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EveryFaceShape

Stage, dance and screen

Theatre and dance makeup and the looks of film stars. 52 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
WorldHorn-rimmed glasses Thick-framed eyewear imitating horn or tortoiseshell.Frame · Most faces · 1917 🇯🇵 JapanKumadori Theatrical makeup for kabuki actors using coloured stripes to show character traits.Makeup 🇺🇸 United StatesGrill Removable dental jewelry worn over teeth for fashion and status.Adornment · 1980 🇬🇧 United KingdomSnooker glasses Corrective eyewear designed for cue sports to maintain optical alignment while bending.Frame · Most faces · 1938 🇨🇳 China and 2 moreSunglasses Protective eyewear designed to shield eyes from bright sunlight and high-energy visible light.Frame · 1929 🇯🇵 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 🇺🇸 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 WorldEyebrow piercing A vertical surface piercing through the eyebrow skin.Adornment 🇦🇹 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 🇯🇵 JapanOhaguro A Japanese tradition of blackening teeth with iron and tannins.Makeup · 1000 🇨🇳 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 Shutter Shades WorldShutter Shades Sunglasses with horizontal slats instead of lensesFrame · Most faces · 1950 WorldGroucho glasses Novelty frames with fake nose and moustache mimicking Groucho MarxFrame Oversized sunglasses WorldOversized sunglasses Large-lens eyewear for sun protection and bold style.Frame · Oval faces · 1970 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 Rounded eyebrows WorldRounded eyebrows An eyebrow shape with a curved peak that follows the eye's contour.Brows · Heart-shaped faces Wraparound sunglasses WorldWraparound sunglasses Curved frames that wrap around the face for full coverage.Frame · Most faces Half-rim glasses WorldHalf-rim glasses Eyewear with a top frame and exposed bottom lenses held by wire.Frame · 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.