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A Cultural History
by Zahra Hankir
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.
"This captivating account reveals the complex significance of a seemingly simple adornment ... Hankir packs her reader-friendly narrative with relatable examples of cultural and geographic significance ... Throughout, Hankir maintains an appealing sense of intimacy." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A significant addition to cultural histories of self-expression. Hankir disrupts many deeply held assumptions about beauty, gender, and power ... Hankir writes with boldness and care ... [she] meticulously details commonalities in physical and aesthetic practices [...] without losing sight of cultural specificity or intersectionality." —Library Journal (starred review)
"Absorbing ... Hankir provides an engaging, colorful study while relating her own cross-cultural story." —Kirkus Reviews
"Detailed and engaging ... [an] absorbing look at how people around the world use eyeliner to express and reinvent themselves ... readers interested in beauty culture will be fascinated by this accessible examination of such a versatile and popular beauty product." —Booklist
"A fascinating history ... If you've never given much thought to the beauty staple, Eyeliner will change that forever." —Town & Country
"Intriguing ... [Hankir] uses this ancient form of makeup as an ingenius prism through which to explore cultural identity." —The Bookseller (UK), Editor's Choice
"Who knew the humble eyeliner could offer up so much? Zahra Hankir's beautiful writing style and incredible attention to detail mean that even those with zero interest in makeup will find this book awe-inspiring and fascinating as it goes far beyond the realm of beauty." —Funmi Fetto, Contributing Beauty Editor at British Vogue and Beauty Director at the Observer
This information about Eyeliner was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
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.
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