Video by drwendyaesthetics

Historical lip trends in China are surprisingly creative. During the different dynasties, beauty ideals leaned towards small delicate features and that extended to the lips. Women didn't just color them, they reshaped them. Using rouge made from vermilion mixed with beeswax or animal fat, lips were painted into stylized forms. Think tiny hearts, petals and even floral designs.

So instead of enhancing the natural lip line, the goal was to make lips appear smaller, more refined and almost doll-like. And the psychology here is interesting. Beauty wasn't about fullness or volume like many trends today. It was about precision and controlled elegance. Even extreme practices at the time reflected this idea of delicacy as status.

This is almost the opposite of what we see now. Today, it's volume, hydration, natural waters. Different approaches, but the same underlying idea applies. That lips still form a focal point of beauty and identity.