I started as a concubine, and I made the crown prince cry with my delicious food.

Ye An'an locked herself in her room and began to review her simplified version of the "cosmetic set".

Liquid foundation has too many complex ingredients, and since everyone's skin tone is different, there are too many shades that need to be mixed, making it unsuitable as a primary product in the initial stages.

Highlighters and blushes, while effective, are concepts that are too advanced for people in this era and require time to educate the market.

Lipstick is a good choice. But color is another big problem.

After much thought, the most suitable product is still mascara.

Its effect is simple and straightforward: it makes eyelashes blacker, longer, and curlier.

The effect is immediate and has a strong visual impact.

Moreover, its ingredients are relatively simple and easy to find substitutes and mass production methods in this era.

Just do it!

Ye An'an immediately transformed herself into a "mad scientist" and plunged into the small kitchen in the general's mansion that she had temporarily requisitioned.

To make mascara, you first need to solve three problems: coloring, shaping, and waterproofing.

Coloring is the simplest.

Ye An'an had the finest quality charcoal for cooking brought in and ground into an extremely fine powder, even finer than flour.

This is the most natural and safest melanin.

Next comes shaping, which means ensuring the product adheres evenly to the eyelashes and maintains its curl after drying.

This requires a substrate that is both viscous and has a certain degree of hardness.

The first thing Ye An'an thought of was beeswax.

This was very common in ancient times. Many of the high-class candles used in the homes of wealthy and powerful people were made of beeswax.

It is natural, safe, and has a great shaping effect.

She had someone retrieve a large piece of the finest beeswax from the manor's storeroom.

Beeswax alone is not enough; pure beeswax is too hard and not smooth. We also need an oily ingredient that can make the cream smoother and more moisturizing.

After thinking for a moment, Ye An'an chose olive oil.

Although the term "olive oil" didn't exist in this era, something similar did. From the Western Regions, a type of oil extracted from "green fruit" was presented as tribute. It was emerald green in color and had a fragrant aroma. It was used by the nobles in the palace to care for their skin.

As luck would have it, there were a few small bottles in the general's mansion, which the empress had bestowed upon him last time.

Colorant (charcoal powder), plasticizer (beeswax), and smoothing agent (olive oil) are all available.

The basic formula has already been formed.

Like conducting a chemistry experiment, Ye An'an found a balance and began to precisely weigh the proportion of each ingredient.

She first placed the beeswax and olive oil in a small bowl, and then slowly heated them over hot water until they melted.

After the two were completely blended together, she added the fine charcoal powder, which had been sifted countless times, little by little.

While adding the ingredients, stir continuously with a small glass rod.

This is a process that requires immense patience.

Charcoal powder must be completely and thoroughly blended with oils, without any lumps. Otherwise, the resulting mascara will have a grainy texture, resulting in disgusting "spider legs" on the eyelashes.

After countless stirrings and adjustments to the proportions.

A bowl of black, oily, smooth paste, like melted chocolate, finally appeared before her.

"It's done!"

Ye An'an was so excited by the scent that was a mixture of the fragrance of beeswax and the smell of oil that she almost jumped up.

Now that we have the ointment, we also need a good tool.

— Eyelash brush.

This is no problem for her either.

She had someone bring in the most skilled embroiderer in the manor.

I also found several kinds of animal hair with different degrees of hardness. For example, horse mane, sheep beard, and even the softest tuft from a wolf hair brush.

She drew up a blueprint and instructed the embroiderer to use extremely fine copper wire to wrap the hairs around a thin bamboo stick, following the design of a modern mascara brush with a spiral head.

After several failures and improvements, a simple but functional handmade "eyelash brush" was born.

Everything is ready except for the "clinical trial".

"Yunyun! Third Sister! Come quick!"

She excitedly took her "new invention" and ran back to the back garden.

Ye Jinjin and Ye Yunyun were in the pavilion, awkwardly studying the "sample" left by Ye An'an yesterday in front of the mirror, trying to replicate that magical makeup.

"Big sister, what delicious food have you made again?" Ye Yunyun ran over excitedly as soon as she saw her.

"I'm not eating anything today," Ye An'an smiled mysteriously. She pulled Ye Yunyun over and made her sit down. "Today, I'm going to show you something even more fun."

She opened the small jar containing black ointment and took out the oddly shaped "little brush".

"What is this? It's all black and looks so strange." Ye Yunyun asked curiously, poking at the ointment.

"This is the mascara I mentioned yesterday that can turn your eyelashes into little fans."

Ye An'an first used an eyelash curler to curl Ye Yunyun's eyelashes.

Then, using the homemade mascara brush, I dipped a small amount of black mascara into it and carefully brushed it up from the roots of my eyelashes in a "Z" motion.

Once, twice...

A miracle happened.

Ye Yunyun's eyelashes, which were not short but rather sparse and light in color, instantly became distinct, black, and shiny after being coated with this black mascara!

Moreover, due to the application of the cream, each eyelash appears to have become thicker, making them look incredibly dense.

In addition, the curl I created using an eyelash curler before.

Those two rows of eyelashes, like two delicate, black little fans, fluttered and made her already lively big eyes even more radiant and sparkling.

"Alright, take a look for yourself."

Ye An'an handed the mirror to her.

Ye Yunyun took the mirror, glanced at it, and her hand froze.

She looked in the mirror at herself, her eyes seemingly magnified twice in an instant, and at those two rows of beautiful, curled eyelashes that could almost touch her upper eyelids.

She blinked in disbelief.

The person in the mirror also blinked.

The two "small fans" also flickered.

"ah--!"

A high-decibel scream, loud enough to lift the roof off, burst from her mouth.

"Big sister! Are these my eyes?! My God! This effect is absolutely amazing!"

She was so excited that she jumped up from her chair, grabbed the mirror, and looked at herself over and over again, unable to get enough of it.

Ye Jinjin, who was standing nearby, and several other noble ladies who had come to "visit" today also gathered around.

When they saw Ye Yunyun's exaggerated, doll-like, curled eyelashes.

Everyone's face showed the same shock and fervent desire as yesterday.

"Sister An'an! I want one too! I want one too!"

"Quick! Quick, give me one too!"