Zhang Ruying’s Notes: From《中国妆束：大唐女儿行》Makeup (Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties: Overview of Typical Women’s Makeup)
Table of Contents
Introduction
Hello, I’m 张儒英 Zhang Ruying, and I am a traditional Chinese clothing enthusiast.
Recently, I had the opportunity to read a book about traditional Chinese attire, especially for the Tang dynasty (618-907), written in Chinese, titled《中国妆束：大唐女儿行》by 左丘萌 and 末春. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and to better understand parts of it, I translated sections that I found challenging. I also made notes (written in English) along the way to help deepen my understanding.
Now, I’m thrilled to share these notes with you! I aim to help us all gain a deeper appreciation for the elegance and historical significance of traditional Chinese attire, which is so rich in history and beauty.
All the information in these notes comes from the book 《中国妆束：大唐女儿行》.
This is for non-commercial purposes only. All rights remain with the original copyright holders.
About《中国妆束：大唐女儿行》
《中国妆束：大唐女儿行》(Zhōng Guó Zhuāng Shù: Dà Táng Nǚ’ér Xíng) by 左丘萌 (Zuǒ Qiūméng) and 末春 (Mò Chūn) attempts to reinterpret the true fashion of women’s makeup and attire during the Tang dynasty, based on archaeological findings of Tang artifacts.
It contrasts these findings with historical records and unearthed documents to reframe how the Tang people themselves might have viewed fashion in their time.
The book covers from the Sui dynasty to the Five Dynasties, and is divided into four sections: Qi Luo 绮罗 (clothing), Lin Lang 琳琅 (accessories), Fen Dai 粉黛 (makeup), and Ji Huan 髻鬟 (hairstyles).
Each section carefully examines and details the names, styles, and combinations of different makeup and attire from that period.
The book selects well-known historical figures, such as Yang Guifei, Wu Zetian, Shangguan Wan’er, Nie Yinniang, Princess Tongchang, and others, based on existing archaeological findings, and makes informed speculations to restore the possible makeup and attire of these figures. The book reconstructs their clothing, accessories, hairstyles, makeup, and scenes, all supported by historical sources.
隋唐五代：女子典型妆容一览
Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties: Overview of Typical Women’s Makeup
Early Sui Dynasty to Early Tang Dynasty
During this period, the overall makeup style was still relatively light and delicate. A woman’s facial skin was considered beautiful if it appeared fair and clean with powder, and they also liked to decorate both cheeks with red color. Eyebrow shapes were dominated by thin brows. As described in the poem《赋得北方有佳人》(fù dé běi fāng yǒu jiā rén) by Consort Xu Xianfei (徐贤妃 ; Xú Xiánfēi) of Emperor Taizong of Tang:
“柳叶眉间发，桃花脸上生。”
“Between eyebrows like growing willow leaves, on a face like blooming peach blossoms.”
There was also a makeup style that drew fine, red, slanted lines on the forehead and both cheeks.
At the end of Emperor Taizong’s reign (Zhenguan era), women’s makeup began to appear more striking and heavy, with a style emerging that used red on both cheeks as well as above and below the eyes.
Wu Zetian Era
At the beginning of Emperor Gaozong’s reign, when Wu Zetian returned to the palace, women’s makeup generally continued the trend from the late Zhenguan era, with willow-leaf-like eyebrows and white faces, as well as red on the eyebrows, eyes, and both cheeks. Later, eyebrow shapes developed into thick, black, and broad, with the distance between the eyebrows also becoming narrower.
When Gaozong and Wu Zetian jointly held power, makeup became increasingly bold. The forehead flower sticker / Huadian (花钿 ; huā diàn) and the slanted red lines / Xiehong (斜红 ; xié hóng) on both cheeks became thicker, and more diverse decorative styles appeared. Even the corners of the mouth were adorned with dots resembling dimples / Mianye (面靥 ; miàn yè). The literary work《游仙窟》(yóu xiān kū) from that time described women’s makeup as follows:
“红颜杂绿黛，无处不相宜。艳色浮妆粉，含香乱口脂。鬓欺蝉鬓非成鬓，眉笑蛾眉不是眉“
”口上珊瑚耐拾取，颊里芙蓉堪摘得”
“靥疑织女留星去，眉似姮娥送月来”。
“Red face mixed with dark green eyebrows, no part out of harmony. Bright colors float on powder, fragrance tucked in lipstick. Fine hair rivals cricket whiskers, yet not real hair; smiling eyebrows like moths, yet not true eyebrows.”
“Lips appear like coral, worth picking up; cheeks like lotus flowers, worth plucking.”
