The “yellow forehead makeup” in the recently released makeup photos of Mulan has sparked heated discussions.
After all, the fairy sisters we used to see looked like this:
But what we see now is actually this:
Cough, it must be said,
The yellow forehead makeup is really hard to master…
However, such makeup actually conforms to ancient aesthetics.
The yellow forehead makeup that looks strange and out of place to us today
is actually a historical recreation.
The History of Yellow Forehead Makeup
The history of yellow forehead makeup can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. According to Zhang Xuan's Yi Yao from the Ming Dynasty: “Yellow on the forehead is also a Han Palace makeup.”
There are more records about yellow forehead makeup during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. In Yang Zihua's painting The North Qi School Book Figure, the women in the painting have their foreheads painted a light yellow from their brow bones.
This trend was related to the historical context of the time. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Buddhism began to spread in China, and temples across the country were adorned with golden statues of Buddha.
The “fashion influencers” of the time drew inspiration from the gilded Buddha statues and started dyeing their foreheads yellow. Over time, this became a popular custom, and some even painted their entire faces yellow, known as “Buddha Makeup.”
From the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, women fell in love with this makeup method and often painted their foreheads yellow as an embellishment. Sometimes, the yellow would accumulate on the forehead, forming small hills, known as “Forehead Hills.”
Natural Yellow Forehead Makeup
What material was used to make the yellow powder?
In Wang Ya's Palace Poems from the Tang Dynasty, it is written:
The hall is filled with the fragrance of pine resin, the warm mist spreading down the steps;
In the deep spring, they want to take the golden powder, and the palace ladies wear red skirts around the trees.
In Wen Tingyun's poem Nan Ge Zi from the Tang Dynasty, it also mentions: “Dabbing the stamens to add yellow, and gently applying them to the green hairpin.” This suggests that the yellow powder for the forehead might have been made from pine pollen, which is yellow and fragrant and has benefits such as “nourishing the heart and lungs, benefiting qi, and stopping bleeding.”
In Zhuang Jiyu's Jilebian from the Song Dynasty, it is recorded: “(In Yan area) well-born girls… in the first month, they apply trichosanthes to their faces, known as Buddha Makeup.” Trichosanthes (guā lóu) is a type of climbing medicinal plant from the gourd family.
It is evident that the yellow powder for the forehead was generally naturally sourced, making it a natural, high-quality cosmetic by today's standards.
How to Apply Yellow Forehead Makeup?
Full Application Method: Apply yellow powder to the entire forehead, as mentioned in the poem: “Full forehead covered with golden silk clothes.”
@Nansangzi's makeup work
Half Application Method: Instead of covering the entire forehead, apply the yellow powder to only half of it, either the upper or lower part, and blend it with water to create a gradient effect. This is described as “The eyebrows lose their green, but the forehead retains its yellow.”
Isn't this similar to modern eyeshadow blending? The women in the previously mentioned The North Qi School Book Figure have their yellow forehead gradually fading into the hairline, which is an example of this technique.
Dotting “Rui Huang” Method: Use yellow powder to draw patterns resembling flower stamens on the forehead, or cut yellow paper into similar shapes and stick them on the forehead, also known as “Flower Yellow.”
This method is closer to floral decorations and was very popular during the Tang Dynasty. In Zhang Bi's poem Huan Xi Sha · Dian Gu Xiang Che Guo Liu Di, he describes: “On a snowy day at the eastern gate of the small market, I saw a fairy-like figure among the crowd, with golden stamens and flowers painted on her forehead.”
Even up to the Song Dynasty, yellow forehead makeup was still popular. Poet Peng Ruli wrote: “A graceful young lady, with pearls in her hair and a yellow face.” This clearly shows the popularity of yellow forehead makeup at the time.
@Nansangzi's makeup work