I would love it if you could just list groups of people across the globe who wear

eyeliner in some form. There's so many groups and communities and cultures around the world that do wear it.

I had to start with ancient Egypt of course because that is where eyeliner which is known as coal originated.

I also wrote about the Wadabe community in Chad, especially the men.

In Japan, you've got the Geisha in India, you've got the Katakali, dancers,

Cholas in California, so the Mexican American community and then women in Iran and then

drag queens in New York and influencers, but there are so many more.

I'm Delantaurus and this is Atlas Obscura,

a celebration of the world strange, incredible and wondrous places.

And today I'm talking with Zara Henkeer, a journalist and author of the book, Eyiliner, a cultural history.

Together we are going to travel to three different countries,

all places where Eiliner is essential to the culture.

We're going to start in Egypt where the story of eyeliner begins,

then we go to chat to a male beauty pageant.

And finally, to Los Angeles,

where we meet a woman whose eyeliner connects her to her mother and the history of Mexican

immigration in the US.

We put on a little makeup after this. As someone who knows not very much about eyeliner or makeup generally, I thought maybe we should start at the beginning.

So we begin in Egypt.

We got to go back to the ancient Egyptians and to a very famous bust, the bust of Nefertiti.

Maybe the question to begin with is, is that the origin of eyeliner or is this a misconception?

It is generally agreed upon amongst archaeologists and Egyptologists that Cole originated in ancient Egypt.

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