For centuries, kohl, otherwise known as kajal, has been one of the staples of many women in India and the Middle East. Not only is it used as mascara, it is applied to darken the eyelids and protect the eyes from the sun and even evil spirits.

Traditional kohl, which is very different from the kohl liners we see nowadays, is stored in a box and applied with a stick-like applicator. With the eyes closed, the applicator is placed along the lower lid while the user gently slides the stick from one end to the other to get a smudgy line on both the upper and lower lids. Sounds scary I know but I have tried this with contacts on and trust me, it will not hurt your eyes if you do it right.

Due to the highly toxic lead it contains, traditional kohl is not sold in the US but the good news is makeup companies have replaced it with kohl liners that are not made out of kohl. These new “kohl” liners come in the forms of pencils and loose powders and they will give you the same sooty, sultry look.

Below is me wearing L’oreal HIP High Intensity Pigments Kohl Eyeliner in Navy Kohl:



What I Used
* Estee Lauder Nutritious Vita-Mineral Makeup SPF10 in Intensity 2.0
* MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NC30
* Anastasia Highlighting Eyebrow Kit to fill in eyebrows
* L’oreal HIP High Intensity Pigments Kohl Eyeliner in Navy Kohl on top and lower lash lines
* L’oreal Telescopic Clean Definition Mascara in Black
* MAC Sculpt and Shape Powder in Accentuate/Sculpt to contour and highlight

Read my reviews on kohl liners!

Image Credit: Ako Mahmoodi