CULTURAL INFLUENCES BEHIND THE UNI-LINER LOOK
BY SHALOM BOBEN ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF GRACE CALLAHAN
The uni-liner trend has been on the rise in Western beauty culture. Its popularity has grown due to celebrities and social media creating their own interpretations of the style. Although uni-liner is a modern-day beauty trend, it reflects many cultural practices that have existed for generations.
But what exactly is uni-liner? In an interview with Allure, makeup artist and content creator Funes explained the term, saying, “The name is derived from unibrow. The liner goes across the nose bridge like how a unibrow goes all the way across the brow area, so it just made sense to call it uni-liner.” This makeup look is very unique and takes skill and precise technique to achieve it. Its growing popularity shows how beauty trends can be interpreted in many ways and challenge traditional Western beauty standards.
The iconic Solange Piaget Knowles, a famous music artist and Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, has been doing the uni-liner look since 2009. Since then, Solange has become a strong influence on younger generations participating in the trend. With the rise of social media, many people began using uni-liner as a form of self-expression.
Although Solange has inspired many individuals to express themselves through this trend, it's important to acknowledge the cultures that may have inspired the modern-day uni-liner.
While there is no direct evidence that the uni-liner originated from Indigenous traditions, certain elements of the trend resemble forms of facial paint used by some Indigenous groups. Uni-liner can resemble facial paint used by tribes from the Plains, like the Lakota and Cheyenne. Across many indigenous tribes, face paint around the eyes has been a symbol of identity, spirituality, and cultural expression. Welcome Native Spirit writes, “many events, such as Sun Dance Ceremonies, Naming Ceremonies, Society Ceremonies, Healing Ceremonies, and events for returning veterans may involve the painting of faces in one form or another.” It's a form of nonverbal communication, and different line patterns or colors can change the meaning behind the face paint. Overall, traditional under-eye facial paint has held many significant meanings within various Native American tribes.
Ancient Egyptian eyeliner, also known as kohl, can be seen as an inspiration for the modern-day uni-liner as well because Egyptians were known for wearing sharp and bold winged liner on their eyes. The modern-day uni-liner trend shares some similarities with these historical eyeliner traditions. Kohl was not only used for beauty, but for spiritual protection and medical purposes. Kohl has been the backbone of many makeup looks. Cleopatra wasn't the only one rocking a winged liner in Egypt. Kohl has been used by people from all social classes for thousands of years, which is why it continues to inspire beauty trends today and stand as a symbol of beauty in the modern world.
Many cultures have contributed to the inspiration behind the modern uni-liner trend. Among these cultures, Indigenous face paint and Ancient Egyptian eyeliner traditions can be seen as major influences on many modern beauty trends and the uni-liner look.
The uni-liner trend lacks historical acknowledgment, and it's important to recognize the many traditional practices that guided cultures for generations. Recognizing the cultural influences behind modern Western makeup encourages people to appreciate and understand the diverse traditions that have inspired modern makeup.
