Cosmetics like lipstick, foundation and eyeliner are commonly used by women nowadays. But what did Chinese women use for makeup in ancient times?
现代女性普遍使用口红、粉底液和眼线膏等化妆品，但是中国古代女性用什么化妆呢?

Over the past several years, Wang Yifan, 29, has restored more than 30 kinds of cosmetics and makeup tools from different dynasties.
在过去的几年里，29岁的王一帆复原了来自不同朝代的30多件妆品和严具。

Wang has been fascinated by cosmetics since she was a child. She learned the formulas for some ancient cosmetics and basic techniques such as extracting plant pigments from her grandfather who studies Chinese ancient cosmetics.
王一帆从小就对化妆品着迷。她从学做过妆品的祖父那里，学到了一些古代妆品的配方，还学会了诸如提取植物色素的基本技术。

“At that time, I didn’t know what exactly ‘restoration’ was,” Wang said. “I just learned how to do it without any theoretical knowledge.”
“当时我不知道究竟什么是‘复原’，”王一帆说，“我只是在没有任何理论知识的情况下，学会了怎么复原。”

After graduating from college in 2015, Wang devoted herself to researching ancient cosmetics. She spent five years gradually mastering systematical knowledge of restoring ancient cosmetics. She also learned from professionals who specialize in clothing and dying.
2015年大学毕业后，王一帆致力于研究古代妆品。她花了五年时间，逐渐掌握了复原古代妆品的系统知识，还向精专于服装和染色的专家学习。

Basically, the restoration process of cosmetics includes the following steps: figuring out the ingredients, formula and effectiveness, doing experiments, making comparisons after testing and constant adjustment if any problems emerge.
妆品复原的过程基本包括以下几个步骤：确定成分、配方和功效，做实验，测试后做对比，发现问题并不断调整。

In her eyes, every step is a challenge. But finding the right components and formulas is the most difficult part as it could be the decisive factor regarding whether the cosmetics could be restored. Wang needs to examine references in many ancient books and paintings and unearthed relics. Sometimes, the same cosmetics have various formulas in different books, and the same ingredient might have different names during different time periods.
在王一帆眼里，每个步骤都充满挑战，但是查找正确的成分和配方最为困难，因为这可能是影响妆品能否复原的决定性因素。王一帆需要考察相关信息，为此她翻弄了许多古籍、古画和出土文物。有时，相同的妆品在不同的古籍中载有不同配方，而相同的成分在不同时期可能有不同名称。

“Therefore, researching the formula is the most time-exhausting and energy-consuming step,” Wang said. After that, Wang needs to do experiments with the right makeup tools and techniques. Any mistakes can lead to failure.
王一帆说:“因此，研究配方是最耗费时间和精力的步骤。”找到了正确的配方后，王一帆需要使用正确的化妆工具，运用恰当的技巧做实验。任何错误都可能导致妆品复原失败。

For example, Wang restored a kind of powder used by Empress Wu Zetian. This powder was made of motherwort, a plant used in herbal medicine. Wang had to learn crude drug processing from experts. It took her two years to recreate the powder.
例如，王一帆复原了一种女皇武则天使用过的妆粉，这种妆粉以草药植物益母草为原料制成。王一帆不得不向专家学习药材炮制，并花费两年时间复原出这种妆粉。

Although the process is complicated and tough, Wang finds it worthwhile. “Restoring cosmetics offers another perspective for people to learn Chinese history and know more about our nation,” Wang said.
虽然妆品复原的过程复杂而艰难，但王一帆认为值得。王一帆说:“复原妆品为大家了解中国历史、了解我们国家提供了另一个视角。”

Now, more people know the industry due to exposure on social media. “What’s more, China has been attaching more importance to traditional Chinese culture,” Wang said. “This boosts my confidence to continue to restore ancient cosmetics.”
现在，由于社交媒体的曝光，越来越多的人了解到妆品复原行业。“更重要的是，中国越来越重视中国传统文化，”王一帆说，“这增强了我继续复原古代化妆品的信心。”

(Translator & Editor: Li Xinzhu AND Luo Sitian)
https://www.i21st.cn/story/3747.html