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During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, ancient Chinese women began to make up faces with lead powder and make eyebrows black to turn themselves into beauty in order to gain the love of men.

The make-up powder used by women in ancient China has two types. One is called rice powder which is made by grinding rice grains with spices.  The other is paste-like facial powder, commonly known as "hufen". Because it is made of lead, it is also called "lead powder".

In addition to rice powder and lead powder, makeup powder can also be made of other substances. For example, in the Song Dynasty, there was "Jade Peach Pollen" which was made with motherwort and gypsum powder.  In the Ming Dynasty, there was "Pearl Powder" made  with purple jasmine seeds.  In the Qing Dynasty, there was "Stone powder" which was ground to use talc and other soft ores. 

And then, the color of the makeup powder had also increased from the original white to a variety of colors, and blended with various precious spices to make women more charming after they maked up.

In ancient China, rouge was the main cosmetics matching makeup powder.  Rouge, similar to the blush we use today, is also known as "Yanzhi" in Chinese. It is a red pigment and the main product for ancient Chinese women makeup.