Website design By BotEap.comWishing for the pale

Website design By BotEap.comBy the time the Tang Dynasty arrived, the women of the Imperial Court had turned skin care and cosmetic application into an art form. Borrowing artistic techniques from Buddhism that had spread throughout the country, the women were turned into golden statues, with smooth porcelain skin and facial appliques. Having a pale complexion continued to increase in importance as court women reached new and greater heights to whiten their skin, both temporarily and permanently.

Website design By BotEap.comSince pre-imperial times, Chinese women had desired pale skin. As agriculture became increasingly important to culture and the economy, tanned skin became associated with a working class made up of farmers and fishermen. While noble women at first wanted a whiter complexion to show that they didn’t have to work, however, a powdered face and smooth skin soon became a fashion statement. During the Tang Dynasty, courtesans began to take more extreme measures to lighten the skin on their faces. While they continued to press white powders made of lead, they also used special gels and lotions derived from natural ingredients to remove pigment and permanently whiten their skin. One of the most popular gels was made with songyi mushrooms, an ingredient that is still used in many skin lighteners today.

Website design By BotEap.comThe seven steps to beauty

Website design By BotEap.comEven in this age of lead powders and pigment-altering creams, the Chinese approach to skincare remained holistic. Nutrition, health, and circulation were still considered necessary to maintain a beautiful complexion and many lotions were developed using medicinal herbs popular in traditional medicine. In fact, although skin care was previously limited to the bed chamber, many women in the Tang Dynasty carried small containers of lotions and other cosmetics so that they could touch up their faces at will.

Website design By BotEap.comHowever, this is not to say that Tang Dynasty courtesans wore makeup in public. Her makeup was, in fact, applied in seven separate steps each morning. The first step was to powder the face with a thick white base. The second step was to apply blush on the cheeks. The third step was to gild the forehead with golden ocher. The ocher was painted in complex patterns based on the gilding of Buddhist statues. The fourth step was to trace the eyebrows. The fifth step was to paint the lips a bright red. The sixth step was to dot the cheeks. The seventh and final step was to glue a floral appliqué between the eyes. (You can read more about the seven steps to beauty here: http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/English/e2004/e200411/p60.htm)

Website design By BotEap.comThe art of applique

Website design By BotEap.comAlthough facial appliques gained great popularity during the Tang Dynasty, they remained popular throughout the many centuries of Imperial China. As described in the seven steps of cosmetic application, there were actually several different types of applications. While the dotted cheek had been around since the early days of the Imperial Court, at that time it had lost any remnants of practical use and was worn strictly for fashion. In fact, it was very rare that the dots were already round. While one of the most popular designs was a crescent moon on the cheek, these so-called dots could take the shape of any number of shapes, from flowers to insects. The floral appliqué placed between the eyes had a similar number of variations. It could be made of paper, gold foil, or shell and the patterns ranged from flowers to fans, from dragon flies to ox horns.

Website design By BotEap.comWhile not applied precisely, the traced brows continued to be an important part of the facial adornment. By this time, the designs had become much more elaborate than they had been during the Qin or Han dynasties. While the different shapes were generally modeled after objects found in nature, the shapes themselves were far from ordinary. natural shape of an eyebrow. Willow leaf brows were one of the most popular designs, with round olive-shaped brows not far behind. Emperor Xuanzong even commissioned a book called Shi Mei Tu, which described ten different eyebrow patterns. (You can read more about facial applications and eyebrow patterns here: http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/English/e2004/e200411/p60.htm)

Website design By BotEap.comFrom lead powders to olive-shaped skin bleaches and eyebrows, many of Imperial China’s skincare techniques and cosmetic approaches seem strange in today’s world. However, her holistic approach to skincare and whimsical makeup show that Imperial China still has a lot to offer the modern world.