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EveryFaceShape

History

Fashions of the past and famous faces. 77 face guides on EveryFaceShape so far.

Face fashions of the past show how much ideals change: the kohl-lined eyes of ancient Egypt, the shaved and repainted brows of Heian Japan, the white lead ceruse and silk beauty patches of Renaissance and eighteenth-century Europe, the whiskers of the Victorians, and the monocle and pince-nez. Each was once ordinary, and each says something about its time.

Old ideals

Egyptian men and women lined their eyes with kohl more than 5,000 years ago. Heian court women in Japan removed their brows and painted new ones high on the forehead, and blackened their teeth. In Europe, Elizabeth I is pictured with a face whitened by ceruse, which contained lead. In eighteenth-century France, silk mouches imitated beauty marks.

Whiskers and frames

In the nineteenth century sideburns, mutton chops and full beards became the norm for European and American men, and armies required moustaches. Pince-nez and monocles were the fashionable eyewear. The clean-shaven face spread in the twentieth century with safety razors and the First World War. The toothbrush moustache, popular early in the century, became rare after the Second World War.

Famous history face guides

Beauty markImitated with silk patchesHikimayuHeian Japan's painted browsOhaguroJapanese teeth blackeningPince-nezNineteenth-century eyewearMonocleA single lens of the Victorian eraToothbrush moustachePopular early in the twentieth century

Still to be written: Venetian ceruse.

Further reading

KindFace shapeEyesNoseLipsBrowsJaw and cheeksHairlineSkinBeardMoustacheFrameAdornmentMakeupMarking
SuitsOval facesRound facesSquare facesHeart-shaped facesDiamond facesOblong facesTriangle facesMost faces
OriginInherited featuresGrown and groomedWornAppliedMarkedChanges with age
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest first
🇩🇿 Algeria and 4 moreAfrican scarification Traditional skin marking practices across Africa for identity and status.Marking WorldLip piercing A body modification that penetrates the lip tissue or surrounding area using jewellery.Adornment 🇯🇵 Japan and 4 moreTeeth blackening A traditional custom of dyeing teeth black to signify adulthood and beauty.Makeup WorldContouring A makeup method using darker and lighter shades to sculpt facial features.Makeup 🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 moreDeq Traditional permanent tattooing among Kurds and YazidisMarking 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreGodna Traditional tribal face and body tattooing from IndiaMarking WorldScarification Permanent skin markings created by cutting or burning for cultural identity.Marking 🇨🇳 ChinaSichuan opera A Chinese theatre form from Sichuan known for mask changing and distinct makeup.Makeup · 1700 🇫🇷 France and 1 morePince-nez Eyeglasses that clip onto the nose bridge without earpieces, popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centurieFrame · Most faces · 1840 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreWayfarer A trapezoidal eyewear frame designed in 1952 and revived multiple times through film placements.Frame · Oval faces · 1952 WorldCat eye glasses Eyewear with an upsweep at the outer corners of the frame.Frame · Most faces · 1931 WorldGlasses Vision eyewear with lenses in a frame for correction, protection, or fashion.Frame · Most faces 🇩🇪 Germany and 2 morePanto glasses Rounded-oval frames with a flat top edge.Frame · Most faces · 1932 WorldBug-eye glasses Large-lensed eyewear from the late twentieth centuryFrame · Most faces · 1975 🇪🇬 Egypt and 4 moreKohl A traditional eye cosmetic made from crushed minerals or soot, used across Africa and Asia for thousands of years.Makeup WorldTeardrop tattoo A tear-shaped mark placed under the eye with varied cultural meanings.Adornment 🇬🇧 United KingdomWindsor glasses Round metal frames with a saddle bridge.Frame · Most faces · 1840 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreEye shadow Cosmetic pigment applied to eyelids to define and accentuate the eyes.Makeup · Most faces · 1910 WorldUrna A spiral mark on the forehead in Buddhist art.Adornment WorldEyeliner Cosmetic applied around the eye contours to define shape.Makeup · Most faces WorldInuit snow goggles Traditional Arctic eyewear with narrow slits to prevent snow blindnessFrame · Most faces Indigenous Tattoos of the Indi 🇮🇳 IndiaIndigenous Tattoos of the Indian Subcontinent Traditional body marking for identity and protection in South Asia.Marking 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreLipstick A pigmented cosmetic applied to the lips for colour and texture.Makeup · 1884 🇺🇸 United StatesBrowline glasses Eyeglass frames with a bold upper rim resembling eyebrows.Frame · Most faces · 1947 WorldHorn-rimmed glasses Thick-framed eyewear imitating horn or tortoiseshell.Frame · Most faces · 1917 🇲🇲 MyanmarThanaka Ground bark paste used as face makeup and sun protection in Myanmar.Makeup · Most faces 🇺🇸 United StatesAviator sunglasses Teardrop-lensed eyewear designed for pilots and adapted for fashion.Frame · Most faces · 1937 🇫🇷 FranceLorgnette Spectacles mounted on a handle for holding in place.Frame · 1770 WorldBeauty mark A dark facial mark, natural or applied, worn for adornment.Skin · Most faces WorldTheatrical makeup Makeup used to create character appearances for theater productions.Makeup WorldNose jewellery Ornaments worn through nostril or septum piercings.Adornment · Most faces 🇯🇵 JapanHikimayu A pre-modern Japanese practice of removing natural eyebrows and painting new ones on the forehead.Makeup 🇨🇳 ChinaBian lian A Sichuan opera technique where performers change masks or colours instantly to show emotion.Makeup 🇲🇲 MyanmarTattooing in Myanmar Traditional body art of Myanmar's ethnic groups, marking strength and identity.Marking WorldFace tattoo Ink designs on the face or head from traditional customsMarking 🇳🇿 New ZealandTā moko Traditional permanent facial and body markings of the Māori people of New Zealand.Marking 🇮🇳 IndiaKesh Uncut hair kept as a religious symbol in Sikhism, part of the Five Ks.Marking · 1699 🇲🇽 MexicoCalavera Decorative or edible skulls made for the Mexican Day of the Dead.Adornment 🇳🇬 Nigeria and 2 moreYoruba tribal marks Scarification patterns used by the Yoruba people for identity and beauty.Marking 🇨🇦 CanadaKakiniit Traditional facial and body tattoos of Inuit women in the North American Arctic.Marking WorldLabret A body piercing placed below the bottom lip and above the chin.Adornment 🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 3 moreLip plate A large disc inserted into a stretched lip piercing as body modification.Adornment 🇨🇳 China and 2 moreSunglasses Protective eyewear designed to shield eyes from bright sunlight and high-energy visible light.Frame · 1929 Ichi 🇳🇬 NigeriaIchi Ritual facial scarification of the Igbo people marking nobility.Marking 🇨🇳 ChinaJing A Chinese opera role for mighty men, defined by heavy face painting.Makeup Tavlugun 🇺🇸 United StatesTavlugun A traditional chin tattoo worn by Indigenous Iñupiaq women.Marking 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreYidiiltoo Traditional face tattoos of Hän Gwich’in women from Alaska and Canada.Marking Microblading WorldMicroblading A semi-permanent technique for enhancing eyebrow shape and colour using fine hand-drawn strokes.Makeup · 2007
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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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