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EveryFaceShape

Stage, dance and screen

Theatre and dance makeup and the looks of film stars. 38 face guides on EveryFaceShape so far.

Stage, dance and screen have their own faces: the painted veshams of Kathakali, the kumadori of Kabuki, the lianpu of Peking opera, the masks that change in a flash in Sichuan opera, the faces of Theyyam and Yakshagana, and the looks of film stars that became everyday fashions. Many of these traditions are taught for years and recognised by UNESCO.

Faces that tell the story

In Asian classical theatre, a face tells the audience who a character is. Kathakali's green pacha marks heroes and its red-marked kathi proud villains. Kabuki's red lines mark heroes and its blue lines villains. Peking opera uses red for loyalty, black for integrity and white for cunning. The painting takes hours and is often done by the performer.

Screen looks

Film turned stage methods into fashions. The pencil moustaches of 1930s and 1940s Hollywood, the cat-eye frames and winged liner of the 1950s, the bindis and kajal of Indian film heroines and the aviators of 1980s cinema all spread from the screen. Contouring, once a stage trick for flattening light, became an everyday look in the 2010s.

Famous stage, dance and screen face guides

KumadoriKabuki's painted linesPeking opera makeupLianpu painted facesBian lianSichuan opera face-changingTheatrical makeupFaces for the stagePencil moustacheThe look of 1930s film stars

Still to be written: Kathakali, Theyyam, Yakshagana.

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
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreSunglasses Protective eyewear designed to shield eyes from bright sunlight and high-energy visible light.Frame · 1929 🇦🇹 Austria and 2 moreRimless eyeglasses Eyewear where lenses attach directly to the bridge and temples without a surrounding frame.Frame · Most faces 🇫🇷 FranceLorgnette Spectacles mounted on a handle for holding in place.Frame · 1770 WorldTheatrical makeup Makeup used to create character appearances for theater productions.Makeup 🇯🇵 JapanOhaguro A Japanese tradition of blackening teeth with iron and tannins.Makeup · 1000 🇯🇵 JapanKumadori Theatrical makeup for kabuki actors using coloured stripes to show character traits.Makeup 🇯🇵 JapanHikimayu A pre-modern Japanese practice of removing natural eyebrows and painting new ones on the forehead.Makeup 🇨🇳 ChinaPeking opera makeup Symbolic face paint for Chinese opera roles.Makeup · 1790 🇨🇳 ChinaBian lian A Sichuan opera technique where performers change masks or colours instantly to show emotion.Makeup 🇺🇸 United StatesMirrored sunglasses Sunglasses with a reflective outer coating that reduces glare and light transmission.Frame · Most faces 🇨🇳 ChinaJing A Chinese opera role for mighty men, defined by heavy face painting.Makeup WorldFake moustache A prosthetic facial hair piece used for disguise, performance, or style.Moustache WorldGoggles Protective eyewear that encloses the eye area to block debris, water, or chemicals.Frame · Most faces WorldShooting glasses specialized corrective eyewear for sport shooting competitionsFrame · Most faces 🇬🇧 United KingdomSnooker glasses Corrective eyewear designed for cue sports to maintain optical alignment while bending.Frame · Most faces · 1938 WorldEyebrow piercing A vertical surface piercing through the eyebrow skin.Adornment 🇺🇸 United StatesGrill Removable dental jewelry worn over teeth for fashion and status.Adornment · 1980 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 🇫🇷 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 WorldGlasses Vision eyewear with lenses in a frame for correction, protection, or fashion.Frame · Most faces WorldTeardrop tattoo A tear-shaped mark placed under the eye with varied cultural meanings.Adornment 🇺🇸 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 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreLipstick A pigmented cosmetic applied to the lips for colour and texture.Makeup · 1884 🇯🇵 JapanOshiroi Traditional Japanese white face makeup for kabuki actors and geisha.Makeup · 1934 WorldHorn-rimmed glasses Thick-framed eyewear imitating horn or tortoiseshell.Frame · Most faces · 1917 WorldAquiline nose A human nose with a prominent bridge that curves or bends slightly.Nose Shutter Shades WorldShutter Shades Sunglasses with horizontal slats instead of lensesFrame · Most faces · 1950 WorldSideburns Facial hair grown on the sides of the face from the hairline.Beard · Most faces WorldGroucho glasses Novelty frames with fake nose and moustache mimicking Groucho MarxFrame 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreToothbrush moustache A narrow moustache trimmed to the width of the nose.Moustache · 1890 WorldMoustache Facial hair grown above the upper lip and under the nose.Moustache · Most faces Soul patch WorldSoul patch A small patch of facial hair worn between the lower lip and the chin.Beard · 1986 WorldPencil moustache A thin, neat line of hair above the lip.Moustache · Most faces WorldFu Manchu moustache A long moustache with two hanging tendrils.Moustache · 1929

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.