For centuries people have used cosmetics to enhance or decorate the human figure for
aesthetic or religious purposes. The earliest archaeological evidence of the use of cosmetics
can be traced back to the urban civilizations of the ancient world. In southern Iraq and in Egypt,
men and women alike painted kohl around their eyes to make them look larger as well as to protect
them from the evil eye. This thick black ointment, made of ground lead sulfide or antimony sulfide,
is still used today.
