How did the women of the ancient royal family stay young and beautiful? Although beauty techniques and products were limited at the time, the best of the best people had their own tricks. Since ancient times, beauty has been an eternal pursuit in women's hearts, such as the ink used for powders and thrushes. As early as the Shang Dynasty, people were able to make nostalgic beauty powders to care for delicate skin. In the Han Dynasty, Cui Dai's light drawing became the finishing touch to modify the beauty of beauty. The rouge (also known as swallow fat), which was cherished by women in ancient times, originated in the Shang Dynasty and was refined from swallow fat flowers, which could be used as a makeup color peach blossom makeup on the cheeks, or dyed on the lips, giving birth to the later lip fat.
From the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period to the Eastern Han Dynasty, although a fixed standard of female beauty had not yet been established, the material conditions were relatively simple. At that time, the beauties of the palace preferred simple and elegant clothing, the colors were a combination of pink and white, and the focus of skin care was mainly on the face. It is worth mentioning that the clever use of rice flour and lead powder, mixed with fragrance, makes a paste-like cream, making the complexion appear more white and flawless. And the early morning dew has become the secret of the palace maids to mix the right foundation** to create crystal clear and supple skin. Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, lead powder has been made into dry powders or solids for easy preservation and use, a tradition that has survived over the years.
After the changes of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, people's definition of female beauty has changed, and they praise the softness and charm of women. Xun Cang once said: "Women...When the color is the main thing. "Leaf and flower types are particularly common. With the popularity of this form of makeup, the trend of court beauties gradually entered the people and became a symbol of fashion at that time. "Mulan Ci" depicts the scene of Mulan combing her hair in front of the window and appliqué yellow in front of the bronze mirror after returning home, which is named "Huahuang" because of its yellow color.
The Tang Dynasty can be called a glorious chapter of ancient Chinese feudal dynasties, with strong economic strength, prosperous culture and art, especially in women's beauty, forming its unique graceful and gorgeous style. The image and temperament of the beauties of the Tang Palace are very representative: their long hair is combed into a towering bun, their flowing cloud temples are eye-catching, and their clothes are very appropriate. In addition, they are good at depicting popular patterns such as dark moth wing eyebrows in bright colors, showing an elegant and noble posture. According to rumors, the special decoration techniques of the beauties of the Tang Dynasty can create a sad look by simply plapping their cheeks and without lipstick. Compared with the past, women in the Tang Dynasty paid more attention to showing the crystal clear, ruddy and lustrous appearance of the skin. It is said that the Empress Wu mainly uses a medicinal powder made of dried motherwort, talcum powder and rouge to keep the face smooth and wrinkle-free, showing a ruddy glow. Yang Guifei relied on the unique red jade paste to make her face bright, and successfully won the emperor's favor. In the Song Dynasty, due to the influence of physical thought, women's makeup style tended to be fresh and elegant.
The Ming and Qing dynasties innovated on the basis of the aesthetic concepts of the previous generations, and a new aesthetic trend emerged: returning to simplicity and pursuing purity, "those with abundant flesh and slightly visible bones are the most beautiful girls." "Particular attention is paid to the depiction of the eyes. No longer deliberately emphasizing the high eyebrow shape, but changing to slender and feminine crescent-shaped green eyebrows, the eyes are restrained and flexible, and only a touch of rouge embellishment is used to embellish the whole, reflecting a gentle, dignified and rich beauty. This makeup style is most clearly reflected in the court portraits of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, which shows that the progress of women's makeup technology in the Ming and Qing dynasties has reached the level of modern times.