Centuries have passed since the mighty Egyptian civilization has fallen from its epitome of flamboyance. But it still has retained a poignant place in our heart especially because of the jaw-dropping makeup pioneered by Queen Cleopatra which will go down in history as one of the most empowering and sensual look of all times.
Coming back to modern times, Egyptian makeup has evolved into a top favourite of people participating in fantasy makeup looks during Halloween and fashion shows. The extraordinary Egyptian makeup serves as the perfect confluence of opulence, beauty and power which gets portrayed clearly from the graphic designing of the extremely intricate Egyptian Eye Makeup.
Ancient Egyptians held the belief that makeup can bring upon medical and cosmetic cures like none other. Irrespective of gender or class, the ancient Egyptians felt it was imperative to wear makeup. They treated their face as extremely personal and sacred which no one else was allowed to touch.
This was the biggest reason behind their fascination towards makeup which acted more like a superficial mask protecting the skin. Cleopatra arrived in the scene by vehemently protesting against the patriarchal society and making the whole world sit up and take notice of her extravagant makeup.
Egyptian Eye Makeup has been designed in line with feline eye which was considered to be extremely scared amongst the ancient Egyptian population. Mesdemet or Kohl was used for lining the eyes and were revealed to bring along potent health benefits in the form of protection from disease, bugs and sun rays. The focal point of this striking makeup was the creation of the winged tailed eyeliners. While some where flat tapered, some were pointed ending in a striking and dramatic effect with the dark kohl paints extending up to the temples alongside the eyebrows. Nonetheless, the focus of this form of makeup was the eye which required extreme precision and practice before coming out with the perfect result.
Dusky skin tone serves as the perfect base for realistic makeup much like the perky Egyptian ladies. If you are naturally blessed with sensuous dark skin, then you can easily carry ahead the makeup with precision. Alternatively, you can opt for a foundation which is one shade darker than your skin and apply the same liberally all over your neck, face and other exposed areas. Although you can take your pick from any of the brands available, it is advisable to go ahead with an oil based foundation to create that dewy finish.
The second step in creating a ploughing field for your Egyptian eye makeup is to powder the whole face apart from the eyes and follow it up with a contour powder for achieving those sculpted features much like the ethereal queen. You can make use of a shimmering bronzing powder for highlighting your jaw line, bridge of your nose and cheekbones. Egyptian divas used to redden their cheeks using a heavily pigmented clay containing mineral oxides. You can take a cue from their look book and tint your cheeks using deeper shades of brown, red or copper. Coming to the lips, it is best to seal the look using a dark shade of red. You can also pad some shimmery gold pigments on the centre of the bottom lip for that mysterious look.
Now that you are done with the base makeup, it is time to showcase your Egyptian eye makeup skills. Today we shall discuss about two different ways of getting the same done:
This is a much more feminine take on the celebrated Egyptian eye makeup which combines the likes of an elegant eyebrow shape, thinner and graceful eyeliner’s wing and elaborate eyeshadow scheme.
The Ancient Egyptian eye makeup keeps on inspiring makeup artists around the world even during modern times. So, whether you wish to head out with friends for a fun night out or dress up at a pyjama party, the Egyptian feline look is bound to win you brownie points time and again.
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