The Beauty of Chinese Makeup

Name: The Beauty of Chinese Makeup
ISBN: 9787535694638

李芽 / 陈诗宇Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House · ChinaApr 2026

4.0

Word count: 95K words
Chapters: 23
ISBN: 9787535694638

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Summary

From prehistory to the Qing dynasty, for whom did Chinese women apply makeup, and how did they do it? Through ancient paintings, sculptures, and murals, supported by poetry and classical texts, The Beauty of Chinese Makeup reveals the details of makeup in ancient China, explores the changing status of women and Eastern aesthetics across dynasties, and presents 29 sets of faithful makeup reconstructions that re-create the beauty of Chinese women's makeup through the ages.

The book begins with the tattoos of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties and moves through the Zhou, when plain makeup prevailed; the Qin, when color cosmetics began; the Han, when aesthetic standards took shape; the free and lively Northern and Southern Dynasties; the splendid prosperity of the Tang; the return to simplicity in the Song; the ethnic customs of the Liao and Yuan; the dignity of the Ming; and the variety of the Qing. It identifies the key features of women's makeup in each period while also revealing, from another angle, the shifts in ancient Chinese social life and aesthetic thought.

This is not only a detailed history of makeup but also a distinctive visual compendium of Chinese makeup. The two authors initiated a project to reconstruct ancient Chinese makeup, inviting styling, makeup, and photography experts and models to complete reconstructions of Chinese women's makeup across the dynasties.

Editor's review

The Beauty of Chinese Makeup is a cultural history by costume historian Li Ya that takes makeup through the ages as its entry point to trace the evolution of Chinese women's aesthetics. It is not a simple compilation of makeup techniques but places makeup within a broad social and cultural context, examining its deep connections with political institutions, economic life, intellectual trends, ethnic integration, and even cultural exchange with foreign lands. Drawing on her solid grounding in costume history and material culture, Li Ya mines a vast sea of documents—poetry, notebooks, local gazetteers, medical texts—and images—murals, pottery figurines, paintings—to construct a "history of makeup evolution" from the pre-Qin period to the Qing dynasty. Her tracing of the origins of classic styles such as "Morning Glow Makeup," "Languid Makeup," and "Buddha Makeup," and her investigation of cosmetic materials and techniques such as dai (eyebrow black), rouge, huadian (forehead ornaments), and ehuan (yellow forehead), not only restore the faces of ancient women but also reveal makeup's multiple meanings as a bodily technique and social symbol—a site of disciplinary power and a window for individual expression; a marker of class identity and a mirror of the spirit of the age. In reading this book, readers gain not only knowledge of "how ancient women adorned themselves" but also a new perspective for understanding Chinese history and culture, and a deep appreciation of "beauty" as a historical construct and social practice.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in ancient Chinese cultural history, the history of social life, and material culture
Enthusiasts and professionals in costume, makeup, and fashion seeking historical inspiration and depth
Students and teachers in art, design, film, and theater who need reliable iconographic and documentary references on ancient makeup
Readers who wish to move beyond political and military narratives and feel the pulse of history from micro-level and women's perspectives

Not a good fit for

Pragmatists seeking only modern makeup step-by-step tutorials or color cosmetics recommendations
Purely visual readers expecting large numbers of high-resolution color reconstruction images (the book's illustrations are mainly documentary line drawings)

Reading tips

Read alongside visual sources such as ancient figure paintings, murals, and pottery figurines to build a more intuitive impression
Pay attention to the summaries at the end of each chapter to grasp the core features and evolutionary logic of makeup in each era
Use this book in conjunction with works such as A Study of Ancient Chinese Costume to build a more complete genealogy of ancient Chinese material and visual culture

About the publisher

Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House China · Founded in 1980

Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House focuses on art education and art theory, with publishing directions spanning art, design, architecture, social sciences, and popular science. In architecture and garden studies, works such as Chen Congzhou's The Art of Chinese Gardens, Wang Shu's Building a House, and Tong Jun's Villas in Southeast China combine scholarly depth with readability. In art history and popular art, it offers Huang Binhong's A Minimalist History of Chinese Painting: Subtle Insights into Ancient Paintings (Annotated Edition), along with distinctive titles such as Letters to a Friend and 99 Ways to Tell a Story. Botanical notes in Forest Flowers: Margaret Mee's Botanical Notes and the popular science book Feeding Time at the Zoo expand its publishing scope beyond art, while authors such as Matt Madden, Huang Yuanfan, and Li Yongxue further enrich its content resources. The collection available here contains 21 related books; as public information is limited, the above summary of its publishing characteristics is based only on these titles.

版权信息
序
前言
第一章滥觞
史前至商：文身与绘身
周：南北各异
秦：彩妆之始
第二章成形
汉：审美成形
魏晋南北朝：美而自在
第三章鼎盛
初唐：从简约保守转向华丽绽放
盛唐：贵妃的红妆时代
中唐：时世险妆束
晚唐、五代：西州狂花与素雅汉妆的两极分化
第四章转型
宋：回归素朴
辽、元：少数民族风情
第五章融合
明：端庄典雅
清：满汉交融
附录中国古代妆容研究的三种路径
后记

FAQ

Is this book about makeup steps?

No. The book is centered on research into the cultural history of makeup, focusing on the styles, names, cultural meanings, and social changes associated with makeup through the dynasties rather than teaching specific makeup techniques. It is a historical and cultural work grounded in scholarly inquiry.

Are there many images in the book? How is the clarity?

The book includes a considerable number of illustrations, drawn mainly from ancient paintings, murals, pottery figurines, and documentary line drawings, used to support the textual discussion. These images are part of the research materials and are primarily printed in black and white; their value lies in their documentary and historical significance rather than as high-resolution color cosmetic renderings.

What is the background of the author Li Ya? Is the content reliable?

The author, Li Ya, is a professor at the Shanghai Theatre Academy who has long devoted herself to the study of ancient Chinese costume history, makeup history, and material culture. She is the author of monographs including Chinese Adornment Through the Dynasties and Gleam at the Ear: Chinese Ear Ornaments Through the Dynasties. This book is the fruit of years of research, rigorously evidenced and richly cited, and holds high scholarly reference value in its field.

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About the author

李芽 Author

Li Ya — public information is limited. At present, it is known only that one work by this author, The Beauty of Chinese Makeup, is held in the collection, and it is commonly classified under fashion. Judging from the title and category, the book likely explores the history and aesthetics of Chinese makeup, possibly covering cosmetic customs across dynasties, facial adornment techniques, and the cultural meanings behind them. Li Ya's writing appears to focus on thematic organization, examining makeup as an everyday practice within the broader context of Chinese culture, balancing informative content with readability. The book should appeal to readers interested in traditional cosmetics, aesthetic trends, and the history of daily life. Since only one work is held, the author's nationality, dates, educational background, and full body of work cannot be confirmed; this introduction can only offer a cautious description based on existing records. Readers seeking further information about the author should consult the book itself and reliable publishing sources.

陈诗宇 Author · Chinese

Chen Shiyu is a Chinese researcher of traditional Chinese attire who has long been engaged in the reconstruction of ancient dress and the popularization of costume history. His representative work, The Beauty of Chinese Makeup, is catalogued as a fashion title and focuses on presenting the evolution and significance of Chinese makeup from historical and aesthetic perspectives. In his writing, he seeks to translate specialized knowledge of ancient dress and costume history into content accessible to general readers, balancing reconstructed detail with clear, popular expression so that readers can more intuitively understand the forms and development of traditional cosmetics and adornment. Because public information is limited, his personal life, educational background, and specific experiences remain unclear; nevertheless, the available work shows that his interests center on the study and public communication of traditional dress and makeup, reflecting a distinctive approach within popular writing on related subjects and offering useful reference for the promotion of traditional styling culture.