The Middle Eastern woman is often described as having bronze skin and eyes darkly rimmed with kohl, which have long been the object of inspiration for many poets. This is probably why kohl has always been of great importance to the Middle Eastern woman and has kept its standing as an essential item for adornment through the ages. Kohl is basically a paste made from galena, the natural mineral form of lead sulfide, which is a black crystal with bluish tinges. Kohl containers are tastefully designed to be both artistic and practical, while preserving the kohl itself. The makhala  (kohl container) consists of two parts; the first part is the applicator, which has a small pointed tip that is immersed in rose water then dipped in the kohl and passed between the eyelids or used to shape and thicken eyebrows. Applicators look a lot like old Arab medical instruments; they are specially designed for use on the eye. The handles of the applicators vary in design and ensure that application of kohl is well controlled and accurate, they have been decorated in many ways to look like the crown of the makhala. The second part is the pot that holds the kohl itself, it is usually oval in shape for easier immersion of the applicator and to make sure that all the kohl is used, even any dredges left at the bottom of the pot.

A makhala can be made of ivory, silver, copper and decorated with silver or wood.  These are all expensive materials, hence workmen took great care in decorating them with engravings of statues, birds, flowers and stenciled graphic designs. Today, a typical makhala is made out of plastic with no engravings or decoration, so one wonders what the elegant makhala of old would say to its plastic contemporary on balancing functionality with beauty!