Yang Mi’s upcoming drama The Litchi of Chang’an (《长安的荔枝》) is scheduled to premiere during the summer vacation. Some netizens have dug up Yang Mi’s Tang – Dynasty – style makeup from before. They noticed that there are two dots on both sides of her mouth. Is there any special meaning to this?

Ⅰ. Mian Ye

This kind of decoration is called “mian ye” (面靥, facial dimple decoration). It first appeared as early as the Han Dynasty. In Shuowen Jiezi (an ancient Chinese dictionary), it is explained that: “靥 means the fleshy part of the cheek.” So, this term generally refers to the decoration applied by ancient women on both dimples. Its earliest record was in the Han Dynasty, when it was called “dì (旳)”. It became popular in the Tang and Song dynasties. The facial dimple decoration reached an unprecedented level of development in the Tang Dynasty. Besides the round – dot shape and crescent – moon shape, there were also flower shapes, etc. It could be painted on or decorated with materials such as gemstones.

There are also many names for it. Depending on the different shapes painted, this facial dimple decoration can also be called “flower ye”, “bird ye”, “star ye”, etc. If different materials such as gemstones or gold foil are used, it can also be called “gold ye”, “ye dian (靥钿)”, etc. All of these are manifestations of the delicate makeup in the Tang Dynasty. In addition, the Tang Dynasty also recorded the method of using dried flower plants to replace the facial dimple decoration. In Volume 2 of Records of Lingnan (《岭表录异》), it is stated: “The Hezi grass is a vine plant. Its flowers are dusty – colored, light purple, and its stems and leaves are like willow but shorter. It blooms in summer and is also called green – flower – green – leaf. People in the south say it is an enchanting grass. They pick it, dry it in the sun, and use it to replace the facial dimple decoration.”

Ⅱ. Hua Dian

From the late Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties, the art of clothing decoration witnessed an unprecedented development. Although the main changes in clothing styles were reflected in the evolution of large sleeves and long trains, the popularity of facial dimple decorations (mian ye) was on the rise. As can be seen in the Dunhuang murals, some relatively “avant – garde” women covered their faces with various – shaped patterns. The area of decoration clearly expanded. It was not only on the positions of facial dimples but also included the middle of the forehead and both sides of the nostrils. At this time, these decorations were collectively called “hua dian (花钿)”. Despite their abundance, they did not seem chaotic. Instead, there was a sense of order, which could also set off a mysterious aesthetic feeling, demonstrating the high level of aesthetic taste at that time.

Ⅲ. Pearl Makeup

Pearl decoration was very popular in the Song Dynasty. People liked to use pearls instead of gemstones as decorations. This kind of makeup look with overall pearl decoration was also collectively called “pearl makeup”. For girls, adding these two dots on the corners of the mouth not only has a unique visual charm but can also effectively reduce the visual impact of nasolabial folds.

Regarding its origin, there is a “palace – origin theory”. For example, when a concubine was having her menstrual period and couldn’t clearly tell the emperor that she couldn’t accept his “favor”, she would put two dots on both sides of her face. When the female historians saw this, they wouldn’t arrange for her to serve the emperor. Later, this facial dimple decoration spread to the common people and became a kind of makeup ornament, which is also in line with the popular trend from the nobility to the common people in all dynasties. In Shiming (《释名》, a Chinese dictionary), it is stated that: “Originally, the concubines of the emperor and princes were supposed to serve the emperor in turn. Those who were having their menstrual periods would stop serving and didn’t want to say it orally. So, they put these dots on their faces as a clear mark.”

In the poem Ode to the Goddess (《神女赋》) by Wang Can (王粲) in the State of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period, it is written that: “She took off her clothes and hairpins, and put on beautiful ‘di’ and tied her hair in a graceful style.” Fu Xuan (傅玄) in the Jin Dynasty mentioned in Ode to the Mirror (《镜赋》) that: “Putting on two ‘di (旳)’ can enhance the beauty of the face.” The general meaning is that adding these two decorative dots can better highlight the beauty of the face. It can be seen that the facial dimple decoration had gradually become a popular decoration after the Eastern Han Dynasty, but it was not as popular as in the Tang Dynasty. It should be noted that in many ancient books, the characters “的” and “旳” are interchangeable, just with different recordings.

Summary

In terms of style and effect, this kind of “mian ye” decoration to some extent serves the function of dimples. In fact, in modern times, there are also some makeup looks that deliberately add moles in areas such as the corners of the eyes, the corners of the mouth, and both sides of the cheeks. Is there some kind of connection between the two? Whether it’s the facial dimple decoration of ancient women or modern mole – adding makeup, they can both be used to enhance the appearance around the mouth. At the same time, they can also make fine lines less noticeable, which means they don’t make a person look as old.

Especially, mian ye decorations can be made from different materials, which can enhance the delicacy of the makeup. For example, pearl mian ye decorations can show a gentle and beautiful look, while gold mian ye decorations can present an elegant and grand appearance. Moreover, by adjusting the size and shape, the decoration can be made less conspicuous and more suitable for modern makeup looks. Have you learned this simple “visual way to reduce nasolabial folds” technique?