“Dimples like traces of stars left by the weaving goddess; eyebrows like Chang’e escorting the moon.”
With the arrival of the reign of the female emperor Wu Zetian (Wu Zhou dynasty), women’s faces appeared increasingly striking and beautiful. Huadian 花钿 filled the forehead, eyebrows were blended to the tips, and thick red blush was applied from under the eyebrows to both cheeks. Only after Wu Zetian stepped down and Emperor Zhongzong returned to the throne did women’s makeup styles begin to ease slightly.
Heyday of Tang Dynasty
At the beginning of Emperor Xuanzong’s reign (Kaiyuan era), makeup styles tended to be soft. Facial makeup was dominated by “Peach Blossom Makeup (桃花妆 ; táo huā zhuāng),” which involved blending pink at the corners of the eyes.
Besides the traditional red Huadian 花钿, a trend of jade-green Huadian / Cuidian (翠钿 ; cuì diàn) also emerged, featuring a more delicate and refined style. Eyebrow shapes were long and slender like willow leaves, while the red slanted lines on the cheeks took the shape of new crescent moons.
Since the end of the Kaiyuan era, women’s makeup became more striking and diverse. Initially, thick eyebrows returned as a trend; a pair of straight, thick eyebrows was shaded in. The forehead, bridge of the nose, and chin were kept with a white powder base, and the area below the eyebrows to both cheeks was brushed with bright red—this was approximately what was known as “Drunken Blush Makeup / Jiu Yun Zhuang (酒晕妆 ; jiǔ yūn zhuāng).”
The Huadian style became increasingly varied, with some even made of luxurious gold, silver, pearls, and jade.
Mianye (面靥) could be placed at the corners of the mouth or under the eyes to hold back tears, while the slanted red lines also came in shapes such as multicolored birds in flight.
During the Tianbao era, makeup styles returned to being soft. As written by Bai Juyi in《上阳白发人》(shàng yáng bái fà rén):
“脸似芙蓉胸似玉” “青黛点眉眉细长”
“Face like a lotus flower, chest like jade.” “Eyebrows painted with bluish-green pigment, thin and long”
In《长恨歌》(cháng hèn gē), it is written:
“芙蓉如面柳如眉，对此如何不泪垂”
“Face as beautiful as a lotus, eyebrows like willow leaves, how could one not shed tears upon seeing her?”
During this time, several distinctive makeup styles also emerged:
White Makeup with Black Eyebrows / Bai Zhuang Hei Mei 白妆黑眉 (bái zhuāng hēi méi)
A style said to have been created by Yang Guifei, with the face powdered in white without blush on the cheeks, and the eyebrows painted black with eyebrow ink.
Tear Makeup / Lei Zhuang 泪妆 (lèi zhuāng)
A style reportedly favored by palace concubines during the Tianbao era, marked by plain white powder motifs on the cheeks.
Middle Tang Dynasty
After the An Shi Rebellion, women’s makeup entered a calm transitional period for several decades, with few new styles emerging. During this time, women’s facial makeup became thinner and softer; Huadian no longer used the bold abstract patterns of the heyday of the Tang dynasty, but more often took the form of simple flowers and small plants.
Only in the late 8th to early 9th century did various unique and prominent makeup styles begin to emerge one after another.
Zhenyuan Tear Makeup / Zhen Yuan Ti Zhuang 贞元啼妆 (zhēn yuán tí zhuāng)
Eyebrows were drawn to show a sad expression, shaped like the character 八 (bā); the slanted red lines (Xiehong) blended with the facial makeup, appearing only as faint pink edges on the sides of the face, resembling traces of tear stains.
Worldly Makeup of the Yuanhe Era / Yuan He Shi Shi Zhuang 元和时世妆 (yuán hé shí shì zhuāng)
Based on the Zhenyuan makeup style, this look was made more dramatic: blush was omitted, instead mimicking the “reddish earth face” (Zhe Mian, 赭面 ; zhě miàn) tradition of nomadic tribes, then adding sad 八-shaped eyebrows and lips painted in deep black.
Blood-Blended Makeup of the Changqing Era / Chang Qing Xue Yun Zhuang 长庆血晕妆 (cháng qìng xuè yùn zhuāng)
Eyebrows were shaved off, then three to four long purplish-red lines were drawn above and below the eyes, resembling bruises or blended blood stains.
