Eyeliner

Combining the steady contemplation of the personal essay with her journalistic flair for storytelling, Zahra Hankir traces the history of kohl, traversing space, time and cultures to delve into the deeply human importance of a makeup kit staple many of us don't give a second thought. An engaging read that is poignant, enlightening, and full of emotional depth.

Layla AlAmmar, author of SILENCE IS A SENSE

Captivating... An arresting feminist narrative from start to finish, this book reveals the depth and multi-dimensionality of a cosmetic that connects Queen Nefertiti to young women protesting in contemporary Iran.

Rafia Zakaria, author of AGAINST WHITE FEMINISM

I loved Eyeliner. Hankir approaches her subject with dedicated curiosity, humility and humour, blending anthropology, travel, memoir and history. A treat to read and - of course - beautifully eye-opening.

Kassia St Clair, author of THE SECRET LIVES OF COLOUR

Absorbing . . . Hankir provides an engaging, colorful study while relating her own cross-cultural story.

Kirkus

Who knew the humble eyeliner could offer up so much? 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 realms of beauty.

Funmi Fetto, author of PALETTE, Contributing Beauty Editor at British Vogue and Beauty Director at the Observer 

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 ingenious prism through which to explore cultural identity.

The Bookseller, Editor's Choice

Captivating . . . Hankir packs her reader-friendly narrative with relatable examples of cultural and geographic significance.

Publishers Weekly

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

Cosmetic, tool of rebellion, status signifier: Eyeliner has been all these and more. Moving through millenniums and across civilizations, Hankir gives the makeup its eye-opening due

New York Times Book Review

A beautifully written deep dive into something that so many of us use on a daily basis with little to no thought. You will never use an eyeliner in the same way again

Glamour

Hankir makes a compelling case that, far from an inconsequential vanity, eyeliner is not just about beautification but protection, and even politics, for men and women across the world and through the ages

New Statesman

An interesting perspective on a seldom-explored area of cultural history… thought-provoking

i

An impressive, rigorously researched, winding path through centuries and over continents

NPR

[Eyeliner] artfully blend[s] a history of the eye cosmetic with an emotive treatment of makeup’s relation to the self . . . a thoughtful, unlikely romp across the world, viewing a small but significant part of cultural history, through a keen (and boldly defined) eye

Wall Street Journal

A marvel . . . [Hankir] goes back in time, around the globe and into her own past, painting a picture that not only resituates eyeliner in the cultural imaginary but celebrates the myriad contributions of communities of color to beauty history

Anne Helen Peterson, Culture Study

Hankir does a spectacular job of raising the stakes and setting up eyeliner as this culturally powerful and iconic practice, all tied back on Nefertiti…a book that succeeds in telling, if not one story, then many stories, about a utilitarian, symbolic, and essential practice that transcends cultures around the world

Chicago Review of Books

A narrative that, fittingly, bypasses dominant Western discourses of makeup and fashion, which is part of what makes this work so refreshing to read . . . This book demonstrates that eyeliner is not simply a frivolous decoration; it connects back to a much larger story

4Columns

Readers will never think of eyeliner the same way after reading this book . . . [Eyeliner] has a richer and sometimes stranger history than many people (including me) would have guessed . . . endlessly fascinating

Electric Literature

Fascinating . . . In my line of business (being Miss Universe), eyeliner is more than an item in a makeup kit—it’s part of an artistic palette. This simple tool gives us the power to command a room, to make a personality statement, and to change our entire look on a whim. As Zahra Hankir shows, none of this is new or even modern, but has been part of a legacy of powerful women for millennia

Sheynnis Palacio, Miss Universe 2023, CNN's Best Books of 2023

An intriguing journey through time and across continents . . . [Hankir] travels far in pursuit of her research, expressing a contagious wonder at the layers of common ground a simple object like eyeliner offers people of diverse backgrounds . . . Eyeliner features a particularly dazzling chapter on the late Amy Winehouse . . . [A] well-written, absorbing debut

Shelf Awareness

Engrossing… Hankir’s history lessons are peppered with cultural references and good humor. The book is a smoky-eye lover’s paradise

Cat Marnell, New York Times Book Review

A beautiful read, a thought-provoking one, and, unlike many history books - endlessly entertaining

Bad Form, Hardback of the Month

Hankir delves into the political contexts that inform our make-up choices... Eyeliner is a comprehensive account of how this age-old medium became a means for connection, communication and rebellion

Dazed