Kohl eyeliner

As well as giving them their distinctive, dark-eyed look, it’s believed the Ancient Egyptians may have worn kohl eyeliner to protect their eyes from the sun, dirt and disease. It was made from galena, a type of lead, which was ground into a powder and mixed with oil. This technically meant it was poisonous to the wearer but would have also killed disease-causing bacteria. The Egyptians themselves believed their eye make-up was magical, summoning the protection of the gods Horus and Ra against illness.