EYELASH EXTENSION HISTORY

Eyelash extensions have been popular for longer than most people realize. Since its inception around 3500 B.C., the demand for long, beautiful lashes has evolved drastically. While having long eyelashes used to be more symbolic, they are now considered a sign of beauty.

Let's take a look at the history of eyelash extensions, where they came from, and why they're still such a popular practice today.

Where Did False Eyelashes Come From?

The original fake eyelashes were not at all like the ones that are now so famous among celebrities and fashionistas. This article will look into how long lashes got popular. It will also answer the queries, "When were eyelash extensions invented?" and "How did eyelash extensions become popular?" And why were eyelash extensions created in the first place?

The Beginnings of Time

What are the origins of eyelash extensions? In 3500 B.C., the Ancient Egyptians began employing brushes and ointments to achieve fluttery, voluminous lashes, according to Marie Claire, a cosmetic magazine. It wasn't just ladies in Egypt who wanted to lengthen their lashes. Men and women both employed different materials to darken their lashes, such as malachite. They also preferred long lashes to shield their eyes from the sun's rays, according to the article.

The Romans demanded brilliant lashes a few years later, about 753 B.C. The Romans used eyelash augmentation procedures since ancient philosopher Pliny the Elder claimed that short eyelashes were a symptom of age.

People in the Middle Ages spent a lot of time researching eyelash extensions. Wikipedia offers a lot of information on eyelash extensions:

In 1879, James D. McCabe wrote The National Encyclopædia of Business and Social Forms, where, in the section "Laws of Etiquette," he stated that eyelashes could be lengthened by cutting the ends with a pair of scissors. Other beauty books, such as My Lady's Dressing Room (1892) by Baronne Staffe and Beauty's Aids or How to be Beautiful (1901) by Countess C also state that the trimming of eyelashes along with the use of the pomade Trikogene benefit eyelash growth. Countess C also suggested that eyelashes can be given extra length and strength by washing them every evening with a mixture of water and walnut leaves.

In 1882, Henry Labouchère of Truth reported that "Parisians have found out how to make false eyelashes" by having hair sewn into the eyelids. A similar report appeared in the July 6, 1899 edition of The Dundee Courier which described the painful method for elongating the lashes. The headline of which read, "Irresistible Eyes May Be Had by Transplanting the Hair." The article explained how the procedure achieved longer lashes by having hair from the head sewn into the eyelids.

In 1902, German-born hair specialist and noted inventor Charles Nessler (aka Karl Nessler or Charles Nestle) patented "A New or Improved Method of and Means for the Manufacture of Artificial Eyebrows, Eyelashes and the like" in the United Kingdom. By 1903, he began selling artificial eyelashes at his London salon on Great Castle Street. He used the profits from his sales to fund his next invention, the permanent wave machine. A permanent wave machine was commonly called a perm and involves the use of heat and/or chemicals to break and reform the cross-linking bonds of the hair structure. In 1911, a Canadian woman named Anna Taylor patented false eyelashes in the United States. Taylor's false eyelashes were designed using a crescent-shaped strip of fabric. The fabric had tiny pieces of hair placed on them.

Another noted inventor of eyelash extensions is Maksymilian Faktorowicz, a Polish beauty guru and businessman, who founded the company Max Factor.

In 1916, while making his film Intolerance, director D. W. Griffith wanted actress Seena Owen to have lashes "that brushed her cheeks, to make her eyes shine larger than life." The false eyelashes which were made from human hair were specifically woven piece by piece by a local wig maker. The eyelashes were adhered using spirit gum, commonly used for affixing wigs. One day Owen showed up to sit with her eyes swollen nearly shut, her co-star Lillian Gish, wrote in her memoir.[12]

By the 1930s, false eyelashes were becoming more acceptable for the average woman to wear. This shift in cultural opinion was largely due to the influence of film actresses that were seen wearing them on screen. Featured in Vogue, false eyelashes had officially become mainstream and given the Vogue stamp of approval.

In the 1960s, false eyelashes became the centerpiece of makeup. During this era, eye makeup that gave women big doll-like eyes was very common. They achieved this look by applying false eyelashes on both the top and bottom eyelashes. Models like Twiggy helped popularize this trend and is often associated with it.

In 1968 at the feminist Miss America protest, protestors symbolically threw a number of feminine products into a "Freedom Trash Can". These included false eyelashes, which were among items the protestors called "instruments of female torture" and accouterments of what they perceived to be enforced femininity.

In 2008, Aesthetic Korea Co., Ltd. began to manufacture products as semi-permanent eyelashes, which became popular in Korea. Since then, several similar companies have started to set up, which has had a considerable impact on neighboring countries, including China and Japan. However, due to South Korea's annual rise in labor costs, many manufacturers have moved from South Korea to China or Vietnam.

In 2014, Miami-based Katy Stoka, founder of One Two Cosmetics, invented the magnetic false lash as an alternative to those that utilize glue. Today magnetic eyelashes are becoming more and more common, with many mainstream brands like Ardell and To Glam, offering more affordable options. However, these are false eyelashes and not eyelash extensions.

Thanks to the continuous advancement of predecessors on eyelash extensions, we now have a variety of styles to choose from. Nowadays, eyelash extensions have become the choice of many beauty lovers. They will make different styles according to their makeup needs. As a producer of eyelash extensions, we are also committed to developing new styles of eyelashes to bring customers a better experience. Today’s sharing about eyelash extensions is here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.