In ancient times, cinnabar was ground into a powder to form a pigment called vermilion. This pigment was used for art (In China it is the red laquers and special ink) and decoration (Mayan's burial chambers or Ancient Roman's statues) and was also added to cosmetics (In India, the parting of the women's hair and in a dot on their foreheads.)
Still used today in some TCM formulas and artist's paint.