Taihe Dangerous Makeup / Tai He Xian Zhuang 太和险妆 (tài hé xiǎn zhuāng)
Natural eyebrows were shaved off, and the hair at the front of the forehead was brushed upward to move the hairline higher, making the forehead appear wider. The Xue Yun Zhuang 血晕妆 of the Changqing era had become outdated, and in this period, makeup focus shifted to drawing new eyebrows on the now broad forehead.
Late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties
Since the late Tang dynasty, women’s makeup returned to a soft and beautiful direction. The favored main style was long eyebrows like willow leaves and small lips in bright red. Women placed special emphasis on eyebrow shapes and lip makeup, giving rise to various terms and detailed rules. In daily makeup, Huadian and Mianye generally had elegant and refined styles; excessive makeup was usually paired with luxurious attire and categorized as special occasion makeup.
Floral Motif Face Decoration / Hua Ye 花靥 (huā yè)
Ouyang Jiong (欧阳炯 ; Ōuyáng Jiǒng) in《女冠子》(nǚ guān zǐ) wrote:
“薄妆桃脸，满面纵横花靥。”
“Light makeup on a peach-like face, the whole face adorned with Hua Ye.”
Golden Face Decoration / Jin Ye 金靥
Sun Guangxian (孙光宪 ; Sūn Guāngxiàn) in《浣溪沙》(huàn xī shā) wrote:
“膩粉半沾金靥子。”
“The thick powder was half stained with golden dimples.”
Wen Tingyun (温庭筠 ; Wēn Tíngyún) in《南歌子》(nán gē zǐ) wrote:
“脸上金霞细，眉间翠钿深。”
“Fine golden glow on the face, jade-green huadian between the brows.”
Mao Xizhen (毛熙震 ; Máo Xīzhèn) in《后庭花》(hòu tíng huā) wrote:
“时将纤手匀红脸，笑拈金靥。”
“With delicate hands smoothing the red cheeks, smiling while pinching the golden flower on the face.”
Bird Motif Face Decoration / Niao Ye 鸟靥 (niǎo yè)
Li He (李贺 ; Lǐ Hè) in《脑公》(nǎo gōng) wrote:
“匀脸安斜雁。”
“Smoothing the face and applying a slanted goose.”
Liu Xun (刘询 ; Liú Xún) in《岭表录异》(lǐng biǎo lù yì) wrote:
“鹤子草………………采之曝干，以代面靥。形如飞鹤，翅尾嘴足无所不具。”
“Crane grass… is picked and sun-dried, used as a face dimples. Its shape resembles a flying crane, complete with wings, tail, beak, and feet.”
During the Five Dynasties, most regions continued the trends from the late Tang dynasty, pursuing intricate, refined, and delicate makeup details. In the southern regions, which were relatively prosperous and not affected by war, several striking fashion trends emerged. The tradition of shaving the eyebrows and exposing the forehead, then drawing new eyebrows in the middle of the forehead, reappeared, and eyebrow shapes changed to short and defined.
Dragonfly Flower / Qing Ting Hua Zi 蜻蜓花子 (qīng tíng huā zǐ)
Tao Gu (陶谷 ; Táo Gǔ) in《清异录》(qīng yì lù) wrote:
“后唐宫人或网获蜻蜓，爱其翠薄，遂以描金笔涂翅，作‘小折枝花子‘，金线笼贮养之，尔后上元卖花者，取象为之，售于游女。”
“Palace concubines of the Later Tang sometimes caught dragonflies with nets, admiring the thin greenish wings, then painted the wings with a golden brush, creating ‘small branch flowers (Xiao Zhe Zhi Hua Zi 小折枝花子).’ These were then kept and raised in cages woven with gold thread. Later, during the Shangyuan festival nights, flower vendors imitated the form and sold them to wandering young women.”
Beiyuan Makeup / Bei Yuan Zhuang 北苑妆 (běi yuàn zhuāng)
Tao Gu (陶谷) in《清异录》wrote:
“江南晚季，建阳进’茶油花子‘，大小形制各别，极可爱。宫嫔缕金于干面，背以淡妆，以此花饼施于额上，时号，’北苑妆‘。”
“In the late season in Jiangnan, Jianyang offered ‘tea-oil flower flowers’, varying in size and shape, which were extremely charming. Palace concubines would thread gold onto the dried surface, apply light makeup on the back, and place these flowers on their foreheads. This was called ‘Beiyuan Makeup’ at the time.”
And that’s a wrap—
I hope these notes have been insightful and encourage you to dive deeper into the world of traditional Chinese fashion, particularly from the Tang dynasty. If you come across any incorrect words/translations or you have suggestions for improvement, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email.
See you in the next notes #ZhangRuying’sNotes !
张儒英 Zhang Ruying