# Eyeliner: A Cultural History - Hardcover

by **Zahra Hankir** (Author)

**A _New York Times Book Review_ Editors' Choice Pick**

"Cosmetic, tool of rebellion, status signifier: Eyeliner has been all these and more. Moving through millenniums and across civilizations, Hankir gives the makeup its eye-opening due." --_The New York Times Book Review_

"An impressive, rigorously researched, winding path through centuries and over continents." --NPR.org

"I loved _Eyeliner_. Hankir approaches her subject with dedicated curiosity, humility, and humor, blending anthropology, travel writing, memoir and history. A treat." --Kassia St. Clair, author of _The Secret Lives of Color_

From the acclaimed editor of _Our Women on the Ground_ comes a dazzling exploration of the intersections of beauty and power around the globe, told through the lens of an iconic cosmetic

From the distant past to the present, with fingers and felt-tipped pens, metallic powders and gel pots, humans have been drawn to lining their eyes. The aesthetic trademark of figures ranging from Nefertiti to Amy Winehouse, eyeliner is one of our most enduring cosmetic tools; ancient royals and Gen Z beauty influencers alike would attest to its uniquely transformative power. It is undeniably fun--yet it is also far from frivolous.

Seen through Zahra Hankir's (kohl-lined) eyes, this ubiquitous but seldom-examined product becomes a portal to history, proof both of the stunning variety among cultures across time and space and of our shared humanity. Through intimate reporting and conversations--with nomads in Chad, geishas in Japan, dancers in India, drag queens in New York, and more--_Eyeliner_ embraces the rich history and significance of its namesake, especially among communities of color. What emerges is an unexpectedly moving portrait of a tool that, in various corners of the globe, can signal religious devotion, attract potential partners, ward off evil forces, shield eyes from the sun, transform faces into fantasies, and communicate volumes without saying a word.

Delightful, surprising, and utterly absorbing, _Eyeliner_ is a fascinating tour through streets, stages, and bedrooms around the world, and a thought-provoking reclamation of a key piece of our collective history.

### Author Biography

**Zahra Hankir**, a Lebanese British journalist and the editor of _Our Women on the Ground_, writes about the intersection of politics, culture, and society, particularly in the broader Middle East. Her work has appeared in publications including _Condé Nast Traveler_, _The Observer Magazine_, _The Times Literary Supplement_, _BBC News_, _Al Jazeera English_, _Bloomberg Businessweek_, the _Los Angeles Times_, and _The Rumpus_. She was awarded a Jack R. Howard Fellowship inInternational Journalism to attend the Columbia Journalism School and holds degrees in politics and Middle Eastern studies.

**Number of Pages:** 368

**Dimensions:** 1.2 x 8.3 x 5.7 IN

**Publication Date:** November 14, 2023

## Details

- **Price:** 26.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 26.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Eyeliner: A Cultural History - Hardcover

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