliest evidence of a commercial product called 'eye shadow' dates back to the 1910s in the United States.

Cosmetics company founder Elizabeth Arden visited beauty salons in Paris in 1912, studying the products and techniques.

[8] The product was sold as 'Eye Sha Do' in 1922, but by the 1930s, eye shadow had become the common name used by Elizabeth Arden, Inc. and other cosmetic companies such as Helena Rubinstein Incorporated and Max Factor.

Eye shadows typically consist of four types of ingredients: base fillers, binders, slip, and preservatives.

Base fillers are usually minerals such as mica, talc or kaolin clay, which add bulk and texture to eye shadow.

Mica absorbs moisture, gives the eye shadow shine and luster, and makes it opaque.

[12] Mica powders, iron oxides and clays can give color pigments to eye shadows.