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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
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 🇯🇵 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 🇲🇽 MexicoCalavera Decorative or edible skulls made for the Mexican Day of the Dead.Adornment 🇨🇳 ChinaJing A Chinese opera role for mighty men, defined by heavy face painting.Makeup Microblading WorldMicroblading A semi-permanent technique for enhancing eyebrow shape and colour using fine hand-drawn strokes.Makeup · 2007 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreEye shadow Cosmetic pigment applied to eyelids to define and accentuate the eyes.Makeup · Most faces · 1910 WorldEyeliner Cosmetic applied around the eye contours to define shape.Makeup · Most faces 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreLipstick A pigmented cosmetic applied to the lips for colour and texture.Makeup · 1884 🇲🇲 MyanmarThanaka Ground bark paste used as face makeup and sun protection in Myanmar.Makeup · Most faces 🇯🇵 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 🇨🇳 ChinaSichuan opera A Chinese theatre form from Sichuan known for mask changing and distinct makeup.Makeup · 1700 🇪🇬 Egypt and 4 moreKohl A traditional eye cosmetic made from crushed minerals or soot, used across Africa and Asia for thousands of years.Makeup 🇮🇳 IndiaTripundra Three horizontal ash lines on the forehead worn by Shaivite Hindus.Adornment Día de los Muertos face paint 🇲🇽 MexicoDía de los Muertos face paint Skull-style makeup worn during Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations to honour ancestors.Makeup · Most faces · 1913 Seminole face paint 🇺🇸 United StatesSeminole face paint Traditional Seminole facial markings for ceremony and war.Makeup · Most faces Peking opera face paint 🇨🇳 ChinaPeking opera face paint Symbolic oil-based makeup for Chinese opera characters.Makeup · Most 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.