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EveryFaceShape

History

Fashions of the past and famous faces. 90 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
Playoff beard 🇺🇸 United States and 1 morePlayoff beard A superstitious facial hair tradition worn by athletes and fans during postseason competitions.Beard · 1980 WorldFacial hair Hair grown on the human face, primarily a male secondary sex characteristic.Beard · Most faces WorldSideburns Facial hair grown on the sides of the face from the hairline.Beard · Most faces Ned Kelly beard 🇦🇺 AustraliaNed Kelly beard Full beard and moustache style named after an Australian outlaw.Beard · Most faces Soul patch WorldSoul patch A small patch of facial hair worn between the lower lip and the chin.Beard · 1986 🇮🇱 Israel and 1 morePayot Sidelocks worn by Orthodox Jewish men as a religious observance.Beard WorldChinstrap beard A narrow line of hair tracing the jaw from ear to ear.Beard · Most faces WorldBeard Facial hair on the jaw, chin, cheeks and neck of adult males.Beard WorldGoatee Facial hair focused on the chin, sometimes including a moustache.Beard · 1950 WorldVan Dyke beard A moustache and goatee with shaved cheeks.Beard · Most faces Verdi beard 🇮🇹 ItalyVerdi beard A full beard paired with a distinct moustache.Beard · Most faces Full beard WorldFull beard A traditional style covering the cheeks, jaw, and chin.Beard · Oval faces

Photo credits on this page

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

The weekly digest

Every Monday: the face guide of the day, new pages on EveryFaceShape, and the conferences and anniversaries of the week ahead.